The nor'easter last weekend delivered about an inch of rain to this station. The remainder of the week was dry, but water from that storm and the rain the previous week still lingers. Mt Greylock hiking trails still have standing water in areas that pool in the spring. The gardens dried enough to disk under the remnants of the growing season, but the soil remains damp. I've started mowing the old pasture and found the normally damp sections are still very wet. Remnants of a large puddle remain in the dirt parking area for the Ashuwillticook rail trail at Cheshire Harbor. Lawns are still green, though growing slower in the cool weather. Hawks are migrating and we witnessed a sharp shinned hawk catch breakfast outside our kitchen window. My chestnut trees are producing a large crop and a young bear has found them and is climbing and breaking branches to reach the nuts. Water levels in Bassett Brook and the Hoosic River have been slowly dropping but remain near normal.Bright splashes of fall foliage can be found but most colors are muted.