Spiced wafers are back in the grocery stores again. I didn't see any of the brand I usually buy, but there was a store brand version that I picked up. They are a sure sign that fall is ready to have summer shuffle off to Buffalo, or points further south. A few of the earliest leaves have started to drop, those that are not tenacious and willing to cling to the branch til the frost sets in. There are flocks of Canada geese starting to mill around as if ready to pack their valises for the Carolinas, although, truth be told, many have started to winter in this area. A few more weeks and we'll have the tingle of autumn in the evening air, replacing this weighty humidity that keeps us all suspended in our A/C.

There was an article in the paper a couple of weeks ago about consumers beginning to buy more store brand items, shooting fear into the hearts of the big name retailers. I've begun to do this for certain items that are commodities (the spiced wafers are passable and cost considerably less than their brand-named counterpart), or are superior to other brands (the strawberry jam is better than Smucker's), or are not available under any other brand (the sparkling water-like beverage I drink is unique to the particular store in which I shop). There are other items that, rational or not, I will only purchase as a name brand (Raisin Bran, paper towels, peanut butter crackers), so Proctor and Gamble can rest easy, for now.

Movies: I have 3 NetFlix movies here to watch: Read My Lips, See the Sea, and Under the Sand. Some sort of beach theme going on there.

Cats: Hercules lies down to eat his food. He plops down near the bowl, scoops some food out with his paw and eats it off the floor. He tries to do the same thing with the water bowl, which only results in a damp cat and water all over the floor. His little pea brain does not seem capable of learning that this does not work. Or maybe he's learned that when he does this, I call him a bad cat, clean up the floor and put fresh water in the dish. Heh - who's the trained one?