It was another beautiful fall day, and I keep wondering when will be the last time I'll be able to say that. This one came out of the blue (or out of the gray, the color of the sky earlier this week). I'd like to be prepared, so that I don't sleep half the day away. If I'd known, I might not have stayed up so late doing nothing but watching movies so I could delete them from the TiVo memory. It's a good thing I watched a couple of them at double and triple speed, or I might not have got to bed at all.

I've turned off the TiVo feature that picks out shows it thinks I'll like and records them automatically. I never got around to watching most of them anyway. I'm pretty good at picking out my own shows (and too many of them to watch, as it turns out). Maybe now that we're at the end of the baseball season, I'll have time to watch the rest of the movies I've been saving.

Two uninvited guests came to my door before I was even dressed this morning. A woman and her small daughter offered me a religious tract of some kind. I was unbelievably polite, considering the circumstances (only one cup of coffee). I kidded them about coming all the way up the long, treacherous driveway, but what I was really thinking was, "Why would you make this beautiful little child walk up the long, treacherous driveway?"

I finally got the package I was expecting from Blue Cross. I don't know if it was delivered by FedEx directly. Some guy in a red Toyota drove up, stuck the package inside my screen door, and drove off without even knocking. I don't know why it took a whole week to get it here. The address and directions I left on the FedEx answering machine were written on the outside of the package. They'd written the phone number down wrong, though.

The mail today brought a note from the bank, thanking me for my inquiry and informing me that the "appropriate adjustments" would be made to my account. I have no idea what they're talking about. I don't remember making any inquiry or asking for any adjustments. I looked through the file, just to be sure, and found no clue. Last month's credit card payment was late, and the usual $29.00 fee was imposed, but I didn't question it. I should probably call the toll-free number and see what's going on, but I think I'll just wait and see if they reverse the late fee.

The birds have been back in big numbers these last few days. It might be because the ground is softer after the rain, and the worms are easier to dig out. Not knowing anything about birds (except what I observe), I'm making a guess here.

But they're here, mostly sparrows and finches, and they're using the makeshift terra cotta birdbaths I've set up for them. At one point I saw three of them in one bowl and one in each of the other two. They were intermingling without regard to species. Individually, though, they were ruthless, swooping and diving to chase each other away and make room for themselves.

Either I need more birdbaths, or fewer birds. I'm not willing to do anything to limit the number of birds that visit, so I'll just have to leave it up to them to police themselves. In cases like that, the biggest and meanest usually come out on top. It's pretty much the same as with people, only without any conscience to mitigate the brutality.

World Series notes: History was made today in Arizona: the Yankees lost for the first time ever in the month of November. That means the World Series is going to a seventh and deciding game, and I just love saying "seventh and deciding game."

This one-sided contest, decided so early, was a good game to be listening to Jon Miller and Joe Morgan describe on ESPN Radio. They had a lot of fun (much more than the Yankees had). Baseball on the radio is always a treat, but when it's a 15-2 blowout, you find out who the great announcers are. It's almost like filling a four-hour rain delay. There's a premium on good storytelling, and Miller is one of the best.