Yes on both counts.

Advertising sign in Jennersville from, presumably, an exterminator:
"Spiders?
Stinkbugs?"

Signs of fall

I don't think any other season has so many "indicators" as autumn does: back to school, chrysanthemums and pumpkins, football, ragweed pollen, gingersnaps and apple cider, hearing the hounds and the huntsman's horn, planting tulip and daffodil bulbs, walnuts hammering down on the roof, reaching for jeans instead of shorts -- and starting to get political ads in the mail.
Speaking of the latter: Could we please put a moratorium on using the word "idiot" to describe politicians we disagree with?

At rest

On the way home from Lancaster County over the weekend, we stopped at the small cemetery of the Friendship United Methodist Church, which is on Friendship Church Road near the village of Gum Tree, Highland Township. I was surprised at how many very old tombstones were there, dating from the early 19th century. Veterans from just about every war since then are represented -- the Civil War (the Grand Army of the Republic), both World Wars, Korea and Vietnam. Many of the old white stones are engraved with a willow tree and a Bible verse; some of the contemporary ones list the person's hobbies and have a photograph. It's a peaceful spot, and it looks as if relatives visit regularly.
I noticed a real estate ad recently that mentioned that the house for sale was next to a cemetery. For me that would be a selling point, but when I mentioned it to a friend, she shivered.
And speaking of nicely kept cemeteries, it's great to see that the old African American graveyard on the south side of Route 842, west of Ryan Road, West Marlborough Township, is being well taken care of.

The changing health-care landscape

I've heard good reviews of Premier Immediate Medical Care, the new health-care office off Baltimore Pike near Bayard Road (300 Old Forge Lane, to be exact). One friend went for some lab tests, another for a case of strep throat, and both reported that they were treated quickly and efficiently, at a reasonable cost. (And the latter is increasingly important to people without health insurance or those with high-deductible plans.)
The office is open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., every single day of the year.

The Y Shuffle

Well, another shutdown week has come and gone, and everybody is back to his or her usual Y -- Kennett, Jennersville or West Chester. Each Y closes for a week in late summer so the whole place can be cleaned, floors revarnished, weights re-stacked, new equipment installed, new logo painted and the like. It makes sense: let's face it, every square inch at the Y takes a serious beating during the year.
But the Y administrators thoughtfully stagger the shutdown weeks so that at least one Y is always open for us diehard exercisers. And looking on the bright side, this means you get to visit a new Y and try out their different equipment and classes.

Girasole

Longwood Gardens' giant field of sunflowers at Schoolhouse and Longwood Roads is simply breath-taking. It's a sea of green and yellow. Don't miss it! Somebody on Longwood's Facebook page said it was like driving through Tuscany.
When I drove, by a couple of cars had pulled off the road to gawk, and a photographer was standing on a little stepladder taking photos.

Good food and good people

The Longwood Family Restaurant (where Hugo's used to be) fills a hole left vacant since the Barnwood went out of business years ago. The food is delicious, the service is quick, the atmosphere is friendly and pleasant, and the prices are extremely reasonable. You can go there wearing whatever you have on (which is always a plus), and I almost always run into somebody I know.
At a family dinner last night, I happened to see a woman I work out with, and was delighted to meet her family and introduce her to mine. And then a fellow diner overheard us talking about the Unionville Fair, stopped by the table and urged a young member of our party to submit his photographs in the Fair's photo competition.
I've been there for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the place never disappoints.