Shaggy Mane and Dry Leaves Falling

Noon today, low 80's F, I went for a walk in through the SW Gate. The last of the white clematis flowers on the fence were still blooming - only a half dozen left now. The red full berries of Cocculus snail seed or coral berry were on the fence too. Inside the Woods the forest floor is covered with new dry fallen leaves <5% of the full canopy down.. but leaves are falling. It has been very dry this autumn. OKC departure from normal rainfall for Aug-October is about 5 inches below average. (Need data for SE Norman). Two tenths of an inch of rain Sunday 10/10/2010. Two hundred feet up the trail I disturbed 5 whitetailed deer - dashed away north.
Along the main SW Trail near the big green ash leaning to the north near CCarpenter marker, there is an approx 100 m. long gold line strung through red and white loop stakes. IanR. and botany class doing 2 m wide tree transect and soil. West of big hollow cottonwood a large dark dog in the Woods (size of a lab or golden retriever) barked a bit then retreated south towards the trash transfer station.
Wonderful populations of shaggy manes..mostly fresh.. some deliquescence 10 of them with another 8 tops eaten north of the grandfather cottonwood.. and scores of them (>100?) in a long arc 30-40 m east from cut in dam..under young elm canopy.
East pond had shrunk to deepest pool maybe 12 m by 4 m. Upper Island Crossing was dry but pool just above there. Elm Bridge crossing was dry but upstream a 30-50 m long pool had lots of dark stained water. Need George's help with bridge.
Few if any spider webs. Abundance of webs seems to be correlated with rainfall. Russet brown wool fungi (slime mold?) on broken walnut trunk hanging across levee trail. One lonely katydid singing in the tree tops, unanswered. Red berries ripe and full, of double trunked large shrub -Lonicera(?) near jct Trans OWP trail and Creekside Trail.
The Woods are ready for the storm rains of autumn.