Goodbye summer

We've just finished our first week of school for the new term. The little first graders were so cute this week.. telling me that they were 'not little kindergartners now- but, that they were big first graders!'

Here is a little straw fella that was posted at the city limits this summer. I never had my camera or either had a car right on my bumper so I wasn't able to take the photo for some time. I was sad to see one day that someone actually 'knocked him down'... but, he was finally righted and is still standing proudly welcoming all to Grafenwohr, Germany.
I do believe that the little sign at the straw fella's feet.. is a message in German to NOT KNOCK THE STRAW MAN DOWN or something to that effect?

The mornings have already started getting darker- just this week... oh no.. tell me we aren't entering the 'dark season of leaving the house in the dark and coming home in the dark' already! =:O