Autumn is coming quickly

We had a very mild winter last year but all indications are that this coming winter will be of a different sort.  I have been seeing wooly bears around our barnyard quite often lately and the queen anne's lace, ragweed & cat-o-nine tails seemed to be in bloom earlier than normal.  The bluejays have been squawking like they do before a winter storm is brewing and the other birds seem to echo their call.  Also, we have a large number of squirrels and chipmunks gathering their food to put in their hollow trees for winter storage.  Do these critters know something that we don't?  I do feel that we are better prepared if we watch Nature's signs and not listen to weathermen or other sources of information.
We have had some good rainstorms over the last 3 days which has helped to keep our vegetable garden from getting too dry.  I will, hopefully, get a chance this afternoon to plant fall vegetables (peas, green beans & carnival squash).  We have stored some of our potato crop but I don't think that there will be enough there to last through the winter since we have a lot of family members who are in need of help due to unemployment, divorce, etc.  Most of our eggs and potatoes are going out to help those that truly need it since, right now, we are able to buy things that we don't get from our garden (if the economy gets much worse, though, those of us on fixed incomes may be in need of help, too).  My husband took a box of potatoes and non-perishable items to our local food pantry recently and he was amazed at how many families in this small town need help.  Currently, there are 60 families in need here and the number is growing quickly.  I'm sure that the winter will be a tough one for these folks and I hope that we are in a position to help them. 
Yesterday, a friend and I made mustard pickles (our first try) and they did turn out very well.  We hope to get together again soon to make homemade pasta sauce to put in our freezers for winter use.  I am trying to stock up on items that we might need to get us through a bad time.  I'm concerned that the economy is worsening and, with the ever-increasing cost of gas & products containing corn, the concern is that most foods will escalate quickly in price.  Not many people are prepared for gas & food prices to increase again.  This could be a very difficult winter for a lot of people.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the economy improves and no more people lose their homes or jobs.  I know several people who have lost their homes or were forced to sell them because they could no long afford to keep them and I also know several people (including family members) who are at the end of their unemployment checks and unable to find jobs that will sustain their mortgage, food & utility costs.  These are not people with Mcmansions and new BMWs ~ these are people with old houses that are in need of much work, people who keep their heat at 57 degrees in the winter, people who have 10 year old cars & people who depend on help with food and high utility costs.  So sad......