13 October—On this Sunday the Thirteenth, something completely different. Auxin is a plant growth hormone. The cooler temperatures and shorter days of autumn reduce its production. That in turn strains the bond between leaves and branches to the extent that the wind blows leaves away from the trees or other plants they had been living on.

The divorced leaves tend to do what the wind tells them to. But one highly motivated and exceptionally talented Norway maple leaf decided to break away from the foliar flock and perform for The Monitor’s camera.

It’s not easy to follow a dancing leaf. But here’s Tanaquil’s pirouette: