Well, maybe a really really cold winter? You guys had a very warm, wet winter and also a very rainy spring so stuff like Virginia Creeper (and those infernal perennial morning glories) really went to town this year.
They put on a really pretty show of color in the fall, so I'd wait until after that's done and then go to town on yanking those puppies outa there.
In the meantime, if you see flowers or seed heads cut them off as quick as you can! You don't want the seeds dropping or the birds eating them.
