Blog Post

My Favorite Time of Year Begins.....About Now.

 

 This photo was taken today at the state park near our house. Often I take my morning walks here.

     And if not here, at one of the other trails nearby. As of just a few days ago, the black-eye Susans and other wild flowers began to make a strong appearance. So did the first hint of fall, with cooler morning breezes and an unmistakable yellowish hue showing up in the leaves on the aspen trees.  From now until mid-October is my favorite time of year.

     I love the feel, the look, and the smell of fall. The colors are not as vibrant in my part of the world as fall was when growing up in Wisconsin, but it is beautiful all the same. Usually a pair of jeans and a light jacket or a flannel shirt over a tee is perfect attire for an early morning jaunt along the lake. Sometimes I choose a trail that takes me higher up into the hills where the lake below appears between the trees and around the curves of the rocky dirt path. Sometimes you can hear the geese when they make a pit stop on the lake during their migration south.

     During the summer when the campground is popular there are more people around, but it's amazing how few people explore the trails more than a short distance from their camp site. If there is an encounter with others and their dogs, there is usually a pleasant greeting exchange such as, "isn't it a beautiful day?" plus a friendly sniff of their canine which I return with a little pat on its head. Depending upon my choice of trails that morning, there may be an occasional passing motorist heading down to the water's edge. Those inside will usually give me a wave which I return, of course.

     But often it is a solitary walk, which is my preference. Somehow out there my mind stays free of clutter. Thoughts of what to have for dinner or what I need to pick up at the supermarket are easy to push aside. There are no interruptions to speak of as I consider more important matters to give serious thoughts and to pray.  Sometimes I spend a good amount of the time simply being thankful.

     Any time of the year being out there is a stress reliever - not to mention the exercise is good for me. If the weather is not cooperative, even parking out there and sitting in my car is therapeutic.  

    But there's something about the promise of, and then the arrival of fall. Something special.  

 And who wouldn't feel their spirits lifted with this view of Fisher's Peak? (I know... it isn't a peak! But Fisher's Peak it has been for eons, and it is unlikely to get a name change now.)