Autumn Leaves

What is it about the beauty of autumn leaves that is so appealing? On my drive up north this Thanksgiving, it was almost more than my senses could bear when we came upon a mountain of golds, reds, oranges and yellows basking in the sunlight. We should be sad that the brilliant fall colors signify the end of summer and the beginning of dormancy but it seems that we're able to find beauty in nature at all times. Autumn is part of the natural order of our lives.

A few years ago my husband and I took a drive through Vermont the first week of October and I'll never forget the overwhelming abundance of beauty that enveloped us. I remember a winding road that suddenly turned to face a wall of the most brilliant fall colors I'd ever seen in my life. It was absolutely stunning and I'll always carry those pictures in my memory.

It's such a pleasure to walk in the woods in the fall. The autumn colors and the crunch of dry leaves underfoot draw up memories of years past and comforts us in some way. Can't you just smell the hotdogs cooked over an open fire after a long trek through the woods where the air is warm but with just a touch of chill? My memories are of children running freely while the adults spread out preparing the meal, lighting the fire, dragging in fallen logs for seating, or just standing around with beer in hand. Wonderful memories from autumns past.