Today was the epitome of an autumn day. The sky was intensely blue and cloudless for most of the day and the temps were very mild - high 60s. After getting home from the early church service, the dh and I hopped on his yamaha and took a long anticipated motorcycle ride along some of the back roads we'd been wanting to explore. Over ridges with wide views and lots of sunshine and down into narrow valleys lined with sugar maples of yellow and red. Wonderful!
Then once home, around 2:30, we let Jasmine and Oscar out of their yard. The two dogs and I walked out on the dock and fed the fish and new ducks. I was quite pleased to see our large mouth bass showing off for me. Everytime he'd come up for food he'd splash me with his tail. I purposely threw food his direction just to watch his display.
Then Oscar and I took I walk through our maple filled woods. I collected colorful leaves to take to school and Oscar chased chipmunks. Two of them ran down a fallen tree and right under our feet. Jasmine was busy sticking her nose in a tiny hole and snorting up the scent of whatever was hiding in that hole. She stayed there and worried about the hole for about 45 min.
Then once back to the house, the dh and I raked a few leaves under our wedding tree and carried them to our mulch pile.
Then I took another, much longer walk with Smiley and Dexter. I took them over to the 10 acres that juts out from the other 50 acres and heads over a terracing hillside to the highway. It is full of wonderful sugar maples and oaks. I always feel my dad's spirit there, since he and mom had at one time talked about building there. We had no sooner crawled under the barb-wire fence and got below the ridge top when we saw 12 turkey heading up the slope about 50 feet from us. Then after heading down the hillside another 30 feet or so, another sound and motion caught my eye. A six point buck came up out of a hollar to the right of me and up onto the opposite side of the run. He stopped and stared at me for several seconds (thank goodness I had Dex on a leash). I wished him Godspeed and safety through the fall and winter season. I think he understood, because he just slowly walked on up the hill and out of sight. It was a beautiful moment. Then I sat on the soft leaf-covered ground and watched the sun shine through the tree tops and watched the leaves fall like giant yellow snowflakes. A very large red squirrel chittered at us for disturbing his foraging, then twitched its tail and ran up a tree. As we turned and headed back up the hillside, crawled back under the fence, and headed along our usual trail route we saw four more deer. It was just such a peaceful time in my woods. It saddens me that the time will soon be changing and the hunters will soon be out making the woods unsafe for hiking and for my dogs. Even though our property is posted people still trespass and hunt.
Once home, I decided a good Sunday meal was in order to celebrate the season. I was motivated enough to cook chicken, mashed potatoes, sauteed zucchini and mushrooms, and frozen corn from this summer's bounty. Too bad tomorrow's Monday and I have to wait five days for another day off. But today was wonderful while it lasted <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
