The beginning of the end...

 We all went hiking yesterday.  "Tsuga!" my son says, when I ask where we should hike.  About a mile round trip, and he hikes great.  The leaves are gone from a lot of the maples.  A lot of the trees are done, with really just Oaks and Beeches and a few others clinging.  We've defiantely shifted from greens/bright colors to bright/muddy colors/empty crowns.

The sky was amazing yesterday.

 Grove of maples, all empty...

 Still a lot of beautiful colors...

We did more raking... the story of my life for another 2 months, at least.  And this morning I got up and ran 9 miles.  It was beautiful and cool and crisp and sunny.  I have this thing... i like to run on roads.  I run on road I always want to turn onto in my car, but I'm always on my way somewhere or other.  So when I run, I pick the roads I wouldn't drive on... I pick the most indirect-winding ways.  I pick the road that only one car can drive on  at a time.  I look at gardens and yards, and fields.  I watch for deer, or birds.  Today I saw Cedar Waxwings everywhere.  I think about how much I miss living in the country... I let my feet pound the pavement and let my brain drift along the landscape....