If you are anywhere near me in the tri-state area (Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana), you are basking in the vibrant fall colors that surround us. If you aren’t – please stop and take a long look around you.

Lately, the weather has been cool (a few cold days sprinkled in) and for the most part sunny. That’s a recipe to guarantee a beautiful autumn. This recipe has no finite quantity of ingredients – it’s like Grandma’s plum cake – never written down. We just trust in Mother Nature to give us the perfect outcome.

During my work day I get a chance to walk and I love every minute of it. There were some fall decorations near a business nearby that someone suggested I  take a look at, but as I walked along the store fronts and congested streets and sidewalks, I made a conscious effort to steer myself back to my normal trek. There I can walk along homes of complimenting architecture and investigate the flora and fauna around me. I returned to the office a contented person.

Some of you may recall I had a Chinese Face Reading done a few years ago. One of the things my reader told me was that I should take more walks among nature. And I do. I also try to include my camera on special trips, but otherwise my trusty phone camera will do the trick. Capturing the colors is almost a quest – to outdo the last one I took.

When I look at my poems, I have at least five that cite the glory of autumn and its sad demise. It’s that demise that reminds me I’m a realist – so I know what’s coming, yet I hold onto these fleeting days. I savor the drier air, the smell of burning leaves, the pumpkins and mums decorating front stoops. I smile at children convincing their harried parents why this costume in their small hand is so much cooler than the one their parents are holding or why this candy is better to hand out.

When it comes to days like this one, it’s not hard to see why this is my favorite time of year.