Fall Turns A Corner

Today feels like the transition to late fall from early fall. Still no frost (amazingly), but the weather has turned a corner I think. Today is gray and rainy and many leaves are falling from the trees. There is an inkling of cooler temperatures to come.

As Kodi and I took our morning walkabout, I noticed more hardwood trees empty of all leaves. Although the leaves have dropped, the beauty of the bare tree -- twigs and branches and limbs and trunk -- is fully exposed. I can see the shape of the tree better. And I can see farther into and through the woods. So although the skies grow gray and the days shorten, there is a lightness in the forest as trees release a season's worth of leaves back to the soil.

Another fall ritual that I noted today is the drawdown of lakes and some rivers for the winter, to allow room for spring floods to fill the water levels back up. Perhaps the river that Kodi and I walked along today was for another purpose. Regardless, the gray, gooey stream bottom was now exposed, adding to the grayness of the day.

Kodi checked out the new shoreline. I'm sure the soft mud felt different between his toes as he raced back to the trail and twirled around a few times. He is carefree in all seasons; gray sky, blue sky, wind, rain, sun, snow makes little difference to Kodi as long as he is out in the elements. Watching Kodi frolic in all types of weather, makes me happy to be out and about too, gray days and all.