The fall colors this year have been so stunning; even old-timers say that it's one of the most vividly colored Autumns in years. The contrast of the blue sky, the intense low sun, the bright yellow Hickory, the deep red Sumac and Poison Ivy, and the orange and brown Oak is just breathtaking, and I'm soaking it all in as much as I can before the leaves drop. A few days ago, the kids were restless, so I took them on a walk to visit Mike and Julia, our neighbors to the north. It's just a short jaunt down the hill and across a creek, but we extended our walk with a foray through the creek bed looking for mushrooms with Mike. Ella leads the way down the hill. Mike and Julia have … [Read more...]