With Winter Approaching, Stop and Enjoy

We are in the midst of fall.  We have had our first freeze and everything is quietly moving toward  winter.  The days are still warm and nights are cold.  This is the first year in a long time that we haven't yet lit the pellet stoves and only once have we had a fire in the fireplace.  It is getting dark earlier and earlier in the evening.  I can't say I am ready for winter, but what choice do I have?  I might as well enjoy the process.  Today I walked around in the woods.  It was very quiet except for birds chirping, the sandhill cranes gathering and the geese landing.  Those are familiar sounds so I consider them almost the sounds of silence.  Those from the city who aren't used to those sounds would probably find them annoying or loud.

Almost every morning brings a layer of fog that gets burned off by the sun.

The sky is full of landing geese looking for a place to rest.

 

The woods is getting covered with a layer of pine straw making the ground soft like walking on carpet.

There were a couple of downed trees that fell during a summer storm.

The color has peaked leaving behind shades of brown.

The squirrels are gathering leaves to line their winter nests.

This time of year forces us to settle in and slow down our lives.  That isn't easy for some who think you can't be productive unless you are on the go all the time.  I admit, I have to work on that.   I saw a poem on a walking trail.  It describes the woods perfectly and gives us a new appreciation for its wonders.