I was not an outdoorsy exploring kid, nor youth nor young adult. I was a grandmother before I turned to hiking about my surroundings. Walking was a necessitated physical therapy. Walking city sidewalks and streets lead to parks and trails and then off the trails and onto dirt paths and through deep grasses,up and down rocks.The phone in pocket soon became a way to photograph sights and then i moved on to carry a camera.I have 2 eager dogs that drag and pull me but also the camera does, i seek to get over that hill to see the next view or what the sunlight does farther down at a different angle.Spring and autumn do overwhelm. So much sensory input in a matter of weeks.In spring the dead beige-brown greens and wild flowers  peek and then ounce upon the woodland hills. in autumn one can become drunk on the  intense colors and the play of sunlight on red orange maple leaf.Here is the first 2014 of  autumn walk picture shows

When you visit same vistas with regularity you see the time lapse of the march of seasons and in recognizing and marking  time as such I have felt a sort of easy as I can feel the natural flow and see the beauty in all the variations

A great many fine details  determine how the leaves color in autumn and in all my life I believe this season has been one of the most gorgeous, color saturated I have noted.Walking into woodland one is in another realm absolutely enveloped by the colors of the trees that comprise that area. One forest one week maybe lemon yellow, a few days take it to a warm amber and then another variety of trees steals the show with a freshly nuanced burst of color.

the pink trees are tucked deep in some hills, Their soft color is so refreshing among the bold and garish golds and reds, a sweet soft color

As news and awareness intensifies of the delicate condition of the planet I want to be out in nature enjoy it's wonder and I want others to see and share in appreciation. Rachel Carson wrote “Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature -- the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.” Yes, sister,yes! It is good to see, feel, hear, smell the power of nature to change, to change the season as it has all my years, to see the faces of rocks that have stood here strong for ages, It is good to embrace the  sweet exuberance of autumn colors and be full before we face the white grey pallet of winter. And I excitedly look forward to seeking pale fragile teeny tiny spring wildflowers again when spring comes again

A golden late afternoon in the Iowa countryside during mid October.The land, the soil, the waters, the air need to be cared for, protected,   preserved and cherished as precious treasure .Read a line on social media recently - I Stand For What I Stand On. Yes, and come election time I will be voting keeping in mind how much it matters that we work to care for the planet and vote for people who will be environmentally responsible.