Autumn is my favorite time of year. The foliage changing colors brings me closer to nature. I want to sit in the woods, listen to the rustling leaves swirl, and smell the musty scent of moss floating from the log behind me.
For today’s Freedom Friday, would you take a walk with me? It won’t be long. I just would like to show you my neighborhood. Maybe even make you feel what I feel when I look at nature the way I do.
Living in farm country affords me time away from the big city. Not only do I take frequent walks in and around our neighborhood, but I also slip into the woods every so often to enjoy the silence away from it all.
Our first stop is the park next to my home. Every year at this time, it bursts with color. The mornings are as if someone had taken several buckets of paint and splashed them on all the trees. Yellows are like pots of gold. Reds are deep and rich. Why not? Maple trees line the perimeter of the park and invite the stranger to visit the inner sanctuary.
The woods begin at the park and continue for a mile in all directions, cutting across a street until it reaches the farms. I’ve strolled the distance many times, getting lost in its winding trails. The crunch under my feet stops me from going further. I look around and see trees surrounding me. They are tall and strong. The squirrels are gathering food for the winter. The birds have long left the area, searching for warmer climes, escaping the coming winter.
I turn east and head for the stream, which resides at the other side of the street. Other than the gentle breeze caressing my skin, the rushing water breaks the peace and makes my mind wander.
I wonder what it was like a hundred years ago, during the times when the colonialists settled the area. Was there ever a person who sat in the exact spot I am sitting, thinking about the coming winter, dreaming about a hot drink by the open fire? Had anyone lived there who came fishing here in the summer, craving for a good catch to bring home to the family for the evening’s meal? I’m sure there was. How could there not?
Then I see more leaves float from the branches, creating a bed for the chipmunks scampering about below. It’s nice here. The tree limbs overhead provide a comfortable roof. Thankfully, it doesn’t feel like it will rain. I can tell when that happens. The animals disappear, the air tightens and a certain smell hovers over everything until the first drop hits the ground.
It’s getting late. I head back wondering what I will have to eat. The other night my wife made fresh baked bread. Oh, how I would love that again. The sweet aroma is hard to resist. After a long walk, it also makes my house feel like home.
Home. What a beautiful word. Calming. Peaceful. Happy. Home.
What is your neighborhood like? Do you live where you can stroll in the open country?
Looking to God 
Gorgeous and calming place. I presently live in Dubai. It’s a beautiful concrete jungle of towering skyscrapers.
Great time of year for colourful walks. I need to drive a distance to find somewhere decent to walk, but canal towpaths have a been a favourite haunt for several years now. British canals flow through some stunning countryside.
Seems like a gorgeous walk. I currently live in Provo, UT (which, presently, is zombie free), but am from Southern California, so watching the leaves change on the trees on the mountain side is really beautiful and fun.
Ha, I didn’t realize you were from Provo! It makes my series all the more compelling to ready, given its reference to the named cities in question!
The Californian in me would like to clarify I live in Provo while going to school. It’s a good place, and I like it, and wouldn’t mind staying after I finish school, but I’m still a Southern Californian at heart.
(There’s a silly rivalry between Utah and California)
The wifey and I (and now an adopted 14 year old), like to walk around our Hamlet (pop. 77)as it is quiet and peaceful. It is not abundant in natural beauty though. That is one of the reasons I took up geocaching(.com). I have travelled our province and have seen such beauty as I wouldn’t have otherwise. The Badlands, the Handhills and it’s forever view, the river valley, but … my favorite is the foothills west of Calgary. Abundant paths, trees and the most spectacular view, the mountains.
Thank you for the photos, very nice indeed !
Thanks very much! Your description of the hamlet is amazing. So true when looking for wonderful places to visit. Thanks for the contribution!
Beautiful Jack. Where I live we don’t have changes like this. Thanks for taking us along on the walk.
Autumn will always be my favorite. The color explosions, the cooler weather, and the abundant excuses to eat more food – I mean, gather the family around.
Lovely photos. Autumn is so colorful. Everything here in Latvia is turning gold and red except for the firs and pines.
Lovely post! I too share your passion for fall with all its colours not to forget the fresh air:)
Reblogged this on thepageofdaniel and commented:
I am in a small town in the metro – Nashville TN area, rather small than the town of my birth, but a reasonable balance between rural / small town America with Civil War history & 21st century America.
It took time to acclimate to a smaller town, but I have come to like this area.
Thanks so much for the reblog, Daniel! 🙂
Looks like a great place for walks. I live in suburbia, but the development isn’t too bad to walk around. There’s a large park nearby too, but it’s a lot of playgrounds, baseball/soccer fields, and now a bunch of development. So it isn’t as nature-y as it used to be.