Fall

Today we decided to see fall foliage, It was amazing, I at one point said, "New England has nothing on us" I had heard it was amazing this year, due to our gentle fall. You know cool evenings, pleasant days, and not much wind to blow all the leaves off the trees.
Your Dad and I took a day trip to the mountains, We went to Burney Falls and stayed a couple of hours. It was amazing, just what I needed to drop the blood pressure.
I packed some lean deli turkey, bread, animal crackers, apples, grapes and water.
As we made out way down to the water, at Lake Britton, The sky was a beautiful blue. We walked on the docks and sat down for a while and watched the still water. The water was so still it looked like glass. We heard a Lake Loon, We could see the diamateous earth on the banks, It was a stark white against the green and gold of the surrounding trees. We were alone in a quiet place. Only one family showed up with two small children, That brought back memories of our trip down when you all were young. Do you recall catching Crawdads in the edge of the water. If I recall they were red, and Charles and Ken were torturing Sheri with them.
We decided that was a great place to have out picnic.
We walked back to the car, stopping along the way to enjoy the beauty surrounding us.
I took out blanket out of the car, Dad took the cooler and we walked back to the docks, We were now totally alone. I spread the blanket on the end of the dock, and made our sandwiches, I then opened the water and we just relaxed.
As we were sitting quietly, I suddenly raised up, "Did you hear it"? "Hear what?" he asked, "The leaves falling, I can hear them as thy make their way down through the trees". I heard them from several directions, once to the north, then the east, I could turn my head and watch them fall as the skittering and tinkling noise drew my attention.
Now I hear a pop of water, A baby duck has popped his head out of the water. We watched him and he dove down again, He stayed down for a long time, we finally gave up and just lay back on the blanket, Then Pop, he is up with a small minnow in his mouth.
Now the once calm lake is forming caps, I watch as it picks up. First it is rough, like ripples on a stream, then as the wind picks up more it forms the inevitable caps. The weather is still warm, beautiful and no one wants to leave the little space we have carved out on the boat docks. Peace and Quiet, Not a sound, other then the sleet sound of leaves falling and the occasional rush of water now hitting the dock, The rush is caused from the wind, The Lake loon, sounding lonesome and predicting bad weather.
You can look around the mountain and see the preparation for winter. Leaves falling, the highway is strewn with pine straw from the evergreen, At times you can't see the edge of the roadway, it has narrowed so much from the falling debris.
Beautiful and Treacherous together.
As we Made out way back to the falls, we decided it was not a good idea for me to make the trek down, So we only walked the 150 feet to the look out. The falls can still take your breath away. They never lose their beauty. I cant imagine how they must look with snow covering the hillsides around them, possibly icicles hanging beneath where the water is just flowing slowly.
God created such an amazing earth, Get out and see it, There is beauty in every grain of sand. It was formed by the hand of God.
Your Dad went to Turner falls out of Tulsa, as a young Man, You can probably see the rock he used to dive from. He would love for you all to have time to go see it.
Hope everyone had as good a day.
Love you all;