[at-l] It's in the air

[twilight98 at earthlink.net (twilight98@xxxxxxxxxxxxx)]

Fall, that is.  It's been a while since I've posted.  Usually I just struggle to try to read the digests on the weekend.  But the unusually hot summer has finally ended here in Mass.

Last week one day I walked out at 7AM on my way to work.  It was raining and I thought "Perfect hiking weather!"  My next thought was "hey, it was just like this the day I hiked over Grayson Highlands'.  Of course, in 1998 we had lots and lots of rainy days, but this day *smelled* the same, the mist in the air had the same texture, same density.  Even though I hiked over GH much earlier in the year, it felt the same.  It brought back a flood of memories that buoyed me through the day.

That same day when I left work, I smelled it again... Fall arriving.  And I thought it was strange that the trees hadn't started changing... until I looked around and noticed they HAD!  I love the fall, because it's a time when you can begin lighting fires in the fireplace, leaving the windows open and bundling under piles of covers at night, drinking coffee or hot tea as you sit outside in the dark, slightly bundled.  The air is crisp and full of smells (the good kind).  People stay indoors more often, but it's perfect hiking weather!  Tonight it's about 61* and my windows are open a little to let in the wonderful air and I've been sitting here reflecting on all of the good things in life (fall does that too).

As a "non-trip" report... a couple weeks ago I took Willow (my daughter) camping for the first time to celebrate her completion of 6 months on the planet.  She loved it!  It was 41* in the morning when we awoke (in NH mountains) and she was all snuggled in her longjohns under the down sleeping bag.  Her favorite part was laying in the tent with the door open, looking at the leaves blowing in the wind.  She didn't even want to get out of the sleeping bag in the morning.  Yep, she's gonna be a hiker.

So, time for some good thoughts.  What are the good things in your life?  A list of mine (almost all Trail related somehow) follows separately.

Twilight
GA>ME '98