Fall is here. The leaves peaked last weekend. Explosive reds, yellows, oranges are everywhere. I love watching the leaf feathers begin to float through the air wafting their way to the ground.
I opened the door this morning to find a colorful carpet of leaves in the entry. Tilly and I brush through them as we head out for our morning walk. This morning, as Tilly and I begin our walk, we stop and listen to the deer and squirrels crunching through the leaves in the woods near our house. Tilly stops and lifts her nose into the air. The only thing my human nose can pick up is the musky scent of the wet leaves, but Tilly can smell so much more. It must be sensory overload for her. She stands at attention looking like a perfect Golden Retriever statuette as she points into the woods. Her nose wriggles side to side as she searches for the specific scents of the wildlife out there in the woods. A hawk’s screech echoes across the hills. It’s chilly in the morning, but not too brisk. Tilly and I continue our walk. Our daily routine is never dull. Some days we are greeted by a doe and her fawn, or even several deer. They watch us carefully and usually trot off into the woods with their white tails flicking high. Tilly stops to watch them, and then continues on her way, totally unconcerned. We walk and enjoy the time together.
Today we spent the day blowing leaves off the yard, sending them back into the woods. This will be an on-going job for the next few weeks. The tress will provide a constant barrage of leaves, and some small twigs. Covering everything. So many trees. Too many leaves. But I love it. It’s another opportunity to be outdoors soaking up the sights, sounds, and smells. It’s my own personal sensory overload. These are the best days.