Welcome Fall! (Please stay this time!)

I just got back from a long walk (chock full of errands, aren't those the best kind!) and immensely enjoyed all the sights, sounds, and smells along the way! In South Dakota, fall teased us with a few chilly days in September and promptly returned to temps in the near-90s accompanied by the dreaded humidity. I was not amused. We still haven't had a proper frost but today is a perfect fall day. Where's my apple cider?!
I wish I had thought to bring my camera! Here's a few of the things I enjoyed on my walk today:

• Walking through the crunchiest of leaves in various shades of red and gold
• Watching a squirrel run away from me with a piece of bread (!) he was munching
• The smell of fresh wood chips
• Seeing chimney smoke and breathing in the hint of firewood in the air
• Watching the progress made on the house on the corner 4 blocks from us. It's an old Victorian, complete with turrets, made of Sioux quartzite (a beautiful reddish purple stone quarried in this area) that has fallen into disrepair. It doesn't look like it's been lived in for years--the stone is cracked, windows are missing, others are boarded up. Over the weekend all of the tangled trees and vines and trash around the yard DISAPPEARED and today I saw no less than 6 people hard at work around the yard. I'm so excited to see what will happen! 
• Brilliant fall leaves still on the trees against the backdrop of a pure blue sky
• Greeting fellow walkers and actually getting a "good morning" in response! (people around here aren't necessarily unfriendly, but they do like to keep to themselves)

Thank You Lord for Your beautiful creation! And thank You for giving me the good sense to get out there and enjoy it!

~Sunshine~