Windy day in Minnesota…so windy the maple leaves are flying by my window like golden rain. A large 20 foot limb crashed to the ground, thankfully missing our roof. Fall sunshine warms the red, yellow, orange, brown hues into a delightful rhapsody of rhythmic flutters. Grass still green frames the palette.

I love the crunching sound beneath my feet as I walk through the leafy mat. Hills rise with each sweep of the rake. My pup races round the edges of the stacks. Children jump into the mountains, higher than their heads. Daddy plows in with them to wrestle in the soft debris. Barks, giggles and screams fill the crisp air, make me smile.

I look up. Nearly bare limbs stretch into the blue sky, ready for sleep. Stark fingers reach heavenward waiting. All too soon snow will cover their nakedness, touch them with sparkling beauty. Then the long wait for new garments of green.