Fall is Here!

It's Fall! Yay! Yes, I really do get that excited for Fall. It's my favorite time of the year. The weather is perfect (not too hot, not too cold), the scenery is filled with warm colors, the pumpkin patches open, bonfires & warm apple cider (sometimes spiked) are a must, the mosquitoes finally leave us in peace, and hiking out in nature couldn't be any better. 

There's nothing quite like a cool, Fall morning to get out into the woods, plains, hills, rivers, etc. There really isn't. I could meander through the forest and ridges of the Loess Hills for hours. The ups and downs through the hills and valleys ensures a veritable, ever-changing feast for the eyes. 

The other morning, after everyone else went to work or school for the day, I took off by myself out to Hitchcock Nature Center--one of my favorite places--to hike, clear my mind, take in the sights, and do some photography. It was a wonderful, few, peaceful hours to myself and I enjoyed every second. The landscape is now in the process of shifting from Summer to Fall, and it was gorgeous. Incidentally, I took all these shots with my Samsung camera phone. It does take good pictures, and it was fun to see how well I could do.