“I cannot endure to waste anything as precious as autumn sunshine by staying in the house. So I spend almost all the daylight hours in the open air.”  Nathaniel Hawthorne

This past Saturday, Hawthorne’s words spoke to me. And so, as to not disregard the advice of my elders (they must be heeded after all), I took to the mountains.

Many of the leaves had already fallen from their weakening perches, but the ones that remained did not disappoint.

Autumn evokes so much happiness. It makes me feel warm, embraced in sweaters and filled with hot drinks. The smell of leaves, drenched in afternoon sunshine; the slightly mysterious air of All Hallows’ Eve; the invitation to let your imagination rush forward to the imminent holiday season. You couldn’t ask for a more provocative time.