The Road Not Taken

This is the road not taken. Well, not by me anyway.

I was driving past this street when I glanced up. Seeing saw all the colors of the leaves, lining both sides up and down, and being only a couple of blocks away from home, I pulled over and snapped a couple of shots. It may very well be the road not taken, but isn't it beautiful?

It seems my beloved friends in California and Utah think I am missing out by being on th East Coast. But my friends in Washington and I would like you to know that, in fact, you may be missing out. And I thought I would show you a little of what this season brings in the District of Columbia.

This time of year, the number of tourists in Washington is on the way down. Oh, we still have plenty of stragglers in town.

This was a gaggle coming out of the Jefferson Memorial this morning. There are not as many as when those cursed Cherry Blossoms bring out the walker and wheelchair set in the springtime every year.

I'm guessing this is the asthma and allergy sufferers group, getting out to enjoy the clear autumn days.

They still manage to stack up buses around the monuments, waiting for the eager riders to return from their meanderings.

And why shouldn't they be here? Fall is one of the best, prettiest times in Washington, which is one of the most beautiful cities in the World.

Just look what you are missing: October rains seem to clear our air and brighten everything around them. They make the world look richer, cleaner, and more colorful.

And look what a simple break in the clouds accomplishes in this little wooded area. Yes, there is indeed a bit of seasonal bloom everywhere you look.

What might be just another tree at any other time of the year suddenly becomes quite a stunner!

And there's still enough warmth (minus the city's legendary summer humidity) to make an afternoon game of rugby take on historic importance.

So if you're in the area, please come this direction. You never know what you'll see just around the next turn.

The reality and my message is, that wherever you are is wonderful. Some people complain about the rain, but to my thinking, it turns the outdoors into a jeweled wonderland. The sound of it falling is nature's own heartbeat.

Yes, it's a change from the summer heat. And still different from the snows ahead. It's a moment in time to relish the last days of warmth, store up memories and prepare for long months of cold ahead.

Or at the very least, get out the skis and enjoy an afternoon of polishing them in the carport with the rain running by alongside.