It’s been a little chilly these past few days as we venture out on our walk. Hoods are now up to brace against the 43 degrees, stop it…that feels cold to us. Let me remind you, it’s the butt crack of dawn!!

As we walk side by side on to the campus, I’m on the left, Mary’s in the middle and Shari’s on the right side. You’d think we all see the same things, I mean how hard is it? We are walking in the same direction. Yet, I hear and see things that pop out at me differently than my buddies.

Now, it’s well documented that I am a bit of a “bird brain”…someday I will research that to see just how small that might be. I hear a robin just about every morning as it’s singing hello. I believe its main responsibility is to wake up the students sleeping in the dorms. (I’m certain that goal has not been met.) If Mary and Shari hear it, they’re not nearly as impressed as I.

I’m forever asking for an explanation as to what planet is represented by the giant stars in the sky. I keep asking how the moon changes in size and location. You’d think at some point I would retain this information or just stop asking, but don’t count on it. My poor friends.

This is all by saying we are not walking at break neck speeds, why?…because there is so much to see and so much to talk about every day!

The trees at LMU have been shedding their fall foliage for the past month. Need I tell you that I haven’t met a leaf I didn’t love?

I only have 4 trees at my house. The Coral Bark Maple, its leaves are nice but the branches are gorgeous. The Persimmon tree, known affectionately as the queen of the yard, has lovely fall color leaves. The Olive and Pineapple-Guava, keep their leaves.

I’m about to make my point believe it or not. A day rarely goes by when I don’t start my leaf corsage during our walk. Picking up the perfect leaves, with the perfect color and then adding a baby pine cone, a twig or a pop of purple ends up being a piece of nature’s art in my mind! I actually hold them like a corsage until I get home.

Here’s how it works:

One on top

of another.

And then

When I bring them home, I just lay them out and admire their beauty until they turn brown and crinkly. Some I keep anyway, others just end up with the grass clippings.

Yes I have pressed leaves; you should see the leaves I’ve brought home from the Inn on Newfound Lake every season. I have some of the original ones from 5 years ago.

This week I have concentrated on being grateful.

Mother Nature is at the top of my list!!