I have not hunted in many years, but the colors and the smells of the northern Minnesota woods this time of year, more than any other time, makes me want to just stop what I am doing and go for a walk… not on a trail, but in to the woods.
Of course, that is not what I did today… the business of life steers me away from that more often than not it seems.

…but the beauty of it all is intense and it is impossible not to notice. A good many of us who live here have jobs that take us on wonderful drives down winding roads through the colored trees and past the picturesque waters.

 

Yesterday I even had the opportunity to meet some nice folks and go for an unhurried boat ride across Burntside Lake to look at their potential building site on their boat access property.  Boat rides have to be somewhat unhurried this time of year as the buoys that mark the hazardous rocks have all been pulled out for the winter and the pace was welcome.  The lake was very calm and quite. I saw one lone canoeist but otherwise, not a boat in site.

All to often I let the stresses of daily life get to me. Some days I am better than others at just breathing in life and appreciating it all… I have been on this planet now for just over 50 years and this still takes a constant effort.