That Smell

It has been a long hot summer, and we thought fall would never arrive. I was afraid my maple tree would just drop dead leaves instead of turning, but as you can see in the photo, it is indeed turning. Hallelujah!

The smaller maple in the back yard, did actually drop most of its brown and crumpled leaves. It now has a handful of yellow leaves still hanging on.  It's not very pretty, so no picture is posted. :P

I was in the front yard this afternoon, clearing dead leaves out of the flower bed when I got a whiff of something. I absently wondered what that smell was, but kept working, then swept up the leaves and picked them up to move over to the edge of the yard. As I moved closer to the lot beside my house that is just woods, I realized what the smell was.....it was the smell of the forest in the fall. Do you know what I'm talking about?

Every time I smell that, I'm taken back to my childhood. When I was in the first grade, I walked to school with other school children, through a small wooded area. I can still see that path in the woods, and smell the falling leaves. It's a very comforting smell. That particular smell has been missing this year, I suppose because of the drought. But the rain yesterday seems to have brought it out and I'm so glad. It's still a bit warmer than it should be, but I won't complain. At least it feels like fall now.

Latest photo of LMW....

Guitar Man.