Fall is my favorite season. I love the bursts of color where there was only green before and the reds and yellows against a bright blue fall sky can bring tears to my eyes. It's nice to bring those light sweaters and zip-up fleeces from the back of the closet and the jeans I've been wearing all summer suddenly seem seasonably appropriate. When you throw in the high-holidays like Thanksgiving and my birthday (you wore your cupcake outfit for me this year, which I considered very thoughtful), pecan pie, apple cider and butternut squash the season is just bursting forth with goodness.
There's simply no better way to celebrate the season than a walk in the woods. On November 10th you logged your first hike on the Appalachian Trail. As a way of marking one year of missing Poppa Joe the family decided to hike up to one of his favorite overlooks on Blood Mountain and sprinkle some of his ashes. Fall was Poppa Joe's favorite time of the year too and he usually marked the season with a week long hike the third week of October somewhere in the Smoky Mountains or the A.T. It was fitting to spend the one year anniversary of his death in the mountains. You absolutely loved the hike, I know Poppa Joe was smiling to see your engaged, giggling, curious face watching every tree and rock go by.
Nothing says fall like Thanksgiving at the cabin. You spent your first Thanksgiving charming the Ramke clan with your gummy smile, solid sitting skills and your obsession with drinking water from a glass. When your dad opted for tent sleeping, you and I curled up on the fold-out bed and cuddled ourselves to sleep by a dying fire. You slept like a log and woke with a big smile on your face every day. Perhaps next time we'll join your Pa in the tent.
On Saturday the three of us went on another extended hike through the Cherohala Forrest. Typically, we had a hard time finding the trail head and then started out walking exactly the wrong direction but our mistake paid off. We saw three wild turkeys take flight. You seemed unmoved by the turkeys but registered your displeasure at the sound of your mom and dad gobbling at the birds as they flew away. It was the first time we'd really heard you cry in fear; granted, we were making an unholy racket. But the rest of the hike you spent in a state of pure delight. You gabbed almost the whole three hours and did a little grass pruning in one of the two balds we came across (pictured above).
I love this season and I love sharing it with you. I love the sound of the leaves underfoot when we take our daily walk. I love bundling you up against the cold and finding (at least most of the time) that your fingers and toes are still toasty warm when we get home. I love the red in your nose and the smell of chimney smoke in the air. And to think, next Thanksgiving, you'll actually get to try some of that turkey feast you were so intent on banging your fist into this year.
There's simply no better way to celebrate the season than a walk in the woods. On November 10th you logged your first hike on the Appalachian Trail. As a way of marking one year of missing Poppa Joe the family decided to hike up to one of his favorite overlooks on Blood Mountain and sprinkle some of his ashes. Fall was Poppa Joe's favorite time of the year too and he usually marked the season with a week long hike the third week of October somewhere in the Smoky Mountains or the A.T. It was fitting to spend the one year anniversary of his death in the mountains. You absolutely loved the hike, I know Poppa Joe was smiling to see your engaged, giggling, curious face watching every tree and rock go by.
Nothing says fall like Thanksgiving at the cabin. You spent your first Thanksgiving charming the Ramke clan with your gummy smile, solid sitting skills and your obsession with drinking water from a glass. When your dad opted for tent sleeping, you and I curled up on the fold-out bed and cuddled ourselves to sleep by a dying fire. You slept like a log and woke with a big smile on your face every day. Perhaps next time we'll join your Pa in the tent.
On Saturday the three of us went on another extended hike through the Cherohala Forrest. Typically, we had a hard time finding the trail head and then started out walking exactly the wrong direction but our mistake paid off. We saw three wild turkeys take flight. You seemed unmoved by the turkeys but registered your displeasure at the sound of your mom and dad gobbling at the birds as they flew away. It was the first time we'd really heard you cry in fear; granted, we were making an unholy racket. But the rest of the hike you spent in a state of pure delight. You gabbed almost the whole three hours and did a little grass pruning in one of the two balds we came across (pictured above).
I love this season and I love sharing it with you. I love the sound of the leaves underfoot when we take our daily walk. I love bundling you up against the cold and finding (at least most of the time) that your fingers and toes are still toasty warm when we get home. I love the red in your nose and the smell of chimney smoke in the air. And to think, next Thanksgiving, you'll actually get to try some of that turkey feast you were so intent on banging your fist into this year.
1 comment:
Marian,
It was such a joy to spend your first Thanksgiving with you at the family cabin. You were definitely quite the charmer and I found that your smile is utterly addictive. For awhile all it took was me saying "Peanut speak" and you would release little giggles. You soon grew tired of that game and it was a challenge to find something new to make you laugh. You made all of us that more thankful this Thanksgiving, and I guess that's what we needed. So thank you for the wonderful smiles and the adorable laugh. I look forward to watching you enjoy the turkey next year!
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