Whenever I find myself alone and driving, I try to stop at a park or some lovely place for a bit. I regret that I am now of an age where walks of many hours are a rare luxury. Unless I'd like to hurl my cell phone into a lake. Not a terrible option...
On a stop of this kind I found myself by a lake, mostly abandoned in this chilly weather, that I've been to before. Not since I was a teenager have I seen it, and it is likely I was pretty distracted at the time!
It was so perfect in every way, exactly what you would want from a fall walk in the country. That musty-sweet perfume of leaves, the stripes of golden light through the trees and that breathtaking flutter of scarlet when the wind blows.
The next day held violent gusty rain and wind. I'm so glad that this is the moment I was there for.