Home Again

I'm back from San Francisco.  I couldn't believe how wonderful the weather was while we were there.  I wish I could have gotten out more during the day, but that wasn't to be.  During the hours of sunlight I was in the Moscone Center with no windows.  But thanks to the extremely mild and comfortable weather we were able to get out and walk around in the evenings.  Which is good, because even trying to watch my portions and walking on the hilly SF streets, I still managed to put weight back on this week away from home.

I came home to very warm weather also.  It's already November 7th and it still hasn't snowed yet which is very unusual.  We've still got flowers blooming amidst the fallen leaves.

The colorful part of autumn is waning now, with most of the trees either bare or hanging with dry, brown leaves.  Our maple tree still looks pretty good though as it was one of the last trees to turn.

There's always a part of me that mourns a little at this time of year, when everything starts to turn brown.  It's the end of another cycle and causes me to want to pause and take stock.  Then the snow starts to fly and everything is covered in its winter whites which is simply beautiful.  One of the things that I truly appreciate about photography is how aware it causes me to be of the cycle of nature.