The Colorful Fall

The wind gets a bit more bite and the air takes on a subtle change. It's fall. The trees are the most dramatic harbinger of the shifting seasons, but this time of year brings in an entire deluge of beauty, homeyness, celebrations and traditions.

Celebrating this step, I took a short loop into southern Virginia to experience a glorious fall day. The trees were lovely with a surprising array of different and vivid hues. The air was clear, cool and the sun blessed all. I was reminded at how lovely this section of the U.S. is. It has tall, sometimes gnarled trees with gently rolling hills to showcase the stunning scenery. Rivers, lakes and train tracks snake through the landscape marking the routes of commerce and recreation alike.

The history of our independence and our conflicts is very obvious in this region. From today's military personnel on the streets to the tribute to the Civil War to the reminders of the war of Independence, this is a living history lesson. It infuses even small towns with museums, memorials and markers. It's a reminder to us all.

Old houses, plantations and farms show a dignified march of time. Old tobacco drying barns, out buildings and unidentified structures dot the land in crazy gravity defying postures.

Stately homes, with multi-paned windows, graceful porches and mill-work touches offer a counter foil to the sometimes shabby neighbors. They reinforce one another in the enduring quality of the area.

Small town America has always represented to me the foundation of our country. This is where we started about 300 years ago. This is where we can still see the impact of our struggles and adaptations to change.