Autumn Walk

My neighbor and I have been encouraging each other to healthful habits by the addition of an evening walk . We are talking about baby steps , here . One or two a week is the current quota,as the walk in question fits in between busy days and iffy weather .
The scenery stays the same , of course , as seasons shift , but the colors and textures change . It's not uncommon for conversation to suddenly break off mid-sentence to oohh and aahhh over a notable discovery . One such was a ginko tree . This tree of ancient origins (there are fossils of ginko !) has the most remarkable leaves . Where most common leaves are formed with a central rib and branched into various shapes , this is decidedly fan-shaped , with ribs that start off parallel and close together at the stem and...well...fan out . Even the texture is different...rather leathery and very pliable . At this time of the year its color goes from a beautiful deep green to a gradual mix with yellow , until the entire tree is ablaze with the most gorgeous chromium yellow . Yesterday , we passed a tree that still had 25% of its foliage , but sat in a spreading pool of that fabulous color...amazing...
There is so much beauty that goes unnoticed in our busy world...both animate and inanimate . These moments of focused clarity are fleeting and must be seen and appreciated . They take us out of ourselves...humbled by a greater beauty we did not create . It is in these moments of perception that we are elevated and... perhaps closer to being who we're supposed to be...
Take a moment...breathe in the beauty around you...share the wonder with someone...