Feelings of Fall

Fall leaves photo by Mike

Fall is in the air! My favorite time of year. I took a long walk at the park this morning and I could feel it.  I could've stayed all day just walking and thinking and listening.  When I walk I listen to music and I think.  I had my music playing on shuffle and a Ricky Skaggs song came on.  Bluegrass is one of my favorite types of music.  And it just seems to fit the fall season too.  There's something about the instruments and harmonies that I love about it.  After that song, I changed my phone to shuffle through just my bluegrass collection.  So today I was joined on my walk by Ricky, Rhonda Vincent, Allison Kraus, and IIIrd Tyme Out.  If you've never listened to Bluegrass, try it.  We've seen Rhonda in concert several times and she's great.  I wish I would've learned to play the mandolin or banjo, or even the tall bass!

Rhonda Vincent and the Rage photo by Mike

The bluegrass made me think about Silver Dollar City, Dollywood, and the Smoky Mountains.  The Smokies are one of my top 5 vacation destinations.  And I've been 5 or 6 times.  Can't get enough of the place.  2nd recommendation of the day....Go there!  And skip the strip, go to the mountains and hike and see the waterfalls.  You won't be disappointed.  One thing I have not done that I want to do is go there in the Fall.  All of those beautiful leaves....on 2nd thought maybe I shouldn't....I may never go home.

Mountain Path in the Smokies photo by Mike

And from the Smokies, my thought process took me to this book.

Can you guess why?  Actually my Mom named me after this book.  The description on the back says, "Christy Huddleston left home at 19 to teach school in the Smoky Mountains.  There she came to know and love the wild mountain people with their fierce pride, their dark superstitions, their terrible poverty, their yearning for beauty and truth.  Christy found her faith severely challenged in these primitive surroundings; and confronted with two young men of unique strengths and needs, she found her own growing yearnings challenged by love."  Great book.  So my last recommendation of the day...Read it!  I think it's time I read it again.  And it was fun to find this on the inside.  I'd forgotten...

Get out and enjoy this Fall season!  Then go home and curl up with a good book.  Happy Fall ya'll!