Fall

Nothing like being in Banner Elk to make you feel the rising crash of fall's waves on the leaves, the air and the light... Drew and I left Durham around 2 pm, and when we stopped in Banner Elk to capture this first picture, we nearly froze to death. The wind, and cool air being pushed by its force, made us catch our breathe. We both ran to get our coats and shivered in the car afterwards.

I watched and took pictures of this tree's yellow leaves, dominating its western side, and sat amazed at how the colors shifted depending on how the sun's light hit the trees. From burnt yellow to brown and then bright ochre, it was a shift that I never thought possible.

Like many days, I spoke to a group of folks about health care reform, and then did a couple sales and consulting calls before getting my Drew from school. We both enjoyed our time today, stopping at Whole Foods (which I still want to call Wellspring) for a little lunch and heading west. I am looking forward to tomorrow's Valle Country Fair and, to a lesser degree, the Woolly Worm Festival, and the memories of last year are laying all around.

Ended my evening sitting and talking to my cousin, Caitlin, about the rewards and risks of living in Banner Elk. A fascinating, urbane soul finding respite in this town is a fascinating social observation for me.

Hope to find more fall tomorrow to inspire me.