Winter to autumn?

Winter had truly taken hold this morning. It was 24°F with snow all around us.

I had all my winter layers on, plus chemical hand and toe warmers. Where did autumn go?

Shyla and I were out fairly early but we still ran into a neighbor who runs with a pack of 9 off-leash dogs. Shyla still freezes in place when this friendly but loud pack appears, as if she thinks she's invisible if she doesn't move. I literally cannot convince her to move a single muscle until the pack leaves.

As Shyla stays frozen in place, she pins her eyes on me. I go over and put one hand on her to give her reassurance. We stay in this position until the pack moves along. I've never been a "rock" for a dog as much as I am for Shyla. I wish that she didn't get scared but I do love the feeling that I am a source of strength for her.

After we resumed riding, the sun started to warm up and the wind kicked in. I quickly captured a few photos of the aspen leaves and snow, before it all came tumbling down.

I've found that photography has helped me to notice the beautiful details of our world. I am always scanning for the beauty in the world.

Blue sky, golden aspen leaves, and snow...

The other thing that photography has taught me is that a spot of beautiful light is transient. Sometimes, I'll be riding up a steep hill, and I'll see something gorgeous. I note where it is, and I plan to take the photo on my way back downhill in a few minutes. Very often, the spot of special sunlight is gone by then. Nothing is permanent.

Everything around us changes so quickly that it's worth stopping to appreciate the beauty now.

By late morning, it was clear that autumn would probably take over again in the coming days. The wind and sun had taken the snow off the aspen leaves but many of them still hung on the trees. I love the thought of a few more warm autumn days in the future.