The Autumn Bug - or - How to be a Tourist in Your Own Town

My daughter's car was looking kind of lonely and I was missing her too, she being away at college. It  falls to me to rev up "The Bug" now and again to keep it running until her return.

The Autumn Bug

Each Friday I have a commitment to do an hour of adoration at our parish. And since I've been away for almost two weeks, to present at the CNMC, and to help lead a retreat for writers, I was missing my weekly date with Jesus too. The best part about having this midday hour on a Friday is that it forces me to step away from the screen and the studio and take in the local color, so to speak. So I thought maybe you'd like to come along.

The lake

Of course I live in New England, where folks actually vacation at this time of year in order to"leaf peep," basking in the glow of colorful foliage that blankets our hills and valleys. Some time this weekend, I'll be zipping along the country lanes --hopefully with the top down in Hubby's MG.

But on Friday I was itching to get out even if it was our third day of rain. And I thought I'd share some of the gracious backroads that I drive most days...

Gratuitous pumpkin shot

I have a thing for barns and so does my husband.

Our dream is for the next home to have a barn.

(See? It really was raining...)

Of course, it won't be a working barn per se. It will be where we keep the MG, and the writing studio, and the woodworking shop, and the... toys for the grandchildren. (Note to offspring... no worries, no rush on this... just filling in the dream details here.)  Anyway.

There are a lot of barns in this area.

It is horse country...

...and it is also a place where farmland once was greater than it is now...

...so everyone at one time had a barn, though many now function as glorified garages or sheds.

(more rainyness...)

This is one of my favorites...in the rain and from the distance the camera-phone almost can't handle the details... so it almost looks like a painting, right?

There are also these cows that I spent four years driving past... on the way to the highschool, but to which I do not drive anymore.

If you look carefully, you'll see very intelligent turkeys under the tree in the rain as the cow remains outstanding in its field. (I do believe the rain was curling its hair!)

Another "painting" due to shaky photography and rainy mist!

Same effect here too.