Ahhhh Autumn!

A couple of weeks ago, I took a solo trip to one of my favorite spots in the high desert of the southwest US.  Normally, we leave early, but on this rare solo journey I took my time and covered the last few miles of the trip several hours later than usual. The clouds and light were especially nice on the hills.

I noticed the little pinnacle to the right of this peak-- the light really made it pop!

A little rain and cooler weather brought out the green along the way.

 

There seemed to be a small difference of opinion in the ranks about weaning.

 

Autumn here isn't characterized by bright red and orange leaves.  It's more like palpable relief from the heat, with rest from the blazing sun.  Deciduous trees drop their yellowing leaves and hardy plants flower because they have survived with enough to spare.

A friend has a small orchard in a flood plain. His harvest was so abundant he invited locals to pick. Unlike other places you may have read about, we were respectful and appreciated the opportunity. Several tons of sweet apples found their way to nourish the community. Plenty were left for the birds and bears.

The pears were small this year, but the plums were the size of baseballs!

 

The evenings cooled down enough to enjoy 'grill for one' on the porch. 

A great ending to a southwest autumn day!