fall break

Later in the school year, I bet I'll be itching to go somewhere during my long weekends, but not having grand plans worked out just fine this time. I took each day at a time and ended up with this list: biked along old Hwy 70 from Old Fort to Black Mountain, ran several miles with Matt and Uwharrie around Tom's Creek, threw the frisbee and wheelbarrow-raced with the neighborhood kids, strolled around the Mountain Glory festival, planned through the end of this grading period, graded a huge stack of lab reports, and finally went to see the doctor and barber.

It's undeniably fall now. The shoulders of the mountains are a glowing red-orange, and my porch can hardly stay uncovered from yellow walnut leaves and the staining walnuts themselves. The sky has been unmarred and bright blue these past few days. The nights have been crawl-under-the-covers cool, but in the half-shade during the day, it's been a perfect temperature.

Having logged many hours after school because of 43 student-led conferences (15 minutes each - you do the math - and of course we run over), I'm grateful for this break to actually enjoy the changing seasons. I hadn't wanted summer to go a few weeks ago with the end of the tailgate market, the shortening days, and the chilly sensation. I wasn't ready to give up summer, you could say. But the color, local apples, squash, new winter clothes -- they've made me more willing to welcome fall.

Here's to the last of the summer:









Beautiful, isn't it? That's the view from Looking Glass, Short-off, Green Knob, and a creek in the Shining Rock Wilderness.