The alarm went off and the wind was howling outside – I swear I could hear all the leaves being stripped from the trees and fluttering sadly to the cold ground to join their crispy counterparts. The blinds were rattling slightly and I made the decision then and there … no walk today… no regrets. I would enjoy my extra hour of sleep today thank you very much. Tomorrow will be beautiful, but cold, after a hard freeze takes the rest of the blooms out in the backyard and makes them brittle, but beautifully forever frozen in time, until I come along with my hand pruners and finish them off after I return from a brisk walk. So, I snuggled down deeper under the blankets for a little while longer. When I got up, I was eating breakfast and saw a faint sun trying to peek between the blinds and I wondered if I should have just gotten bundled up and headed out. But my decision was reinforced when the traffic reporter said to be careful of black ice and that was all I needed to hear, having nearly wiped out on the trail last year after stepping on what I perceived to be just wet asphalt. Instead I diligently worked in the house and caught up with some housework … that stuff I put off for weeks so I could scurry out the door daily for a walk or errands. I’ve heard the buzz of leaf blowers and lawn mowers munching leaves and grass into bite-sized pieces … where else but in Michigan, can you have snow flurries and a mere twelve hours later you are doing yard work? Ahhh, the joys of Autumn.