All of a sudden, it is very evident that Fall has arrived at Council Point Park, as many of the trees and bushes are wearing cloaks of ruby red, burnt orange, or glorious gold, and they look like jewels studding the fringe of the Park grounds.

The bright red maples are the most vibrant, giving the biggest burst of color.  They are my personal favorites at this time of year.

For some trees, the wind has whisked off many of their leaves which now speckle the glassy surface of the Ecorse Creek like yellow polka dots.  Plastered onto that glassy surface, they remind me of those plastic “cling” decorations we’ve adorned our windows and doors with at school or at home back in the day, helping to make the current holiday or season more festive.

On the perimeter path, leaves are either skittering along the way or swirling around your ankles as you tromp through them.

On a quiet morning you can hear the brown leaves crackle beneath your feet, leaving them broken into a million tiny pieces, or ground into the pavement until the next batch of withered leaves comes along.

Even the ground cover at the Park has turned from dark green to shades of red and yellow, adding a mishmash of subtle color along the perimeter path.

I love Fall for its beauty, but as the leaves flutter down to the ground and crumple and die, it does become a kind of doomsday as we look to the cold and barren season that lies ahead.

It was warmer today and there was just a hint of sun in that purplish-looking sky when I left the house.  It almost looked like a snow sky.  Relax!  Flurries are in the forecast for next week, but nothing measurable.  I am glad that the time change is arriving next Sunday because this late sunrise has really abbreviated my morning walks.  My boss was out of the office most of the day, so this morning I had the luxury of a longer walk.  My roundtrip to the Park and two complete tours around that asphalt pathway, garnered enough steps to get me to 800 miles walked so far in 2017.  If I keep going at this pace, next year’s goal may just be insurmountable!  Most of the regular walkers are still hanging in there, just like me, but our schedules don’t seem to mesh now, which I suppose is due to the later sunrise and staggered arrival times at the Park.

Speaking of the sun, it did finally put in a decent appearance once I arrived at Council Point Park, so I decided I’d cast off the gloves and dig out the camera, as it was only fair that I focus on my favorite nature nook since I shared photos of  last weekend’s trips to Heritage Park and Elizabeth Park, respectively.  Besides, I figured tomorrow’s anticipated rain and blustery weather will likely shake down even more of those colorful leaves, leaving additional trees shivering and bare.