"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers" says Anne of Green Gables, and I heartily agree. It has always been my favorite month, and this year, the perfect weather and stunning fall colors made an excellent combination. I did have a hard time figuring out the best places to capture fall scenes here in my new area, but I managed. And some of them simply became evident!
In my exploration of the area, I usually start by pulling up a local map, zooming in on green space that might have scenic views. I'm rarely disappointed.
Even with all of my exploring, the best views are still found at my new favorite park, Lower Huron. We haven't been in Michigan long, but it was enough to watch the transition there from summer green to autumn's glory. There are other Metroparks in the area, but since they are farther away from home, I haven't gotten around to exploring them yet. Next autumn, I surely will find the time to do so. Because when it comes to the fall color show, there are never enough views for me to enjoy! I'll gladly go out of my way to see even more autumn.
Another local treasure is the Matthaei Botanical Garden in Ann Arbor, which is only a short drive through the country for me. It's a smaller, more natural garden, and I can already tell that I'll be there often. The garden is focused on Michigan plants, and I particularly like the Dune Garden, since I grew up near the dunes of Lake Michigan.
In my mind though, the best place to see autumn's finery is "up north" in Michigan. There's no set definition of where up north begins, but my own opinion is that it's anywhere north of where you currently are, with lakes and trees nearby. We took a short road trip up north to celebrate our anniversary, and were rewarded by arriving at the exact time of peak color. Even the roadside views were incredible, and I spent the entire drive pointing my phone out the window. It's so nice to be closer to my favorite destinations!
We took the long way home from our trip so that we could stop at the Meijer Sculpture Garden in Grand Rapids. It had been a number of years since I visited, and it all seemed new to me. It's really one of the finest gardens I've ever visited, not to mention how the fall colors made it look even more amazing. If you get a chance, I highly recommend a visit there.
Back home, it's time to be cozy. You'll often find me making soup, or baking. And you know how much I enjoy tweaking the decor in my home. After all the unpacking, I finally arranged all my favorite decor, which is a favorite creative outlet. But no sooner than I did that, and it was time to put out the fall decorations. I did make sure to take pictures of my everyday decorations before replacing it with the fall things, so I don't have to figure it all out again.
I may not have much garden yet, but I'll get there eventually. I did have fun putting out fall decorations, and am especially pleased with how my new window boxes turned out for the first time, with the orange pansies and pumpkins. And the neighborhood itself looks gorgeous in its fall colors. I'm very impressed with the landscapers, and the way they used native trees. It's like a rainbow of fall colors.
Thanks for coming along to see sweet October with me. It was a delight from start to finish, and I can only hope that November will also have treasures to show me. I think I'll end like I started, with a well known bromide. "Every day is a gift", and I intend to take that to heart, especially when the world is so troubled. See you back here next month!
