In imitation of Sarah Palin, due to my admiration of her, I've decided to start using phrases like "boy howdie" and "you betcha." Today, I told someone "this isn't my first rodeo." Of course, I get nowhere with people on the eastern seaboard with these types of phrases, but I've decided to not let that deter me.

In any event, you betcha this is the best place to live if you love the crunch of fallen leaves underfoot. In Wyoming, on my morning walk, braving the bracing, steady, constant 15-mile-per-hour wind, I'd go out of my way to walk over crunching leaves in the fall. Here, one cannot avoid the leaves. There are leaves everywhere. Leaves in the car, leaves in the house, in the dog bed ... Of course, now that we're in what seems to be the winter mode of daily rain, there's less crunching underfoot on the morning walk, but lots of leaves. This is a glorious place for fall and spring. I remember one particular tree in Cheyenne I'd make sure to admire each fall because it was a singluar example of a beautiful tree, with red leaves. Here, there are beautiful trees everywhere. The time for leaves is pretty much over now, as we head into the holiday season - Thanksgiving, Advent, Christmas. Beautiful in its own way. Looking forward to the Christmas season this year and I'm contemplating just where to place the tree. There aren't likely to be many presents under the tree, but that doesn't matter.