The Color Grey

Fall has definitely become my favorite season. Well, maybe I'll qualify that by saying "early fall." The months of August through October, to be precise. The older I get, the more I appreciate the color of the trees. I've always thought that this is such an "old person" thing to appreciate. It's weird how it happens, but at about the age of thirty, I suddenly started to notice them with a greater appreciation. It was probably on one of my many road trips back to Minnesota that I first took note. I can also remember vividly my brother Rob saying how he started noticing the colors too. It's funny how in your teens and early twenties you just don't notice that kind of thing, or at least Rob and I didn't. Then one day, a switch flips and...boom...trees are cool!

My latest fascination is with trying to capture some of their beauty on camera when presented with the chance. There are a few examples shown here, but unfortunately none of these does near justice to the actual trees themselves.

In addition to the trees, fall sunsets seem to be more vibrant as well. I saw this one at the Waukesha South football game last Friday night and it stopped me in my tracks. It's when I see things like these, I wonder how anyone cannot believe there is a God who made it all? To say it is all a big coincidence or an accident falls a little flat IMHO.

Now that we've determined that I'm truly showing my age, I should say that I was forced to reconcile with my own kids growing up in little ways this weekend. As I mentioned, on Friday we all went to the South football game. Only a few years ago, we would have all sat together and watched as a family. Now Sarah wanted to sit with her friend Mitch and their friends and Ben sat with his football team. Everyone is growing up, and being with the family is not always the first choice anymore. I'm mostly OK with that. Mostly.

Then on Saturday we watched Ben's football team play Waukesha North. Again, Ben plays primarily on the kickoff team and generally gets mop-up duty in the final few minutes, if the score allows. This week he made what I would call a solo textbook tackle on the sideline. In the grand scheme of things, it was probably nothing. But let me say that it made me so proud I almost stormed the field. He's been focused on improving his tackling at practice these past few weeks, and it showed. It took me right back to my own 8th grade experience, and I'm glad the play came his way, and he made it. The coaches and a few of his teammates even gave him a shout out. The chemistry and support on this team is second to none.

Later Saturday evening, we took pictures of my daughter and her friend Mitch before they went out to the homecoming dance. Understand that I don't know how I came to have a daughter who is a Junior in High School. Just last week she was 7 years old and in 2nd grade. No way she could be driving, working and taking the ACT. It doesn't seem possible. It seems like only 10 years ago I was picking up my date for the homecoming dance. I guess it's all part of the process, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

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