Shifting Temperatures
Driving Along County Line
Recently I took a drive from my home in New Baltimore, Michigan to Attica, Michigan to pick up a couple items I won from an online fundraising auction. I traveled up County Line road to start with, and I couldn't believe how the sides of the roads had been transformed from just a couple weeks prior along the same way. About halfway between 26 Mile Rd and 31 Mile Rd, the trees arched over the roadway to meet each other in a fountain of oranges, reds and yellows. I wanted to stop my car and take a lot of pictures, but I don't think the people driving behind me would have cared for that.
Disappearing Farmlands
Between Richmond and Memphis there are a lot of farms and open land. So, you don't have the opportunity to see as much of the fall landscape. It is still a lovely drive. The farms themselves are laid out in their own picturesque way. Depending on how far into October you are, the crops are in various stages of being harvested. Corn, hay and soybeans are common, but you will also find some other types of crops along the way. There are several old family farms that have been there for many decades. Unfortunately, I see more and more for sale signs on the land. Some sell because the next generation's don't want to work the land of their parents. Other's sell because it is either too expensive to keep the land, or the crops they are selling just aren't bringing in enough to sustain the family. Either way, the landscape is changing because of it.
Beauty All Around
Finally, I hit I-69, turned westbound and topped out at 75 mph per the speed limit on that road now heading towards Attica. As anyone who has driven it can tell you, there is a lot of wildlife that might pop out at you on this highway. I've had to dodge deer quite a few times on this trek during the day and night. There are two lanes for each direction of travel that are separated by quite a bit of land in the middle at times. Some areas have a smaller median, but most of it has larger tracts of lands and even mini forests between the sides. Just off the shoulder of the road, there are lots of forests and farms, as well as houses and some cities. The cities are smaller and farther between for a big chunk of the highway until you are closer to Flint. So, you get long stretches where you can just admire the scenery as you drive. I can't even tell you how many varities of color I saw once on the highway. It was stunning. Some areas in the median almost looked like they were on fire with the alternating reds and oranges. Other areas verigated from the deepest red-orange to the muted dusky yellows. I love this state and the fact that we can actually celebrate all 4 seasons.How things have changed this year
Life before Covid would have me out and about during the fall season with some of my friends. One of my best friends and I had a haunted hayride that we used to go on every weekend. It was literally something that we started looking forward to again soon after the last year ended. It was an exciting time that we got to meet new people and see old friends from the year before.
I have really been missing those experiences this year. We're trying to make up for them the best we can, but there are many less things you can do. The snap of warm weather that keeps going back and forth in Michigan has made some areas that used to be scenic for walks, finish their leaf falling early. We were able to get in a couple walks for picture taking in the beginning of October but not as much now. There are still places to find, but the walking trails arean't as good.