What a bad time to be driving on the highway it was. The afternoon light was magical, slashing through at an angle, setting all the autumn colors ablaze. Every grizzled cottonwood and mountain ash along the highway glowed. The silvery green spruces and dried tan grasses were a perfect foil to the bright yellows and oranges, and the rare burgundies. But I was late for class, and stopping to take pictures was not an option. The thought crossed my mind to take a few surreptitious shots from behind the wheel, but I chickened out. I didn't feel like risking crashing into other drivers who were heading north during rush hour, and I didn't want to get caught and put an inattentive driving ticket on the new state license I had just opened up in today's mail this afternoon. So I just tried to commit the quickly changing scene to memory, to enjoy it in its fleeting perfection. When I stopped at school, the light was almost gone, but there was just enough to allow me to appreciate the trees where I parked. It didn't feel as pretty next to asphalt and dirty cars, but I pretended anyway.
I don't have to have the air conditioner on as I drive anymore. I don't keep the vents closed, and I get to smell everything I drive past. That's frequently a problem, like tonight when I got stuck behind a truck that I suppose burned propane. It smelled like jet fuel, and I was happy when he drove faster than I did, and got a mile or two down the road. But then, as I got closer to my county and my town, I started smelling wood smoke. The temps were already low by the time I hit town, as low as they had been getting overnight. It makes me wish this house had a fireplace. It's the one amenity I will really miss during the winters. Of course, driving around here with open vents leaves one vulnerable to smelling a completely sort of blaze. Not all smoke smells pleasant in Colorado. I'm getting used to it now. It doesn't startle me as badly as it did a few months ago.
I'd like to see long range forecasts, to see how much time I have left until winter. It feels like autumn has only just started for me, even though I know it's a few weeks in. It just looks so pretty. I'm enjoying it as thoroughly as I can.
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