(3) Noticing more of My Favorite Things

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We live in the far northern suburbs of Chicago, and sometimes as early as late September, trees begin to have that unmistakable look of autumn.  Their green shifts noticeably to yellow and red, some orange, and the air around them has a nip to it in the morning.  In front of our house, we have a Burning Bush.  At any other time of the year, it is a rich green bush.  But in the autumn we see why its name is what it is, and recently my daughter remarked how much she loved that bush. 

Until two weeks ago, temperatures were relatively mild, and we still saw quite a scattering of birds in the sky.  They fly and seem to write calligraphy, so dynamic and aesthetic, and within a minute they alight on high electrical wires.  We saw, too, so many geese gathered around a pond, on the drive home one afternoon.  I said to my daughter that it was still a bit warm here, so they hadn't flown south just yet.

As autumn progresses, trees look more bare and the air feels sharper to the skin.  We are fortune to have a large backyard with a pond adjoining it.  It takes hours to rake the leaves in October and November, and I always feel good when the yard is clear.  We have small wildlife, too.  On occasion we've seen robins, cardinals and finches in the trees.  There are the occasional fox, raccoon and rabbit as well, but squirrels are plentiful.  They're a wonder to watch.  When they run, or hop, it is as if they glide in the air, their tails like plumes.  They're mostly ambling about our deck and climbing trees, but recently I saw one, then another, forage right in the open and cleared yard. 

What things do you notice right outside your home and in your day-to-day, as you walk or drive about?  Theory of Algorithms encourages us not just to think and reflect, but also to observe and experience.