I caught a glimpse of a soaring bird above Toccoa Falls yesterday. They love to glide along with the air current above the gorge area and the weather was perfect for this very thing. All week the temperatures have been in the high ’70′s, but cooler weather begins today. Looking back, we spent most of yesterday telling one another that we “are not ready for winter!”

Yesterday I walked up to the falls with our director of landscaping, and we were talking about how beautiful the leaves are this year. The summer was hot and dry but that has just made the colors more brilliant. We both were reminded of the fact that leaves are their prettiest when they are dying. (Some of my friends will understand the analogy.) Few things are more striking than a Red Maple tree in the fall.

Wonder what Joseph’s coat of many colors looked like? I believe there are times when God smiles at us!

One of the things I do when I walk into the forest is to look for reflections. Like the reflection of the sky in this small slow moving stream . . . .

then a tiny frog hops across the viewfinder and spoils the view . . . or maybe not.

Yesterday, we dodged rain drops but eventually ended up in sunlight. However in the beginning of our hike, we thought for sure we would have to find shelter under a rock ledge or overhang—something I don’t like to do, especially if there is lightening. This is a well used path that leads to a couple of sets of falls. The college has over 1,100 acres and many of our students boast that they have hiked every square inch of it.

I was with students yesterday afternoon, and I took this photo of a guy who graduated this past Spring. We couldn’t help but smile as we walked away from this scene because we realized what a gift we have been given in these surroundings.

The ice continues to build at the base of Toccoa Falls and the view just gets more awe inspiring.