For the love of autumn

I LOVE AUTUMN!!!

...and not just for the Pumpkin Spice Lattes at Starbucks.

In my part of the world, we've had a gentle journey into fall. Up until this past weekend, we were still in shorts, the trees are still mostly green and the weather has been lovely. The Kinsons decided to take advantage of all the goodness and go for a hike.
And we needed to tear the kids away from the Wii :)

This one looks staged, don't you think? But this is how I found it, no kidding.

Sweetness and Light on the forest path.

We live in an area with primarily deciduous forest, but I grew up in an area that was a mix of deciduous and coniferous. They're both incredibly beautiful, though the conifers don't change color or drop leaves... instead they provide much needed greenery in the dead of winter.

My obsessions with 'growths on trees' continues.

And isn't this a neato plant?