Today was one of those inspirational fall days that make it wonderful to be alive. Here in northern Illinois, it was 68 degrees. The sky was crystal-clear, and blue like the deep end of a clear pool. Many of the trees were beginning to peak in all their yellow, orange, and red glory. The harvest has begun here, and the farmers are in the process of turning their fields of dry cornstalks into wide-open spaces. Along many country roads, this rapid horizon-expansion startles you. All summer long, the fields of tall crops have hidden whatever lies on the other side. Now, suddenly, you can see everything. It's like someone moved a mountain overnight.
For much of the day, I drove around with my trusty VX-2100 and shot falling leaves, barns, lakes, circling hawks, horses, fenceposts, farm machinery, and other nice scenes. You know, good B-roll stuff. The tree colors were so vivid, it was like driving through a fireworks display. I even saw a colorful hot air balloon float by, several miles away. Everywhere, people were pulled over to the side of the road, just drinking in the sights, and seemingly stunned by the beauty in every direction.
In the late afternoon, at a quiet place on a country road, I pulled over and just sat there myself for a time, watching nature at work. Japanese beetles hummed and some kind of fluffy seed pods floated by and occasionally got stuck on my radio antenna.
Days like this are good for my soul. Today cleaned out a lot of the mental garbage that had accumulated after weeks of paying too much attention to the world.
At sundown, I was further rewarded by the sight of a huge, golden harvest moon rising behind the treeline. Airliners inbound to O'Hare passed silently overhead, their strobe lights accentuated by the perfectly clear air. High cirrus clouds to the west turned gold, then red. I drove slowly home, wishing for just a little more.
An hour after sunset, as I was about to walk in my front door, something caught my eye overhead. A thick contrail was lit up by the full moon, the invisible airplane at it's head pointed purposefully east. I doubt the pilots realized how pretty that looked, but thanks, whoever you were.
