"The wind that makes music in November corn is in a hurry. The stalks hum, the loose husks whisk skyward in half-playing swirls, and the wind hurries on...." ~ Aldo Leopold

 So - the plan had been to head up to Hollenbeck's Cider Mill in Virgil and take pictures of them actually making the cider.  It is quite a sight if you have never seen it - they do it the old-fashioned way, by crushing the apples, loading them into burlap-lined trays, and then pressing the stacked up trays in a giant vise.  Great picture taking opportunity!  I had called ahead to find out when they planned to press, and was geared up to go.  That was -until I discovered that we had no hot water!

Now - I am no fashionista.  I don't indulge in massages or facials or manicures (though I have gained a fondness for pedicures).  I lead a very comfortable life, but I'm not terribly concerned about how I look when I walk out the door.  However - this girl does not leave the house until she has had her morning shower!  We could be hitting the road at 4:00 am for a vacation, and I am in the shower at 3:00 am - because that's what I do. Also - with my short hair, I wake up looking like Clay Aiken when he was on American Idol - not a pretty sight!

http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/famecrawler/archive/tags/clay+aiken/default.aspx

Plan B:  I have started to get into the habit of throwing my camera in the car when I'm heading out because I just never know when a photo opportunity might appear.  Happily, this was the case the other day when I went to drop something off at a friend's home.  It was a spectacular fall day - with the kind of beauty that just makes your heart sing.  So I stopped along the road and snapped the photos below.  I had a hard time whittling the number down, but I hope that you enjoy them.  I am still sitting here, waiting for the plumber to return my call - perhaps I'll get to Hollenbeck's next week!