Greetings, September!

My husband was raised in the Hudson Valley region of New York state. That is where we met the summer of 1983. As you know from past posts, I grew up in Colorado. I love the time period of Colorado when my family lived there. Denver was big, but not huge like today. The towns were spread out on all those flat lands leading up to the Rocky Mountains in the west. It was gorgeous, no humidity, and the snow melted quickly. But I really didn’t care for the Rockies. Yes, I can admire them…from afar. But that is about all I wanted to do with them!

But I digress. My family lived in upstate New York for awhile and Vermont. Both beautiful locations. For me, it was the Norman Rockwell existence I had always dreamed about. I adored the little mountains, covered in trees and foliage. They seemed much more hospitable to me. Even so, I still admired them from afar.

After a short time in Tucson, Arizona…a world away from upstate New York…we moved to the Hudson Valley region. I was in love! I can still remember driving in to that little town so close to the Hudson River. It was very late at night, at the end of May. Stone fences lined the roads and the mist hung heavy in the air. It had been raining for most of our drive that day and everything was dripping. You could smell the deep, earthy scents and the stillness closed around you. While living there I worked second shift, and my memories of getting off work at eleven and driving to our small town, will always be with me. During the summer, the huge trees draped their branches over the weaving road. The heavy dampness in the air would cause me to use my windshield wipers to be able to see through the inky corridor of the blacktop.

My husband and I moved further north after our marriage, to the Catskill region. My husband had always been a hiker and bike rider. And yes, he was warned that I didn’t find these activities or camping very thrilling. He did manage to get me out on some walks, and these pictures remind me of what we always had the privilege to see.

Autumn in my mind will forever be associated with New York. These pictures bring back happy memories of what seem like more simple times.

When our first child was born, we spent many hours walking down paths such as the one below, my husband carrying her on his shoulders.

Maybe that’s why she loves to walk today!

Today is the first of September. I know it won’t officially be fall for another three weeks or so. But for me, September is the beginning of my husband’s most favorite time of year. Since he grew up around these kind of views…I can certainly understand why!

Happy first day of September to you!