No Wordless Wednesday here.

Fall running in upstate NY can be beautiful. It can also be pretty ugly as the weather turns rather quickly here. Today was a typical fall run here. Below you will find what I mean, painted in words, not photos.

You know it is a fall when running includes:

• Geese flying south in a V formation while you are running north … alone
• Smelling a wood stove burning to heat one of the houses you are running past
• Having to stop for a garter of turkeys to cross the road
• Finally seeing your shadow as the sun peeks through only to still be seeing your breathe as you breath
• Wondering how long there will be a shoulder to get out of the way of traffic on since once snow comes, the shoulder disappears
• Getting pelted with acorns and acorn tops from renegade squirrels in maple (just not right) trees
• Slipping on very wet leaves as you run
• Slipping on tree branches down from recent winds
• Slipping on those acorns that the squirrels have deemed un-storable for winter
• Knowing that the sky looks like snow, not rain
• Knowing the wind is from the north not by the direction it is blowing out of but by how cold it is
• Ears being a little sore because you haven’t worn your Ear Bags in months
• Wondering constantly if your gloves have fallen out of your waistband as you were running – no pockets to put them in