Autumn Along the Talimena Parkway

Once we began our drive on the Talimena Parkway, the trees started out green, and very beautiful. When we reached a higher elevation we saw the color change happen quickly. We stopped to take a small hike into the forest before continuing our way. Later, as we drove even higher in the mountains we reached a point where most of the leaves had already fallen and the remainder of the drive was mostly with bare trees. Ah, but there was the return drive home, so we did drive through all the beautiful colors of autumn again!

Here are our pictures from where we stopped to take a little hike.

 

 

Autumn is fleeting, once a year it comes and goes in all its colorful majesty. I hope you take time to enjoy the season!

Surprised by a Wrong Turn

Several years ago Randy and I were enjoying a road trip on our way to drive the Talimena National Scenic Byway in southeastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas in the Ouachita Mountains for the peak season of fall foliage viewing and on our way we took several winding roads just to see as much countryside as we could.

Sometimes you take a wrong turn when you are in unknown territory. In Randy’s enthusiasm to find the best scenic roads, we ended up on one of those rough roads that you just aren’t sure you should continue down. About the time Randy admitted he thought he had made a wrong turn, we hit another very rough spot in the narrow gravel road. It is too risky if your tires hit one more giant rut and you are in the middle of nowhere. Now, we needed a place to turn around!

Right ahead of us as we reached a bend in the road, we could see another narrow gravel road to the left and we knew this was the place to turn around.

We pulled in and much to our surprise as we pulled up a little farther, before our eyes was this wonderful sight! I think both of our jaws dropped in amazement at the same time as we could not believe our good luck!

I was literally jumping out of the car before we even came to a complete stop and running toward the lake to take pictures, and then I paused to just breathe in the beauty. The sunlight shimmering on the water was stunning.

There was a beat up old red pickup truck off to the side and Randy strolled over to ask the older gentleman inside if the road we had turned off would get better ahead, or worse. The man said worse, and advised us not to try it in the kind of car we were driving.

Ah, but we had gone just far enough! That is how we ended up here.

The old man in the beat up truck drove away and it was just us. Just us and a lake and abundant sunshine and beauty. We were two very happy travelers!

I will post some of my pictures from our time on the Talimena Parkway later this week. Here is a link to some information about this Scenic Drive. 

https://www.talihinacc.com/fall-foliage-update

In the Waking Moments

 

Psalm 143:8 Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, for in You do I trust; cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You. 

There is a beauty to each new morning when you first wake up. 

It is still dark and you go to the window with half-awake steps and look out into the sky and see a ribbon of color forming on the horizon announcing a brand new day.

Then you breathe your first words to the Lord and thank Him for this day and for His abundant blessings in your life.

You worship Him for who He is and know that our great God will walk beside you each moment through this day and with every step.

Do this today and again tomorrow and the tomorrows after that and you will know Him as you have not known Him before.

You will delight in Him.

And He will delight in you.

Drawing close to the Lord in the waking moments of a new day, it doesn’t get any better than this.