The drive along Grand River Avenue ...

Last week when I was out at Ada Township Park, I decided to take the "scenic" route home ~ so I turned off from Fulton to Grand River Avenue and took it all the way to where the E. Beltline turns into Northland Drive ... do you know where I am talking about?
I saw such amazing color and perfectly beautiful farms and made a note in my head to come back this week when I had time and snap some pictures of the loveliness that was ... everywhere!
I don't remember another autumn so beautifully colored, do you? The brilliant golds and ambers, wine-reds, deep oranges, burnished browns ... breathtaking!
We received some much-needed rain yesterday morning; but in the mid-afternoon, I grabbed my camera and headed back to see if I could photograph and actually capture some of the awesome color ...
This farm is called "Holiday Farm" ~ don't you wish you lived there?! WOW. I drove by this stretch of road five times looking for a place to park so that I could take a little walk and take pictures. There is nowhere to park out here! I finally just drove up a very long, winding driveway and pulled over to the side of it a bit and hopped out!
I completely fell in love with this tree!
This time of year is tricky for me. I love the autumn ... but at the very same time I am loving it, I am dreading what follows! It's not that I hate winter or anything. I actually like it very much. But I don't like being cold! I love the beauty of the snow ... for a few WEEKS ... but then I am very ready for spring to come and wake everything back up from the dead and the grey! I want my flowers back! I tend to get impatient while I wait for spring ...
Do you think God has made anything that equals the beauty of a horse? Aren't they fabulous animals?!

While I was driving along Grand River, I saw a park I'd never seen before: Roselle Park. It's a beautiful place that is still kind of under construction. There are lots of wetlands and walking trails ... and there is even a great place to climb! There are two silos situated side by side, one of which has stairs (90 of them) inside that you can climb to the top to an observation platform! How fun! Except ... I climbed those 90 stairs only to find the observation deck locked ... I couldn't get outside! So I did snap the picture above through the window up there. I was so disappointed!

You can see the two silos behind this beautiful horse. The park trails are being worked on right now, but I think I've talked Mr. Jones into driving out there early tomorrow morning and walking the ones that are completed ... the colors are fast fading now, and I want to enjoy them to the fullest ... while it's still possible!
I can get very melancholy this time of year ... perhaps because there is so much sadness in the world. So many people are heartbroken and in pain. I long for the day when God makes everything right that is wrong and heals all of the brokenness in our lives.

Be patient as you wait for the Lord's return.
Consider the farmers who eagerly look for the rains
in the fall and in the spring.
They wait patiently for the precious harvest to ripen.
You, too, must be patient.
And take courage ... for the coming of the LORD is near!
JAMES 5:7-8