....leaves of Autumn.

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.
-John Muir

Tori and I got out before sunrise Sat. and drove down into the city for a chilly ride. It was only 40 degrees when we started and they had a pretty good crowd of about 60 people. We set out with a chatty leader and covered the urban 16 mile loop in about an hour or so. I dropped Tori off back at the bike shop and headed a few blocks away for a spin through Forest Park where I shot the picture with my camera phone and added about 8 miles on the day. The colors were amazing this weekend...our Indian Summer...made suffering all those cold, drizzly days of the Cardinals Red October worth it. I even drove the 25 miles back to Forest Park on Sunday to run a loop in the warm sunshine with just a hint of fall in the wind on my skin and the scent of leaves in the air. Beautiful. I hope it's enough to sustain me over the long, dark, cold months ahead.