It's Fall, Ya'll

Thursday morning I awoke to rain pounding on the windows.  It was a good day to stay home and sleep in a bit.  So, I did.  After I got up and started doing my mundane housework (why do they have to eat every night?  Why do they have to wear clothes?  Why do they use the towels?) I noticed that the sun was shining.  When I went out to grab the mail, I saw that if by some miracle, the leaves had turned into shockingly bright colors overnight.  It's been about five years since we had a pretty Fall.  I decided on the spot to shuck my chores for the day and head out to be a "leaf looker".  We loaded up and headed up the street.  First stop Goodwill.  Whaaaaaat does that have to do with leaves,  you might be asking?  

 Well - lookie at this tree in the parking lot!  In the strip mall where Goodwill is located there are row after rows of newly planted Maples and they are so, so SO red.  Amazingly red.  I walked around the parking lot happily snapping away with the camera at tree after tree.  Just gorgeous!  (Yes, I had to pop into Goodwill.  Spent $1.00 on a Woodpecker Ware hamburger press that I didn't even bother photographing.)

Back into the car to see where we would end up while we followed the never ending color up in the mountains.  We ended up at the Confederate Cemetary.

  You have to go down a huge hill and then up a huge hill to get to it, so it overlooks part of the town square and the old courthouse.  

The sun was so bright, the colors were so strong - it was such a lovely, lovely day.  I am so happy that I ventured outside and decided to go right then.  This morning, after a breezy night and some rain - a lot of the leaves are gone and the colors are fading.  I really think there was about a four hour window where the colors were intense.  So, so happy that I got to enjoy it.

The leaves on the ground looked like candies thrown about.  I wish you could gather them up and they would stay those beautiful vibrant colors.  

The sun was gorgeous shining through this yellow tree.  

This is the largest Sugar Maple in Arkansas.  It has a circumference of 97"!  That is over eight feet around!  It has a crown Spread of 55' and a height of 107'.  (I'm a tree nerd!)  I laid down on the ground to take this photo and I still didn't get it all.

About ten minutes after we left the cemetery the sky looked like this.  

And then it started to POUR.  Just like that, the colors were gone.  

I am thankful for the four hours and the three hundred photos I took in that time.  :)

This morning we embarked on a different type of adventure. 

Ooowie.  (Not my arm!  I am way hairier.  HAHAHAHAHA)

Free county-wide flu shot clinic.  Why pay for it if you can get it for free, right?

After that, we went to a Rummage Sale at the Senior Center and a couple of thrifts.  

Love the color of this old Thermos jug.  

I'll save it for the Spring Barn Sale and put a plant in it or something.  

HUGE price increase that the Little Old lady Thrift.  What once cost 50¢ is now 65¢.  Love me some little old lady logic.  

Picked up some boxes of random Christmas at the Rummage sale and culled it down to this.  Things for a wreath, some things for the Bazaar and a wee Santa mug for me.  

More rummage sale find - three gaudy gold frames to be painted, a His and Her YUM cup set, an old porcelain light fixture and a Fire King mug.  Everything was 25¢ each.  

Found quite a bit of this fun Halloween fabric.  The two ladies at the check-out argued over if it was a tablecloth or fabric.  It took them awhile, but the finally decided it was fabric so it was $1.00.  Funny thing was, the tablecloth area was right behind them and the sign said, "Tablecloths $1.00"  Little Old Lady (LOL) Logic rules again.  (LOL = Little Old lady)

At one thrift, I bought only that 65¢ tin and I shrugged off putting it in a sack since it was only the one item.  As I was leaving, I spotted on a shelf where I had JUST looked - this Annalee doll.  I had looked RIGHT THERE.  I had even moved a jar that was there to look at something behind it.  They must have just set her out so I am SO HAPPY that I found her.  I grabbed her and circled back to the register where the LOL told me that I HAD to put her in a bag so she wouldn't get dusty on the car ride home and proceeded to stuff her in a Ziploc bag and zip it shut.  She was very adamant that I use a bag.   

This handmade silly mouse looked like I could do a little Christmas magic and use him in the booth or on a wreath. 

I got five of these trees for 10¢ each.  Someone had put a metric ton of tiny plastic ornaments, garland and tinsel on each tiny tree.  It took an entire episode of "Grimm" to remove it all.  I don't know who had time to put all that crap on there in the first place.  Or why.

Last find of the day - two Grainware lucite tennis racket trays.  These are the size of an actual tennis racket.  I think you put crackers in the handle and meat and cheese on the  - oh the, uh what do you call that - the racket part, I guess.  I though they might  in the booth.  The were only 25¢.  

Tomorrow it is Operation Take Down the Halloween Decorations.  Unless I see a glimmer of color out the window - then I am outta here!