Magical Saturday and Sunday

The Viroqua Harvest Parade on Saturday was surprisingly well attended. Parading down Main Street, tambourine shaking against my leg, Iris' rattle never stopping its rhythm, Elsa succumbed to sleep on her Mom's back, Andy wearing the flower hat she was supposed to wear, was truly an enlightening experience. No CANDY thrown to the crowd!! no kids scrabbling frantically to fill already full bags, just lots of laughs, smiles, and fun watching all interpretations of 'harvest' time pass by. The look of joy on the spectators (young and old alike) faces was unbelievable and I must say, for me, who really does not like parades, it was the finest parade I can remember.

On Sunday Freddie and I once again took the canoe, and spent three hours on the river. It was a wonderful Fall experience, of color, smells and profound silence. We encountered only one group of people the entire time, three kayakers eating lunch on a bank. Never did we see another soul during our time on the water.

The sun shone the entire time, reflecting on the water, exposing shadows here and there, and superbly highlighting the rock walls.

Lazy day on the river.

No matter where you cast your eyes, there seemed to be a frame of exquisite beauty which my camera truly could not capture.

I could hardly look up from the water, where leafs floated and turned and tumbled in a slow lazy dance of demise. What a glorious way to complete their journey. (Although this is a photo of the water, it could as easily be looking upward into the sky.)

A brief break.

Coming up on the covered bridge.

Our time on the river was contemplative, meditative, and at times filled with Freddie's stories about the old timers who used to own land here and there. Also about the days of his youth when he and friends spent time at one rock wall or another.

It was a magical day, and often I felt like as though I was passing inside a perfect poem...