The only thing better...

than sweat therapy, is crunching through the leaves on a nature trail.

Decided that I needed to get out and get a little alone time today, and I hit the Queen Elizabeth park down by the ... Saskatchewan (?!) river... either way it was wonderful - just me and the woodland creatures.

It's a rare thing to be able to just enjoy the walk - no ipod, no HRM, no watch - but as soon as I saw the leaves, I was in heaven!

See... I'm originally from Michigan, and moved to AZ back in '92. Don't get me wrong, I fell in love with AZ the minute I stepped off the plane the first time I visited.

But I was completely sold when I learned that snow was as rare as the world renowned jackalope.

The only down side to the beautiful Sonoran desert is the fact that "fall" doesn't exist, at least not in the way that the rest of the world thinks of it... there's no trees turning shades of yellow, orange, and red. There's no slightly musty, earthy smell of a pile of leaves that litters the side walk.

And there's no crisp leaves to crunch through as you walk through the yard or down the street.

That is the thing I miss the most from my life in Michigan (ok, truth be told, it's a tie with fireflies in the summer).

I was very excited to get my crunchy leaf fix today.



I was able to snap a few photos along the walk - and yes, I was rather chilly. :)

Later on, the hubby & I were able to wander a bit through Old Strathcona, just south of the area around where he's working... Yay for a bit of sight seeing time!