the trees are on fire

Driving over the Washington street bridge it looks like the trees are on fire.  Fall is turning them red and orange, one branch at a time and it gives the impression that the trees are aflame.

Today is a good day for colors.  It rained earlier but the clouds were holding the water in when I went out for a drive.  It made for some really brilliant hues.  The sky was blue with big puffy white clouds on one side with some heavy gray ones across from them. The sun shown from behind lighting up various parts of the landscape.  The combination of the sun and the gloss that covered everything from the wet left behind made all the colors show more brightly.  The grass shimmered like there were diamond flecks in it.  And the contrasting colors of the fall leaves really stood out. Especially with the backdrop of the rain heavy clouds behind the trees and the sun shining on them from the front.

To top it off it wasn't too cold out.  I had the windows down.  There was a warm breeze as I drove and I could smell the rain enhanced scents of the earth. 

I saw three BIG turkeys crossing the road on Willamette, before you get out of town too.  They were casually waddling across the road and the car in front of me was honking at them to hurry up.  They took their time.  They're more likely to keep their distance when you're out of the car than when you're in one.  

There was a baby deer running on fox hollow.  It ran along the side of the road like it was trying to race the cars and then darted in front of the cars to cross the road.  Why if they are clearly spooked do they run "to" the thing they are scared of.  They seem to have very strong suicide instincts.