An increasing number of people are walking our nature sanctuary trails and I think the number will grow with the approach of fall. There is a different feeling about this season that invigorates us, calls us, pulls us into the outdoors. The smells, the coolness, the colors all beckon us to outdoor sports events and to the outdoors in general. It’s time to get out, get movin’, do something, even if it’s raking leaves. A walk in the woods is just the ticket to chase life’s "dulls" away. You might kick up a deer or two, or be scolded by a blue jay or a squirrel. There’s no telling how many different birds you’ll see or hear or what wild varmints might cross your path.

And don’t forget to drink in the beauty and quiet of your walk. Lose yourself. Sit a spell. Dream of things you don’t otherwise take time for. Oh, there will be mosquitoes a while longer, and probably the ticks and chiggers will be waiting to hitch a ride on your clothes, so tuck in your pant legs, button your buttons and take along a can of insect repellent. Otherwise, pretend your "roughing it" in the wilds of some fantasy land.