Scenes...

...from last Sunday's early, ten-mile walk on the Withlacoochee State Trail, starting with this photo looking down into a boggy field from a somewhat elevated vantage point:

And continuing with this one, looking out at a vantage point that is more elevated than the one from which I captured the shot above:

All I can say is, I wish I lived in that house on the left!

The bucks and does were in hiding when I was walking, probably due to the fact it is deer season right now...And unfortunately, by the time my sister and I came upon a hawk perched right beside the trail, my camera battery had already died a premature death...But hey, at least I was able to snap a picture of this snail crossing the trail's asphalt/rubber pavement:

No, I have not gone into a deep funk since the election, even though I think its results are potentially catacylsmic. I refuse to let politics intrude on how I enjoy God's gift of life, because I believe Abraham Lincoln was right when he said that "most people are about as happy as they make up their mind to be." Or as Hugh Downs once put it, "A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes."

Thanksgiving is tomorrow, which means the Christmas season, that most wonderful time of the year, is upon us. When it is past, I will recommence commenting about the goings-on in the world, and thinking about how we can transmit the blessings of Americanism to our descendants. Until then, I will write about other things and wish you a Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year's.

And for all my Jewish friends out there, including everyone in the admirable and war-torn nation of Israel, I know Hanukkah starts December 8th. I hope for that holiday's core meaning, the triumph of light over darkness, to become reality no matter how long the odds may seem.

To close this post, here is one more picture from last Sunday. I just love the feel that black and white (actually, cinnamon) gives to a scene: