Mother nature has been busy with her paint brush. Vibrant yellow, red and orange adorn the trees. The fallen leaves look like brilliant polka dots on the lush green grass. The sky is a beautiful shade of baby blue dotted with white cotton candy clouds and streaks of sunshine.

Living in Florida, I don't have the opportunity to experience the dramatic changes in the seasons. In St. Pete the change is more subtle. The humidity seems to disappear, the beaches are no longer crowded. The temperatures drop a little but still remain warm in the upper 70s low 80s.

The bright color we see is at sunset. We have the most incredible sunsets from late October thru January. The evenings are 10 - 15 degrees cooler than daytime creating pink, yellow and crimson streaks across the sky.

Whether living in the north or south, Fall is definitely the time Mother Nature dips into the bright golden colors of her paint box.

It has been wonderful to have the opportunity to visit, to experience the sights and smells of the season as people here in Virginia rack leaves, harvest pumpkins and slip on sweaters to keep warm from the brisk chill in the air.

I may miss curling up in front of a fireplace with a cup of hot chocolate and a good book because I live in Florida but it is a fair trade since I can drive to the beach with the top down on my convertible to enjoy a game of volleyball.

During the last several years it has become evident that I am solar powered. Living in St. Pete, Florida with an average of 361 days of sunshine is a healthy invigorating environment for me to thrive.

Noticing the beauty of the changing seasons are reminders that miracles exist. They are the rewards for taking time to notice and keeping wonder and curiosity alive about the possibilities tomorrow holds.