The Leaves and the Lake





It’s not a major bucket list thing, but for years I have said I was going to do it.  And I haven’t. Little things like work kept getting in the way.  But now that I’m freshly retired, there was no good reason not to follow up on my intent.  Surprisingly I’ve learned that most retirees are busy, but they usually have schedules that are flexible.  And it seemed to be perfect way to refresh your soul after dealing with 2020.  So I was finally going to do it.  Yep, this was the year I was going take a boat trip to look at the leaves change.  


Fortunately, I have the perfect venue to view nature’s handiwork - it’s Smith Lake in north central Alabama.  This man made beauty has over 500 miles of shoreline, much of it flanked by the Bankhead National Forest.  So it’s chock full of hills thick with pines and hardwoods, limestone bluffs, and natural waterfalls. Every season is pretty, but it’s especially gorgeous in autumn. 

The timing was almost perfect.  In Alabama, the trees are at their best in early to mid November.  And you can still get days with temperatures in the seventies.  All it took was a 7 day extended weather forecast to get a comfortable, colorful  pontoon boat ride.  

We left my pier about noon.  The overcast sky had given way to a deep blue.  Backing out of the slip, I put some Allman Brothers on the sound system, and hit the throttle.  Nothing like having Duane, Greg, and Dickey on the trip.  Within minutes, the music and the drone of the motor lulled all four of us into a quiet peaceful state.  Soon the lake houses gave way to the Bankhead Forest.  For the next couple of hours we marveled at the hills of pastel reds, oranges, and yellows.  Honestly, they looked like huge mounds  of Fruity Pebbles.   

Some of the trees seemed to be backlight by the bright sun against the azure sky.  They reminded me of stained glass windows I saw at a cathedral in Germany.  It made me think of what Jesus said in Matthew 6: 28-29. “... consider the lilies of the field. How they grow, they neither toil or spin. Yet I tell you, Solomon in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these.”  

After an hour on the water we were deep in the forest.  The lake had narrowed to the river from which it grew.  Divinely inspired, I put my finger to my lips, then cut the motor off.   There was an immediate silence.  Nothing but the wind gently hissing among  the leaves.  Then we quietly drifted on the current for a few minutes.   It’s amazing how restorative that little sliver of time was.   

Finally, I turned the key and restarted the engine.  Too quickly we found our way back to my boat slip.  As we tied off, there were appreciative smiles all around. What a beautiful way to spend an autumn afternoon. 

And it’s only a few months until the mountain laurels bloom.

Please like and share!

#autumnsplendor #LewisSmithLake 





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