It's A Beautiful Day in The Neighborhood

What a gorgeous fall day! I was supposed to meet a friend at a new to me trail, but we were not there at the same time, so I went for a walk along Bolin Creek.

The sky was scrubbed clean due to the recent rain; truly a Carolina blue.

Water was chortling in the creek, also thanks to the rain. 

The word babble is often used to describe water, but chortle (combination of chuckle and snort)  is an underused word that I like very much. Supposedly it was coined by Lewis Carroll in "Jabberwocky":

"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?

Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”
He chortled in his joy."

The crispy air was perfectly seasoned with decaying leaves, a hint of mown grass, and the merest wisp of wood smoke. Woodpeckers pecked, squirrels barked. Mockingbirds, wrens, and cardinals swooped and sang against a background chorus of frogs and crickets.

Leaves are starting to turn, mostly yellow or brown from the lack of rain. No reds or oranges yet.

Beautiful day in the neighborhood for sure.