Autumn in Missouri

John and I have not been in Missouri this late into the fall season since we started traveling three years ago.  The whole point of selling our home was to avoid spending any more time in cold weather.  So we were a little leery about coming here this late in the season. It was our daughter's wedding in Florida which put us a bit off schedule and landed us in Missouri when it is starting to get cold.  We have had some cool nights since arriving here, but we also have had some very warm days.  And the fall colors have been stunning!

 Saturday morning John and I joined my sisters Linda and Julia- as well as Julia's husband Cal, on a volksmarch in Winghaven, Missouri.  As you may notice, we started out with jackets but we soon shed  them.  It started out cool and overcast but eventually the sun came out to highlight the fall colors.

 Volksmarches were begun in Europe in the 1960s.  My sisters Linda and Julia participated in them, with their families, when they were living in Germany.  Upon returning to the states they found one similar walking club in the St.Louis area.  Through the years John and I, as well as some of our children, have joined them on the walks.  It is a non competitive fitness walk, typically 6.2 miles in length on an outdoor path.  We have enjoyed volksmarches in the past which have taken us into various St.Louis neighborhoods.  It was a wonderful way to learn about the diverse areas of St.Louis, I think my favorite walk was in the hill or Italian neighborhood of St. Louis.  Our walk Saturday was not as interesting as previous volksmarches, but our path did take us on a boardwalk through a picturesque park which had a small pond. 

As you can see, our cat KC is still alive.  In Florida we really thought that his days were coming to an end.  He did a lot of sleeping and stopped climbing into my lap for attention.  Once the weather became cooler he suddenly came alive and became his old self.  He now climbs into my lap several times of a evening, it used to be only once when he would do that.  He is over twenty years of age and his back legs are giving out, but he still jumps up on the dash to gaze on the world outside.  He continues to surprise us, our traveling cat.