Off to Oklahoma City we went. Started much too early in the morning, but we had a big day planned and needed enough time to get everything finished.
My daughter was sitting in her car seat, buckled up properly and positioned in the middle of the seat. Still sleepy, she looked around the car as if she had never seen it before. Her Daddy and I were buckling ourselves up when we heard a sleepy voice from the backseat.
"That's something you don't see everyday," she quipped excitedly.
Still in our driveway, we were surprised by her comment. What could she possible see that she doesn't see every day of her life?
"What do you see?" I asked, looking around our front yard.
"I can see my breath," she answered. "It is all white and puffy."
Ah ha, proof that we are in the middle fall and well on our way to winter. It was a cool morning and, she was right, seeing your breath isn't something you see every day.
As home schooling parents, we jumped on this opportunity to explain condensation, weather and the different seasons. We happily made our way to OKC, teaching away.
Oklahoma is blessed to have four distinct seasons. I can't imagine living somewhere that doesn't. Autumn is my favorite of all seasons. It reminds me of getting ready for bed. Nature begin to slow down for its winter nap. The colors are spectacular. I love the different shades of orange, red, greens and brown. To me, the autumn sunsets are the best. The sky explodes all sorts of different colors and coordinates them with the colors of the leaves and grasses.
"Momma, look at the trees," she said, pointing at the multi-leaved trees. "They weren't all different colors last time. The sap must be getting cold."
Yes, she was paying attention. We had just explained how the leaves turned colors in the fall.
"Autumn is like spring," she explained. "We get to see all sorts of colors, not just green."
Right again.
Most people do not realize that Oklahoma has foliage. So be it our foliage isn't as pronounced as other places, but it is there. All you have to do take time to look for the beauty around you. It comes in all shapes, sizes and colors.
Happy Oklahoma traveling,
Emma Riley Sutton
