Splendid nature

Autumn in Wisconsin surprises me every year. It's so beautiful, and I'm almost more in love with the sight of falling leaves than I am with the bright colors of the leaves themselves.

On Sunday Ereck and I felt ambitious after brunch and headed north in the Ranger to check out the foliage. It was very pretty, especially a particularly breathtaking valley east of Lodi. We also enjoyed the red barns, and the pumpkins everywhere.

North of Lodi we encountered a mass of idle cars, and we wondered what was happening. Then we realized: it was a crowd of Sunday drivers eager to get in one last ride on the Merrimac ferry before it shuts down for the winter. We were tempted, but lines were long. Another time, we said. Besides, it runs 24 hours, so we could go tonight if we wanted to.