I used to love Easter egg hunts when I was a child.  It was so much fun to run along, carefully searching everywhere with your eyes….looking for those little bright spots of color in unexpected places….

Driving to and from work each day - driving anywhere really -  is always for me a little bit like an Easter egg hunt.  During every season, I drive or walk along watching for new spots of color, unexpected oddities of nature, or scenes of calm, peaceful beauty…..  During this time of year especially, as autumn begins showing her colors to the Ozarks once again, there is so much to see and enjoy.  

I drive about 80 miles round trip each work day, and along the way I’m always watching…. Do you do that???  Sometimes it comes naturally, and sometimes it’s a definite choice - but it’s always an effort worth making.  It’s easy to get distracted thinking about responsibilities, concerns, and the pressing demands of the day - but then I stop and remind myself that it’s also important to take time to refresh, renew….and see the many blessings and beauty around us, to show gratitude, to think on good things. 

Some days, it's really difficult to make the switch in my mind - and those are the days that I need it the most.  

I have favorite spots on my drive - the familiar scenes or landmarks that I routinely look forward to seeing every day….. A rolling hillside with various slopes and beautiful trees on Hwy. 65 north, the mists rising up off Lake Taneycomo in the mornings, the cattle in the pastures along Capps Road in Harrison…..there are so many familiar scenes that bring comfort, encouragement, and joy.

During the changing of seasons however, and especially in autumn, searching for the beauty can be especially exciting. 

The little sumac trees were the first to proudly show their new colors this year.  A couple of weeks ago, I began to see hints of burgundy and red along the roadside.  A lot of the sumac is now almost in full color. The Virginia Creeper vines were next, with their brilliant crimsons contrasting vibrantly against the rocks.  This week, I began noticing hints of yellows and golds starting to appear….so there will be even more to watch for in the days ahead.  As I drive along each day, I feel some of that same excitement I had as a child searching for Easter eggs….we are blessed with so much beauty around us.  I don’t want to miss it.

What do you see on your daily travels?  Don't miss the treasures!  Let's hunt those autumn Easter eggs together!  :-)

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