Growing up in southern Indiana where the landscaping is golden this time of year, this just gives me a warm feeling of home sweet home with a touch of German romance.

On some fall days  the fog settles in the valley and blocks our view. Even this is romantic in my eyes, having the fog at bird’s eye level. I love seeing the ravens perched in my favorite “spooky” tree in the midst of the fog from the pergola or the balcony.

During the month of October our town Coachman trots by our house every Thursday with a wagon load of tourists. For me, the sight and sound is pure romantic and I run to see it every time and wave at the passengers in the back seat.

More special treats that mother nature gives us  are occasional rainbows after a shower stretching across the valley.

One day a hot air balloon floated into our view, drifted slowly through the Vineyards and on into the horizon with the Vosges Mountains as its background.

In the months of August and September we still sit on the balcony for evening meals. A spectacle for us during these months are the flocks of crows flying home each evening as the sun goes down. We sit and wait for them like clockwork and count them each evening. The crows in my spooky tree call out a welcoming greeting to them as they fly overhead.