Fall walking pleasures

Last night, I was walking home by one of my favorite routes, which takes me past a neighbor's house with a spectacular set of rose bushes, and then, serendipitously, through fall's first pile of dry leaves on the sidewalk.

I don't know what my neighbors do to get the blooms they do, but whatever it is, it's brilliant. Four or five times a year -- June through November -- the six rose bushes in front of their house are loaded with beautiful, wonderfully scented flowers. I love it, and I make it a point to walk by their house when the roses are in bloom so I can stop and smell them.

As fall approaches, another feature I enjoy in my walks is walking through piles of leaves. Now, I know this is an able-bodied pleasure, and the piles of leaves can be an issue for people who are less sure-footed or on crutches or in wheelchairs, and even for me, after a rain, a big pile of leaves represents a real slipping hazard. Still, I take a deep pleasure in wading through a pile of crispy leaves along my way.