Alberta

The autumn sun turns everything golden.
The changing leaves on the trees,
the cornfields, softly swaying in the breeze –
even the street signs have a golden shimmer today.

lush green hills fly by
outside the car window.
Here and there,
they are separated by
a river; the valleys are crowded
with cattle
or horses.

Somebody said “this is the last of the wild west”
and, as we drive further up north,
I couldn’t agree more.

Here and there,
lonely houses pop up:
a corn farm, a trailer, some estates
with trimmed lawns and fancy gates.

But for the most part,
it’s only fields and streams;
farm animals and wildlife.

As we cross yet another river,
a pack of wild geese takes off
into the sunset.
I close my eyes, turn my head west,
feel the warmth of the sun on my face
 -and smile.

 Life is good today