It is that time of the year--summer is ended and we have our Flaming Fall Revue. Where could one find such incredibly beautiful scenery, other than in our Ozarks?
    No artist can paint the lovely colors of the streets. Mere words cannot describe the beauty. The hickory trees are a pretty yellow, the ash red and the maples golden. The wild flowers are just beyond description ... golden rod, wild asters, the cosmos, zinnias and the favorite of fall, chrysanthemums.
    The aroma of these flowers takes me back in memory to my school days. We girls liked to wear flowers in our hair and we especially liked the colorful blooms of autumn.
    We also loved autumn because of Halloween, for we knew Thanksgiving was not far away. And then Christmas, the best of all. Halloween was a lot of fun, though back in those days, we did not "trick or treat." But we had a good time going places and often wiring people's gates and pulling other innocent pranks.
    One after-Halloween morning I recall, we found a huge stack of wood piled against our back door. We must have slept very soundly to not have heard the noise.
    Now we enjoy the kiddies coming by dressed in their colorful costumes and the yearly guessing game of "which child are you?"
    Well, the seasons come and go and we are thankful for the changes. It is said age is just a state of mind, but I say we are not getting older--just getting better.
    And if you want peace of mind, take a walk in the fields and forests of the Ozarks. You will feel like a different person observing God's handiwork.

Mellie Smith
undated