That's how I felt about driving into the mountains this weekend.  The leaves on the aspens were a golden yellow.  Maples were crimson red.  Turning cottonwoods lined rocky creeks and rivers, with swirling whitewater flowing through the Salmon River and the Little Salmon.  Whitewater was interrupted by calm, deep pools, before splashing on its course down the mountain.  It's the Boise/Cascades in the fall, and I'm lovin' it.

We drove past McCall, Idaho, with beautiful Payette Lake sitting as a backdrop to this quaint town that is trying to turn itself into a resort.  The north fork of the Payette River branches off the lake in McCall.  Here's a shot of the Payette River in autumn.

This post would be incomplete without a photo of my son playing soccer.  His high school team qualified for the state tournament; thus prompting the drive to northern Idaho where the team played-- and won-- its first round in the state playoffs.  This photo wasn't taken at my son's most recent game, but is still an appropriate choice....  For better or worse, this pic typifies his playing style.  Did I mention he's on the wrestling team when soccer's over?

It's still good to return to real estate (a statement I don't ever recall making about my previous career).   I couldn't have made this trip in my LBRE (life before real estate)... as work would have interfered.

     Even in this tough market, there are hopeful signs and possibilities to look forward to.  1. My broker is hosting Tom Lundstedt, former professional major league baseball player and current real estate investment guru to enlighten my clients about real estate investing.  Tom will give two presentations-- one to agents, and another to agents along with their clients-- about investing in my fave investment: residential income properties. 2.  This article showed up online:    http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-fi-homes21-2008oct21,0,1412933.story.  The gist of the article is that home sales in California are up 65%.  The article takes a negative slant, but good news still shines through: home sales have improved this much over September, 2007.  Homes are affordable again to people who were previously kept out of the market by rapidly rising prices.  Foreclosures are being gobbled up.      If the LA Times wants to paint this in a negative light, that's their perogative.  I'll paint my world in the colors of fall-- bright, beautiful, and-- as Grandma would say-- glorious!