🍁 🚗 Along the Road of Maples | A Calming Autumn Story for Quiet Mornings and Cozy Evenings

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00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:07,570
Welcome to The Slow Life.
I'm Jennifer Vino and I create,

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00:00:07,610 --> 00:00:12,010
narrate, and design the
soundscape of this village of

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00:00:12,020 --> 00:00:15,780
cozy stories to relax and
unwind.

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00:00:16,820 --> 00:00:20,210
Each week I share an original
story.

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Read 2 times so you can relax
even more during the second

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reading.
I'm happy to announce my

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website, theslowlife.ca.
It provides a space where we can

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connect and I can bring you all
things cozy.

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Let's settle in with some easy
breathing at your own pace.

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00:00:48,750 --> 00:00:53,820
With each inhale, let fresh air
fill the space around your

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heart.
With each exhale, feel the calm

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air spread through your body and
flow out through your arms and

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legs, gently in through your
heart.

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Gently out through your body, in
through your heart, out through

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your body.
And now let's begin.

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This story is called Along the
Road of Maples and it's about

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one more cup with a friend, an
autumn playlist and a gallery

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showing for one.
I've come to the other side of

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the mountains to visit a friend
for a few days.

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On this last morning, the sun
sneaks between the cracks and

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00:01:59,820 --> 00:02:04,680
the blinds, painting stripes
onto the oversized blanket.

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00:02:06,570 --> 00:02:12,120
I'm not in a hurry to get going,
but I put my bag on the bed and

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00:02:12,130 --> 00:02:15,200
start folding what little I
brought with me.

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00:02:16,620 --> 00:02:21,730
A shirt still creased from the
drive here, a sweater that

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00:02:21,740 --> 00:02:26,510
smells faintly of wood smoke,
and the sweet orange and clove

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00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:29,820
scent she'd been simmering on
the stove.

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00:02:31,410 --> 00:02:36,800
I move slowly until I hear the
kettle click off in the kitchen,

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00:02:37,330 --> 00:02:42,600
signaling that it's time for one
more coffee together before I

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00:02:42,610 --> 00:02:47,820
head back home.
Looking out the window as my

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00:02:47,830 --> 00:02:53,040
friend prepares our drinks, I
realize that when I arrived two

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00:02:53,050 --> 00:02:58,820
nights ago, the leaves still
seemed mostly green, brushed

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00:02:58,830 --> 00:03:01,640
here and there with yellow and
red.

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00:03:03,250 --> 00:03:08,500
Now the shift is clearer.
The Reds have deepened, the

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00:03:08,510 --> 00:03:13,640
edges starting to curl.
I love to see the change

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happening, an unfurling of the
season that's both dependable

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00:03:19,430 --> 00:03:24,820
and sudden.
We finish our visit satisfied

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that we've caught up with each
other for now.

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Outside, the air is cool enough
for a jacket, but I tuck mine

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00:03:34,170 --> 00:03:39,850
into the passenger seat.
Her golden retriever is waiting

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by the back steps, tail sweeping
the pine needles aside, the old

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00:03:46,090 --> 00:03:48,680
tennis ball already in her
mouth.

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She drops it at my feet, always
ready for more.

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I toss it once, twice, a third
time, farther into the trees.

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00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:07,610
When she comes back, her fur is
damp and her breath fogs in

45
00:04:07,620 --> 00:04:13,640
small bursts.
She hangs on to it now, seeming

46
00:04:13,650 --> 00:04:16,260
aware that it's time for me to
go.

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Mom will have to take over the
throwing part.

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She followed me from room to
room the whole time I stayed.

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She would stretch out by the
bed, then some time in the

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night, climb up and curl herself
into the crook of my knees

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00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:40,710
before going back to her mum's
room.

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It was comforting, the weight
and size of her there in the

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00:04:46,890 --> 00:04:51,540
dark, the steady rhythm of her
breathing in the quiet of

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someone else's home.
The three of us exchanged hugs

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00:04:57,130 --> 00:05:01,620
and kisses, and my friend loads
my bag into the car.

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00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:07,650
The dog stands at the edge of
the driveway, watching with the

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ball still in her mouth.
I wave in gratitude until I turn

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00:05:14,020 --> 00:05:18,200
on to the narrow Rd. that leads
away from the house.

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00:05:19,550 --> 00:05:24,440
The tires crunch on the gravel
lane before rolling on to the

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00:05:24,450 --> 00:05:29,780
smooth pavement.
I think about how quickly things

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00:05:29,790 --> 00:05:34,770
transform in October.
The temperature, the colours,

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00:05:35,150 --> 00:05:42,240
even the way the light settles.
The drive home is 3 hours if I

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00:05:42,250 --> 00:05:45,620
don't stop, but I almost always
do.

64
00:05:46,560 --> 00:05:51,870
The roads wind through small
towns and then narrow into long

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00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:57,030
stretches where the forest leans
in closer on both sides.

66
00:05:58,790 --> 00:06:04,490
The highway climbs gently into
the hills where the air thins

67
00:06:04,550 --> 00:06:08,960
and the colours of the foliage
are further along in the higher

68
00:06:08,970 --> 00:06:14,140
elevation.
For the first while, I keep my

69
00:06:14,150 --> 00:06:19,030
windows down.
The cool air slips around me,

70
00:06:19,100 --> 00:06:23,850
carrying a sweet dampness that
would have been frost at first

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00:06:23,860 --> 00:06:29,590
light this morning.
The stereo hums old tunes from

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00:06:29,600 --> 00:06:35,700
my autumn playlist.
About an hour in, I reached the

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00:06:35,710 --> 00:06:41,990
Road of Maples, a long corridor
of colour that feels like

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00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:47,670
entering a fantasy land.
They rise close to the road,

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00:06:47,790 --> 00:06:53,090
their branches arching overhead
so the light filters through the

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00:06:53,100 --> 00:06:57,680
beautiful colours.
It's like driving through a

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00:06:57,690 --> 00:07:03,120
tunnel of stained glass windows.
The pavement darkens with

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00:07:03,130 --> 00:07:06,900
shadow, and I slowed down on
purpose.

79
00:07:07,830 --> 00:07:10,920
Every turn reveals something
new.

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00:07:11,350 --> 00:07:16,640
A slope of burnt orange, a
sudden valley of yellow leaves

81
00:07:16,650 --> 00:07:21,440
fluttering in the wind.
Here and there, a single tree

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00:07:21,450 --> 00:07:24,070
already bare before its
neighbors.

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00:07:25,800 --> 00:07:31,190
I've called it the Road of
Maples for years, ever since I

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00:07:31,200 --> 00:07:35,330
first discovered this stretch
while driving to my friend's

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00:07:35,340 --> 00:07:39,530
place.
Every year I look forward to

86
00:07:39,540 --> 00:07:44,510
this magical passageway where
the season arrives in full

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00:07:44,520 --> 00:07:48,710
colour.
The leaves scatter under my

88
00:07:48,720 --> 00:07:54,610
tires as I drive, brushing up in
small waves behind the car.

89
00:07:55,890 --> 00:08:01,420
I watched them lift and swirl,
caught briefly in the air before

90
00:08:01,430 --> 00:08:05,190
settling again along the edges
of the pavement.

91
00:08:07,140 --> 00:08:11,830
I keep the speed slow, letting
the road and the surrounding

92
00:08:11,840 --> 00:08:15,730
colours unfold as I round every
curve.

93
00:08:17,710 --> 00:08:23,010
It's rare to come across another
vehicle through this path as

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00:08:23,020 --> 00:08:27,350
though I've bought a ticket to a
private showing at a gallery.

95
00:08:28,990 --> 00:08:33,809
I do hope others will have their
turn to enjoy it after I've come

96
00:08:33,820 --> 00:08:38,260
through.
The branches begin to pull back,

97
00:08:38,330 --> 00:08:43,840
to reveal glimpses of the hills
beyond, gently touched by

98
00:08:43,850 --> 00:08:49,030
October light.
I travel on, lost in the

99
00:08:49,040 --> 00:08:54,930
colours, the shadows, the quiet
sweep of leaves lifting in my

100
00:08:54,940 --> 00:08:59,900
wake.
When the maples finally thin, I

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00:08:59,910 --> 00:09:05,740
pass other familiar landmarks,
the weathered burns, the lakes

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00:09:05,830 --> 00:09:11,880
large and small that appears
suddenly on either side, some

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00:09:11,890 --> 00:09:15,160
holding scattered leaves on
their surface.

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00:09:16,900 --> 00:09:22,270
A cluster of houses appears
after these, smoke curling from

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00:09:22,280 --> 00:09:28,150
a chimney that hadn't been doing
so when I drove by only two days

106
00:09:28,160 --> 00:09:32,490
prior.
Maybe I'll light the wood stove

107
00:09:32,500 --> 00:09:38,600
in my living room tonight.
I stopped at the lookout just

108
00:09:38,610 --> 00:09:41,840
before the last bend into the
valley.

109
00:09:42,690 --> 00:09:48,400
From here, the village sits
tucked in rooftops, just visible

110
00:09:48,410 --> 00:09:53,680
between the trees.
The air moves gently across the

111
00:09:53,690 --> 00:09:57,750
Ridge, carrying the dry flutter
of leaves.

112
00:09:59,150 --> 00:10:04,220
I lean against the hood, warm
from the drive, and watch as a

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00:10:04,230 --> 00:10:11,250
few birds scatter from the trees
and disappear down the slope on

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00:10:11,260 --> 00:10:15,040
the road again.
The descent towards the village

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00:10:15,050 --> 00:10:19,670
begins and I notice how quickly
the shift has happened.

116
00:10:21,190 --> 00:10:26,180
Only two nights away and
everything seems deeper in

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00:10:26,190 --> 00:10:30,830
colour.
More chimneys show that cozy

118
00:10:30,840 --> 00:10:37,180
fires have been lit within.
I think of my friend's dog,

119
00:10:37,250 --> 00:10:43,200
probably asleep now, by her own
fireplace, her fur even redder

120
00:10:43,210 --> 00:10:47,780
than before.
I look forward to seeing her

121
00:10:47,790 --> 00:10:51,950
next time.
There's comfort in knowing some

122
00:10:51,960 --> 00:10:56,820
things always return.
As sure as autumn finding its

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00:10:56,830 --> 00:11:10,400
way back to the village along
the road of Maples, I've come to

124
00:11:10,410 --> 00:11:14,900
the other side of the mountains
to visit a friend for a few

125
00:11:14,910 --> 00:11:19,770
days.
On this last morning, the sun

126
00:11:19,780 --> 00:11:24,590
sneaks between the cracks and
the blinds, painting stripes

127
00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:31,470
onto the oversized blanket.
I'm not in a hurry to get going,

128
00:11:31,640 --> 00:11:36,330
but I put my bag on the bed and
stirred, folding what little I

129
00:11:36,340 --> 00:11:40,850
brought with me.
A shirt still creased from the

130
00:11:40,860 --> 00:11:46,510
drive here, a sweater that
smells faintly of wood smoke,

131
00:11:46,570 --> 00:11:51,160
and the sweet orange and clove
scent she'd been simmering on

132
00:11:51,170 --> 00:11:56,510
the stove.
I move slowly until I hear the

133
00:11:56,520 --> 00:12:01,890
kettle click off in the kitchen,
signaling that it's time for one

134
00:12:01,900 --> 00:12:05,980
more coffee together before I
head back home.

135
00:12:07,700 --> 00:12:12,730
Looking out the window as my
friend prepares our drinks, I

136
00:12:12,740 --> 00:12:17,810
realize that when I arrived two
nights ago, the leaves still

137
00:12:17,820 --> 00:12:23,310
seemed mostly green, brushed
here and there with yellow and

138
00:12:23,320 --> 00:12:27,710
red.
Now the shift is clearer.

139
00:12:28,140 --> 00:12:32,480
The Reds have deepened, the
edges starting to curl.

140
00:12:33,860 --> 00:12:38,710
I love to see the change
happening, an unfurling of the

141
00:12:38,720 --> 00:12:42,470
season that's both dependable
and sudden.

142
00:12:43,880 --> 00:12:48,610
We finish our visit satisfied
that we've caught up with each

143
00:12:48,620 --> 00:12:53,610
other for now.
Outside, the air is cool enough

144
00:12:53,690 --> 00:12:58,040
for a jacket, but I tuck mine
into the passenger seat.

145
00:12:59,680 --> 00:13:04,680
Her golden retriever is waiting
by the back steps, tails

146
00:13:04,690 --> 00:13:10,130
sweeping the pine needles aside,
the old tennis ball already in

147
00:13:10,140 --> 00:13:15,010
her mouth.
She drops it at my feet, always

148
00:13:15,020 --> 00:13:20,780
ready for more.
I toss it once, twice, a third

149
00:13:20,790 --> 00:13:27,110
time, farther into the trees.
When she comes back, her fur is

150
00:13:27,120 --> 00:13:31,030
damp and her breath fogs in
small bursts.

151
00:13:32,660 --> 00:13:37,910
She hangs on to it now, seeming
aware that it's time for me to

152
00:13:37,920 --> 00:13:41,510
go.
Mom will have to take over the

153
00:13:41,520 --> 00:13:46,160
throwing part.
She followed me from room to

154
00:13:46,170 --> 00:13:51,470
room the whole time I stayed.
She would stretch out by the

155
00:13:51,480 --> 00:13:57,210
bed, then some time in the
night, climb up and curl herself

156
00:13:57,220 --> 00:14:02,370
into the crook of my knees
before going back to her mum's

157
00:14:02,380 --> 00:14:06,920
room.
It was comforting, the weight

158
00:14:06,930 --> 00:14:11,810
and size of her there in the
dark, the steady rhythm of her

159
00:14:11,820 --> 00:14:15,340
breathing in the quiet of
someone else's home.

160
00:14:16,800 --> 00:14:21,970
The three of us exchange hugs
and kisses, and my friend loads

161
00:14:21,980 --> 00:14:26,890
my bag into the car.
The dog stands at the edge of

162
00:14:26,900 --> 00:14:31,620
the driveway, watching with the
ball still in her mouth.

163
00:14:32,760 --> 00:14:38,910
I wave in gratitude until I turn
on to the narrow Rd. that leads

164
00:14:38,920 --> 00:14:43,950
away from the house.
The tires crunch on the gravel

165
00:14:43,960 --> 00:14:47,840
lane before rolling on to the
smooth pavement.

166
00:14:49,520 --> 00:14:54,030
I think about how quickly things
transform in October.

167
00:14:54,400 --> 00:14:59,570
The temperature, the colours,
even the way the light settles.

168
00:15:01,560 --> 00:15:07,310
The drive home is 3 hours if I
don't stop, but I almost always

169
00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:10,760
do.
The roads wind through small

170
00:15:10,770 --> 00:15:16,800
towns and then narrow into long
stretches where the forest leans

171
00:15:16,810 --> 00:15:23,630
in closer on both sides.
The highway climbs gently into

172
00:15:23,640 --> 00:15:28,810
the hills where the air thins
and the colours of the foliage

173
00:15:28,820 --> 00:15:32,060
are further along in the higher
elevation.

174
00:15:33,910 --> 00:15:37,460
For the first while, I keep my
windows down.

175
00:15:38,150 --> 00:15:43,840
The cool air slips around me,
carrying a sweet dampness that

176
00:15:43,850 --> 00:15:47,250
would have been frost at first
light this morning.

177
00:15:48,480 --> 00:15:53,400
The stereo hums old tunes from
my autumn playlist.

178
00:15:54,910 --> 00:16:01,920
About an hour in, I reached the
Road of Maples, a long corridor

179
00:16:01,930 --> 00:16:06,290
of colour that feels like
entering a fantasy land.

180
00:16:07,310 --> 00:16:12,700
They rise close to the road,
their branches arching overhead

181
00:16:12,770 --> 00:16:16,510
so the light filters through the
beautiful colours.

182
00:16:18,050 --> 00:16:22,570
It's like driving through a
tunnel of stained glass windows.

183
00:16:23,360 --> 00:16:28,350
The pavement darkens with
shadow, and I slowed down on

184
00:16:28,360 --> 00:16:32,270
purpose.
Every turn reveals something

185
00:16:32,280 --> 00:16:36,190
new.
A slope of burnt orange, a

186
00:16:36,200 --> 00:16:40,450
sudden valley of yellow leaves
fluttering in the wind.

187
00:16:41,040 --> 00:16:45,510
Here and there, a single tree
already bare before its

188
00:16:45,520 --> 00:16:50,040
neighbors.
I've called it the Road of

189
00:16:50,050 --> 00:16:55,580
Maples for years, ever since I
first discovered this stretch

190
00:16:55,590 --> 00:16:57,960
while driving to my friend's
place.

191
00:16:59,320 --> 00:17:04,430
Every year I look forward to
this magical passageway where

192
00:17:04,440 --> 00:17:07,270
the season arrives in full
colour.

193
00:17:08,760 --> 00:17:14,369
The leaves scatter under my
tires as I drive, brushing up in

194
00:17:14,380 --> 00:17:20,700
small waves behind the car.
I watched them lift and swirl,

195
00:17:20,990 --> 00:17:26,300
caught briefly in the air before
settling again along the edges

196
00:17:26,310 --> 00:17:32,100
of the pavement.
I keep the speed slow, letting

197
00:17:32,110 --> 00:17:37,220
the road and the surrounding
colours unfold as I round every

198
00:17:37,230 --> 00:17:42,240
curve.
It's rare to come across another

199
00:17:42,250 --> 00:17:47,060
vehicle through this pass as
though I've bought a ticket to a

200
00:17:47,070 --> 00:17:53,310
private showing at a gallery.
I do hope others will have their

201
00:17:53,320 --> 00:17:56,430
turn to enjoy it after I've come
through.

202
00:17:57,660 --> 00:18:02,890
The branches begin to pull back,
to reveal glimpses of the hills

203
00:18:02,900 --> 00:18:07,160
beyond, gently touched by
October light.

204
00:18:08,810 --> 00:18:14,360
I travel on, lost in the
colours, the shadows, the quiet

205
00:18:14,370 --> 00:18:17,600
sweep of leaves lifting in my
wake.

206
00:18:19,180 --> 00:18:24,710
When the maples finally thin, I
pass other familiar landmarks.

207
00:18:25,180 --> 00:18:30,750
The weathered barns, the lakes
large and small that appear

208
00:18:30,760 --> 00:18:36,230
suddenly on either side, some
holding scattered leaves on

209
00:18:36,240 --> 00:18:41,430
their surface.
A cluster of houses appears

210
00:18:41,440 --> 00:18:46,930
after these, smoke curling from
a chimney that hadn't been doing

211
00:18:46,940 --> 00:18:50,940
so when I drove by only two days
prior.

212
00:18:52,310 --> 00:18:56,360
Maybe I'll light the wood stove
in my living room tonight.

213
00:18:58,110 --> 00:19:03,330
I stop at the lookout just
before the last bend into the

214
00:19:03,340 --> 00:19:07,010
valley.
From here, the village sits

215
00:19:07,020 --> 00:19:11,930
tucked in rooftops, just visible
between the trees.

216
00:19:13,470 --> 00:19:18,940
The air moves gently across the
Ridge, carrying the dry flutter

217
00:19:18,990 --> 00:19:23,880
of leaves.
I lean against the hood, warm

218
00:19:23,890 --> 00:19:29,080
from the drive, and watch as a
few birds scatter from the trees

219
00:19:29,270 --> 00:19:34,700
and disappear down the slope on
the road again.

220
00:19:34,890 --> 00:19:40,120
The descent towards the village
begins and I notice how quickly

221
00:19:40,130 --> 00:19:45,990
the shift has happened.
Only two nights away and

222
00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:48,920
everything seems deeper in
colour.

223
00:19:50,360 --> 00:19:55,320
More chimneys show that cozy
fires have been lit within.

224
00:19:56,850 --> 00:20:01,920
I think of my friend's dog,
probably asleep now by her own

225
00:20:01,930 --> 00:20:06,320
fireplace, her fur even redder
than before.

226
00:20:07,740 --> 00:20:10,760
I look forward to seeing her
next time.

227
00:20:11,990 --> 00:20:17,560
There's comfort in knowing some
things always return, as sure as

228
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autumn finding its way back to
the village.

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I wish you sweet dreams.