There was a void at Avalon the past six months and it surely resonated within me.  No echoes of laughter or thumping of running feet on the paths of the wildflower fields.  The notes I received from parents and children, the photographs from their adventures at home and the painted rocks they left for the garden, were like band aides, a temporary relief from the lonely ache.

But all of that changed today, they were back!  Those amazing wonderful children who gobbled up their well-deserved freedom to run and explore!  Wide open paths, sticks, crunchy leaves.  Fall offered the kids the opportunity to look closely at the seeds neatly packed within the spent flower buds. These seeds which will bring new life in the Spring. The hickory nuts have found their way to the ground for us to peel back and wonder how the squirrel opens it. An endless treasure box to dig into and they are experts at that.   Let the exploration begin!