Last weekend we ventured to north central Minnesota, an area filled with woods and lakes.  Although the anticipated fall colors were not at peak color yet, the area was beautiful in the cool of the early mornings and the sun dappled afternoons. Our trip was for R&R, and we spent the weekend exploring and wandering the landscape.  We hiked on both forest and park trails, smelling the change of the seasons and listening to the rustling of the leaves.  We journeyed down forest roads, stopping to admire lakes sparkling in the sunshine and listening for the birds – Canada geese, ducks, and loons.  We put our canoe in a small lake and marveled at the clarity of the water down to almost 10 feet.  Pulling out our fishing poles, we found the “sweet spot” on the lake and caught a couple of meals worth of sunfish.  Our home base was a cabin at a small family run resort with our own dock overlooking the lake.  The cabin was built in 1941 and had the charm and simplicity of only the necessities.  Surrounded by trees and providing a view of the lake, it was the perfect place for us to appreciate and marvel in the beauty of the area.