If you live in an area of the Northern Hemisphere that has four seasons, fall is fast coming. The turning of the leaves brings on the fall harvest, and is a great time to put away delicious food for the winter.

The little squirrel that lives in my backyard is also busy putting away his winter meals. I have named the squirrel Nick. He lives somewhere in the yard to the north of me. His main daily activity now is running across the telephone wire that goes across my backyard, and then he climbs the tall pine tree to gather his pinecones.

I have said that if I ran as much as he does going back and forth to gather his winter meals, I would be thin.

A few nights ago I decided to go on a bike ride along Wasatch Boulevard that overlooks the Salt Lake Valley on the west and has mountains that go from 5,000 feet on the east to 11,000 feet. It was the most beautiful evening. Nature was at its peak.

As I looked to the west, I could see the orange sky hovering over the Great Salt Lake. To the east I could see the mountains dotted with every color of fall leaves. It was breathtaking.

I came upon a hill that was too steep for me to ride up, so I got off my bike and began to walk up past a vacant lot. All of a sudden I noticed a deer in the clearing, only about thirty feet from me. I stood perfectly still. I love seeing wildlife in my neighborhood.

There was road noise to the west. The deer would go about eating the grass, but if I lifted my foot to take a step the deer would immediately lift her head to check me out. Then I would be dead still for a couple more minutes and she would go back to eating.

It was amazing that every time I lifted my foot, she could detect that and lifted her head. How could she hear me lift my foot over all the noise that came from the road? I slowly and quietly walked pass her as she watched every step I took, ready to react if she sensed danger. I look back with amazement at such a beautiful animal.