Head out on Whaley Road a mile or so, and you'll see for yourself. This is where the new extension of U.S. 131 is being laid down, and from the top of the hill you can take it all in with a single glance. Everybody seems to be working at fever pitch down there, trying to accomplish as much as possible before winter sets in. The warnings are all around them.
Every hilltop is ablaze with orange maples, golden poplars, buttery ashtrees and scarlet oaks.
The lowlands are damp with a bluish mist that doesn't burn away until late morning. Fall is at its peak in these parts. Berry Lake is just around the corner from all this activity, and the sounds of human industry can be heard here, too. The whine of power saws and the steady knocking of hammers, mostly. Another new home going up over at the west end of the lake.