Not really. The leaves are a beautiful melange of hues of reds, greens, oranges, golds...and the sky is blue, feathered by a few wispy white clouds.

The car radio plays tunes from the Mamas and the Papas and Simon and Garfunkel. The CD player is busted- so much for the 10 disc CD player! It doesn't work! In the passenger seat sits the driver's faithful companion, still a bit groggy after his minor operation. He tries to stick his head out the window to bite the air, but realizes he's too weak and reluctantly flops back onto the seat. There's a look of sadness in his eyes. Or is it just the anesthetics?

She reaches over, puts one hand on her pup. "Life is sweet", she thinks, as they zoom across the winding country roads. Gorgeous Fall colors, wide open fields, cattle grazing, and the occasional deer crossing the highways are all part of every day life on the island. There are sandhill cranes in one of the fields they pass, and the Canada Geese are flying above them. How picturesque. It feels like time stands still on the island. "It looks very much like a scene or a painting from Provence. Very old, very French, very rustic", a tourist from France once said. Hmm...it looks like perfection. It's so natural, so clean, so fresh, so quiet, so simple.

Of course, nothing's ever that simple.

The dog sighs. His face is tender and red where the vet shaved him. His left eye is barely visible from the swelling. Will he learn that porcupines are not his friends? The car pulls into the long driveway. Home sweet home.