There is a timeless quality to the rural New England landscape. One sees the same visual elements again and again - a narrow winding road, a rickety mailbox, a weathered barn. They are clichés from almost every country road and small town we've driven through and yet they're some of the things I love most. They speak of a simpler time, which we long for in some way. Here, there is beauty of things both man-made and natural - architecture, charming in its simplicity and proportions and a variety of landscapes I never tire of. A stroll in the countryside with its vivid colors of autumn offers a moment away from our busy lives, renews the spirit, and makes me feel grateful and lucky to be alive.