(DADF#AD)

For almost eight straight Octobers, I spent a weekend just outside of Fayetteville, Arkansas at a place called Mount Sequoyah. I was part of a group that planned a weekend retreat for single adults from a seven state region. Since we don't get much of a Fall in Dallas, it was always great to visit Northwest Arkansas, where the leaves turn truly amazing colors. The weekend was always the symbolic place and time when Fall began each year. Even if it was still 85 degrees at home I knew, when I saw those incredible leaves, that Fall had at least come somewhere, and would surely come soon back home.

The group that planned this retreat became my good friends. We only saw each other about twice a year --Sequoyah in October, and usually Dallas in February-- for only a matter of days each time. But when we did, we would always pick up right back where we'd been before. Those folks mean a lot me. Still do. Some of them are even gone now.

Last Fall, I finished my last tour as an official member of the planning group. Most of the group had departed by about 2 pm that Sunday afternoon, and I found myself virtually alone (except for my friend, Larry....) there at Sequoyah. I sat by myself, on the porch of Young Lodge, looking out over the valley, and these lyrics just came tumbling out. The first time I sang it to Larry, minutes after having written the lyrics, it was a sort of sad, slow song. But later that afternoon, as I drove back toward Dallas, with blazingly gorgeous Fall trees all around and Ellis Paul in the tape deck, the music that came to me was much more positve and upbeat. By that night, back in my study, I had the whole song.

This, then, is the newest song on the album, and a bit of a surprise. I had pretty much figured out which songs were going to make it on. But this one just sort of squeaked in at the last minute. To record it, we rolled in the real piano , and miked it up. I think it adds a lot.

Thanks again, to all those Sequoyah friends. And, one way or another, we'll see each other again soon....