Here is the Marktkirche by moonlight in downtown Wiesbaden.  Happy Halloween!

There are very few constants in this world where the things around us, including ourselves, are constantly changing.  Evidence of change surrounds me, as Autumn tells the leaves to show off their colors, then fall to the ground as they prepare for the next season.  My hair used to be this short and is now more like this (finally!).  Jason and I have already been married over three years.  Time moves quickly and while the change it brings is good at times, other times it is sad.   Jason’s grandfather, Frank Shafer, passed away Tuesday, the 27th.  Also within this past year, my great Aunt Sharon and my dear great Grandma Sarah went to be with the Lord.  While we rejoice that each of these family members is now in the presence of our Father, we are also sad that they are no longer with us.  If I may do so, I would like to post day thirty four’s photograph in memory of these loved ones.  This single leaf is so beautiful in shape, texture, and color, and because it will not stay this way for long, I shall cherish it as it is now, and look forward to what is to come.

It was very foggy out this morning.  I felt like I was riding my bike underwater.  When I finally arrived at work, I had a fine mist all over my face, which was interesting…  I think my bike riding days are coming to an end for the year.  Soon it will be too dark and cold for my morning and evening commutes.

Here is the Theodor-Heuss Brücke.  This arched bridge over the Rhine connects the cities of Wiesbaden and Mainz.  Traffic on the bridge is pretty congested in the mornings, which makes me glad to be riding a bike.

Thanks to the end of daylight savings time, the sun sets at 5 o’clock now.  Here in Germany, we changed our clocks back last weekend, and the effect is dramatic.  While it is a bit lighter in the mornings, I feel the need to whine and say that I preferred the lighting schedule before the change.  I don’t mind a late sunrise, as long as I get some light after work.  Oh well, enough complaining.  Looking at the bright side, I get to put our awesome Blackburn Flea bike lights to use for my ride home.  Safety first!

Jason’s and Tyler’s aunt, uncle, and cousins came to visit the weekend before Jason left.  Here are a few photos I took from that Saturday.  This first shot is of the whole Leavitt family as we were walking through the Schlosspark that morning–from left to right: Joseph, Aunt Leigh-Ann, Snickers, Uncle Laird, and Jillian.

We then headed to nearby Rüdesheim, a nice town on the Rhine with a picturesque downtown and rolling hills of vineyards.  Click HERE to see the photos I posted earlier this year when Jason, Tyler, and I rode our bikes from Wiesbaden to Rüdesheim.

And finally, here is a shot of the whole group–minus Joseph and Snickers (and me!).  Following our afternoon in Rüdesheim, we ate dinner at the delicious Eisgrub Brauhaus, or brewery, in Mainz.  The weekend went by quickly as it always does, but we had a great time together!

The residents of Wiesbaden love living by the Rhine, or Rhein, river.  A large portion of my bike ride to and from work is along the Rhein, and no matter what the weather is like, or how early it might be, I always pass by quite a few people walking, jogging, or biking by the river.  In this photo, the water is right beyond the trees, and the buildings you see are on the opposite shore, in Mainz.

We have some awesome German word magnets on our fridge that, unfortunately, do not get much attention.  Once in a while I will throw a sentence together, but usually they are left sitting in their random gatherings.  One word caught my attention today and I thought it was very fitting.  As you can see below the word is glücklich.  This word translates as, “fortunate, happy, or lucky.”  I consider myself all of the aforementioned, especially during these last few weeks I have left in Germany.