I had WAY too much to do today to sneak away for what might be one last glimpse of fall, but I had too much to loose not to do it - family time, a crystal clear day, short pants weather - 71 degrees on November 20th and and a worry-free Thanksgiving, (we’re not hosting or traveling for the first time ever!).

We were headed to the Great Smoky Mountains to re-hike a trail I did on Saturday with the kids and saw the sign for the Dancing Bear Lodge. I serve on the Jeff Roth Cycling Foundation Board with the GM of the Dancing Bear and remembered he had extended an invitation to come see his mountain biking trails. So we took a u-turn and explored the trails - all seven of us - on foot.

It was after 5:00 when we arrived and the colors of the late afternoon sun illuminated the majestic mountains. The reds were redder, the yellow more yellow, and the orange just all orangy, (is that a word?).

Fall is lingering this year and the last few days have been some of the prettiest days of the season. I am thinking maybe ole’ Al Gore was right about global warming. Perhaps along with creating the internet, he invented global warming (the founder of The Weather Channel said last week that GW was a bunch of bunk). Perhaps Al set the weather patterns into motion. I think as I write, he’s filling up his SUV and letting ‘er run while he shops at a Walmart for items packaged with too much packaging, in a lot without a tree in sight. Maybe Al has his illegal alien landscaper blasting his Nashville and DC neighbors out of their easy chairs with a Black and Decker turbo leaf blower. Maybe Al and Tipper’s carbon footprint is the biggest one of all and it’s happening because he’s still fretting over a few missing Chads in Florida. Maybe he’s the one who let all those shopping bags loose in San Francisco that caused them to be outlawed. Perhaps he works at Walmart….hmmm…..maybe the new greeter at your local WALlet Mart is really Al Gore in disguise. I digress.

If days like today are the result, I say bring on global warming. Put Al Gore on the ticket in 2008. I like colors; I like them late; and I like enjoying them Thanksgiving week. I’m dancing inside and out. I am wondering if Al is too… Nobel Peace Prize and all.

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies, associations, and national conventions. He is the founder of the The Worlds Biggest Blog Party an event which will connect bloggers from all over the world to raise money for charity. He is also founder and president of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund. For more information on Tim, go to www.TimRichardson.com