Already we are into the fall of our year 2010. I don’t know how the trees that are turning golden and red, or the ones already dropping their leaves know this since we haven’t really had much summer around here, but they do, and aren’t we glad?

All those colors make me remember we humans should also follow this plan and go out in a blaze of glory.

Fall makes me nostalgic. Not as much as the Christmas holidays, but still I start thinking about past days, past people in my life — the what-ever-happened-to sort of thing and past adventures.

I once met a much older man — I was probably 13 and he was really old-around 40 — that taught me how to do jumps on my ice skates. Not just hops, but how to jump barrels with outstretched legs and arms swinging to get more forward motion.

I wonder what ever happened to him.

And I’ve been remembering one of my old dance partners. In another life I did exhibition ballroom dancing and my partner Bill and I won several prizes. I know he went to New York to make-it-big and I heard he was choreographing for small theatres in the Catskills. Wonder what he’s doing now.

Another adventurous time in my life was skiing. I didn’t start this sport until I was in my 20s, but I loved it. I took lesson from two German guys (with heavy accents) and had many wonderful trips down the mountain sides of Eastern Washington and Oregon and Montana. Lother was the better skier and Hans was a better dancer but both were very patient ski teachers.

Life has its way of moving on from one adventure to another. I’ve had the grand adventure of raising children, moving far away from family and friends, and then moving back to the Northwest, of living alone and with roommates, and living in a happy marriage.

I’ve seen many happy times and some not so happy, and lived through some terrible times but I’m still here, healthy and living this adventure of my new knees (replaced in January), and maybe moving to a new home.

I guess life is really just that: Adventures. New starts, new endings and then again another happy start-up, at least it is for me.

I hope you are having a happy fall season too.

Columnist Donna Lee Anderson can be reached by email at welltoldtales@aol.com.