What is it?

              

I need some help folks.  I can't figure out what is happening here.  I didn't sleep in as late as yesterday but when I got up it was so different outside, unexplainable!  The sky was baby blue, the clouds were white and fluffy, some barely visible.  Then I looked to the right a bit and over the house across the street there was this golden, yellow, orange ball.  It was sending what looked like rays of light down to earth.  The trees in it's path looked like they were on fire.  The reddish golden leaves glistened as they swayed in the breeze.  These rays seemed to radiate some type of heat, warmth, a feeling I haven't had in what seemed like weeks.  What happened?  What is that ball? Can somebody help?