MORNING COLOR
Today was magnificent! Brilliant light, clear blue sky. And autumn's bold colors coming on strong. Not warm, however, in spite of how pretty as it looked—thanks to a stiff wind. The thermometer stood at 37˚F when I got up and breakfasted. Nor had it yet reached the 50˚ mark when I'd finished with a morning doctor's appointment and decided to take a roundabout drive home.
Our color peak hereabouts is normally about the 21-23 of the months. I'd say this year it might happen as much as a week earlier…providing there are any leaves still clinging to the trees by the time we get there. Today's fierce winds tore leaves by the uncountable thousands off with every strong gust. A lot of trees are already bare.
There's still lots of color, though; nature deals in excess when it comes to autumn's lovely leaves—especially golds and yellows and rusty-bronzes. Plus vast fields of goldenrods and roadside clumps of various asters. Red and yellow, purple and gold…and a crystalline blue canopy spread from horizon to horizon overhead.
14 comments:
I've noticed that here in Chicago, the trees are so stressed as to look dead. I think that at least here, we won't have much to look at for long as all the leaves will be gone because they are brown already. Sad.
Robin…
That's pretty much the same story here—trees really stressed, lots of them with brown, withered leaves, many with all their leaves already off, and few exhibiting the usual color. Reds are really hard to come by. My favorite sumac patch is just a rather dull, muddy crimson—not at all colorful. Too, something else I've noticed is that several maples which, over the years, have been exceptionally showy, producing brilliant, intense color, not only came up noticeably dull this time around, but their color only lasted a very few days; last week just beginning to turn, this morning their leaves all on the ground. I 've never seen that before. The long, hot, dry summer is, I expect, to blame. Many pines are already dead, and I fear the toll will turn out higher than expected when things start to leaf out—or not—next spring.
We had some late summer rains, and are hoping for some spectacular color here in a few weeks. Thanks for sharing the beauty in your neck of the woods. :c)
Jayne…
Here, September was fairly back to normal, weatherwise—as is, it appears, October. But for so many plants, including trees, it was probably too little too late, at least so far as fall color is concerned. We still have lots of green, plus lots of trees which have already lost their leaves, alongside little pockets of those now turing, with a very few in their usual bright dress and the others far more muted and subdued. Autumn is really all over the spectrum.
Great images, Grizz. Things are out of sync between your natural world and mine. Our goldenrod and asters are "done" for the year--brown and dun--but the trees have barely a hint of color. Plus, we've had clouds, fog, drizzle, and mist since Sunday--no great blue skies--though the weather's supposed to start to improve today (Wednesday).
HI GRIZZ - beautiful capture of Autumn's splendor - and your words of delight and intimacy with the season in full view is a true love story.
Love Gail'
peace...
Scott…
Yeah, I guess there's sufficient distance between us that we're experiencing different wether patterns. It's another brilliant, blue-sky day here—though just on noon and yet only 49˚F! And the same weather is supposed to hang around until at least Saturday. But there are plenty of goldenrods still in bright yellow bloom, and others looking decidedly past their peak. Lots of various asters, too—calico, old field, arrow-leaved, crooked-stem, heart-leaved, and of course New England, to name a few that I saw yesterday. Other blooming stuff, too. But the autumn leaves are all over the scale, from still-green to on-the-ground. And what is colored up is in muted hues; dazzling reds are hard to find. Even poison ivy, Virginia creeper, and sumac are either darkened or done. A strange year…
Gail…
I do love fall—weather and color. But it may be a brief fling this time around, as least color-wise. I'm just not sure whether another week is going to make it better or worse. Take care.
I was up travelling the northern channel-greatest colours I have seen in my lifetime-deepest burgandy,scarlet reds, flaming oranges and brilliant yellows-a riot of colour so awesome I forgot to take out my camera.I was awestruck for days.We are lucky up here.
AfromTO…
Oh, wow. That must have really been spectacular color. One of those really special years seen in the perfect place. You are lucky, indeed. And you also have me curious…where, exactly, were you at along the northern channel?
BTW, the color here is a bit improved, though almost all yellows/golds; few reds. Plus we've had a lot of strong winds and so a lot of leaves are already down, leaving the landscape rather ragged.
Gee I email you an answer and no response.
AfromTO...
I promise you, it never arrived. If it had, I would have said something. I've wondered what happened; you're usually not shyly silent. :-)
resent to both emails
AfromTO…
Got it. And replied. Is it safe to come out now?
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