Autumn leaves turning colors are like fall fireworks. (Provided photo — Diane Chase)
I like to think of the leaves changing color as nature’s fireworks. The season starts slowly with small pops of color. The mountainscape and roadsides transition from vibrant green to bursts of yellows, oranges and reds.
One tree always decides to kick off an early show, but otherwise, the trees are in rhythm, slowly moving toward a grand finale. Now the show is unwinding with a few stragglers seeking end-of-season attention, before tucking away for the season. The leaves swirl to the ground, letting us know the show is over.
It’s a beautiful and sad time of year. I love the change of seasons. I look forward to winter during autumn, but I also grieve when the change is complete. We spend the summer with the best intentions but can’t spend every sunny day fixing an old house. That makes autumn our time to take inventory and a last-ditch attempt to cross some items off the to-do list. Between work, errands, life, and taking care of people (I know, it’s life) we frantically try to complete all half-started projects before winter.
In an article, Central New York Fall Colors, Dr. Donald Leopold of SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry touches on how and why certain deciduous trees, shrubs and vines make the change in season. Though the article focuses on Central New York, he gives a nod to the autumn brilliance of the Adirondacks. Birches, quaking aspen, and American beech are a few examples of the golden-yellow leaves dominating our area. Maple trees are flashy with their bright orange to brilliant red leaves. Dogwood and blueberry bushes bring a reddish-burgundy hue to the scene. Vines like Virginia creeper and poison ivy bring more scarlet to the landscape, while hobblebush has a deep purple hue. There are other examples, but I wanted to touch on a few I look for while relishing the last pop of color.
I realize it’s time to get those shovels out. I just need to find them. I usually want to hide them as far from sight as possible. As I said, with each season’s ending, I am ready for the next one. I hope you can enjoy the last of nature’s fireworks with the cool nights coming!
