Monday, October 8, 2007

Advancing

Little vignettes of fall are getting easier to spot and capture.














Each passing day brings more change. The Virginia Creeper, Parthenocissus quinquefolia is taking the lead with a majorly bold statement of red. Lines of molten fire can be seen streaking to the tops of many trees. In the Black Locust, Robinia pseudoacacia, in particular which is rather bare by now due to insects feeding on them all summer, the Virginia Creeper is revealing itself in an audacious manner.














Some individual trees are already quite breath taking in their cloak of autumn color on the drive down the mountain. I just have not stopped to take a picture. The mountains themselves have only begun to take on a speckled hue.














Kindly, just for my sake I tell myself, it has remained quite warm. Approaching 80 degrees all the way up on top here and only going down to the low 60's at night. I have now been outside in 62 degrees and been warm, almost hot! I am acclimating I think. I am appreciating this slow approach.















I have seen fall many times in my life. I have never witnessed the slow and steady advance over time.

6 comments:

Carol Michel said...

I love and prefer the slow approach of fall. (I like spring to make a "big bang" arrival.) The gradual coloring of the trees in the fall almost forces you to slow down to take it all in.

And it is good you are acclimating to the cooler temps because it is only going to get a LOT colder.

Christopher C. NC said...

This slow turning is quite something to watch. I'm impressed.

And would you like to rub the coming cold in a bit more Carol? With an ice cube perhaps? Just the thought sends a chill down my spine.

I need to see about the gorgeous handmade quilt that was made for me as a lovely parting gift from Maui. She promised to send it when it was done. I am gonna look so toasty warm in my gorgeous tropical, one of a kind, handmade by a fine artisan quilt. I'll have to dedicate a blog post about it to Carol.

chuck b. said...

There has been no mistaking the arrival in fall in California this year. In California, where the arrival of fall is inherently subjective and varies from person to person. I've felt it arrive. It's all in the change of the light.

Anonymous said...

Well, I'm jealous. I love fall too and I'm beginning to think that here in Alabama we will be skipping it and going straight into winter. I've not seen any color changes yet and folks say that we will have a frost and the leaves will just turn brown and fall. It seems like autumn in previous years have been shorter with the heat lingering way up into October. This year, in addition to the heat, there is the drought.

Cheryl said...

Further down here on the Gulf Coast, we get our best Fall colors in February. The red maples bloom, then leaf out with red leaves. Many of the oaks don't turn and drop leaves until the new spring leaves push them out.

Christopher C. NC said...

Cheryl, I remember how in Florida the little bit of color we got would be in the low wet spots where the hardwood trees like the maples, sweetgum and black gums grew. That was in December or January.

The Live Oaks stayed green all year and then dumped their leaves all at once in the spring with the new growth.