The backside of Fall

The leaves have been prettier this year than I originally thought. The drought we had this summer made the colors less vibrant, though they are nice. Now everything is fading to brown. The leaves are falling fast from the Winged Elms. The few White Oaks are a deep red. The Sweet Gums, those that have leaves left have a slate of color from bright yellow to deep purple, often on ONE tree. The Red Maples that have leaves have turned a deep red. The Sugar Maples that have leaves in the Mechanics Creek basin are bright yellow. The Willow Oaks are mostly either green or brown with most of them about 75% bare. The one in my front yard steadfastly and stubbornly holds on to Summer colors as long as possible, but the leaves are going from the top 1/4 now. The rest of the tree remains stubbornly brown, but time and colder temperatures will take its toll, and the tree will generally then release the remaining leaves in a snow of swirling brown leaves.


Powell