A preview of things to come?

Sunshine glints through frozen droplets
Dangling from the lichens in the tree
Autumn by the calendar is not yet at its end
A sneak-peek of weather soon to be

Autumn Begins Again

Autumn is Here

Early morning sun pokes through the trees, illuminating golden leaves against dark trunks.

Autumn

The color show deepens.

Ooooh! Ahhh!

Fall color show is in full swing.

Harvest Time

As the days grow shorter, the late harvest comes in providing, among the bounty, pumpkins. At this time, creatures set about their preparations for the coming winter, winds pick up and whistle through the trees taking with them colored leaves that settle to a crunchy carpet on the ground. Imagination runs a bit wild, hearing voices in the breeze, seeing shapes in the trees, and fearing what the blustery weather may bring.

And the Rain Gives Way to Sunshine

If only for a brief time, the rain has subsided, the clouds have moved off, and the sun shines down through a deep blue sky. Autumn has progressed to a point of deeper colors but the show is far from over. Many trees are just beginning to show signs of their color change and others have yet to start.

Textures and Colors

Deep blue sky highlights these sunlit leaves.

Awash in Color

Around every corner, behind every shrub, waits another feast for the eyes. Sunlight peeks through the trees and touches the leaves, announcing their presence in shades of red, orange, yellow, and green.

Early Autumn, Late Afternoon

As the day draws to a close and the sun angle approaches the horizon, a gentle light filters through the changing leaves, flooding some with light while others remain quietly in the shadows.

Scenes like these are repeated all around. Gentle breezes bend and creak the branches. Distant dogs bark and coyotes howl; crows and ravens call. Spider webs abound. Sunset passes and a full moon rises in the distance casting its eerie glow upon the scene.

It's not hard to imagine how earlier peoples living in environments like these conjured mythologies of spirits, ghosts, and demons. Today we are more enlightened and can see these scenes for their tranquil beauty without the need for such fanciful explanations. But somewhere deep down in our beings lives a memory of earlier times and we may be forgiven if occasionally we succumb, however briefly, to a sense of mysticism in the air.

Foggy Early-Autumn Morning

Autumn gently announces its presence this foggy morning, leaves tinged with color, a preview of things to come.

Autumn in the Air

Autumn is in the air. Overnight low temps dipped into the upper 40s; chilly but not yet cold enough to freeze water. The resulting dew on the leaves coupled with the low-angle sunlight streaming through the crystal clear morning sky provided the elements for this pretty picture. The warm sunshine on my face in the chill morning air awakens my mind as no cup of coffee ever could; the physical effort of the walk awakens my body to the coming day.

'Shrooms for the First Day of Autumn

Squirrel's eye view. Yes, it's that big.


The large one on top is about 8 or 9 inches across.

More Fall Colors

Day dawns foggy. Brightly colored trees stand in sharp contrast to the dreary morning.




Later in the morning, along the river, the fog lifts.



In the full sun of the afternoon, the intentsity of the colors is striking.

Fall Colors

Autumn puts on a spectacular show. As the temperatures drop, the leaves begin to change. The color and intensity varies from year to year but it's always beautiful. Ordinarily I don't post this many frames in a single posting but I just couldn't omit any of these.