I had given up on it for the year after our trip north ten days ago revealed denuded trees and not much excitement. The drought has done it in, only isolated trees, Jasper, nothing to see here, move along. Yet we did keep seeing good trees, sometimes in clusters. Including, um, our own yard. I took my old route home from work this afternoon, and a lot of foliage looked great, whole long sections of it. Bsking's childhood home has a magnificent maple that this year looks...magnificent. Does it vary by species, or by micro-environment differences? The Red Maples near our house look fine, the Norway Maples have barely even started to change. When I see a bare maple, maybe I should pull over and check the fallen leaves to see what kind it is. There is occasionally a maple of particular intensity, scarlet with just a hint of yellow that gives almost a glowing, hot pink effect under certain conditions. I saw two of those today, in a year where they're supposed to be dull and disappointing.
Overall, still not a good year. But those who made reservations a year ago for Columbus Day weekend's foliage shouldn't be too disappointed if they are in Southern NH. There's no rule that says you have to get your hotel in exactly the right peak spot. You'll be driving around anyway.
In Door County the leaves seemed to be in 2 states: green, and blown off the trees already.
ReplyDeleteWe're probably about 25% color here in Louisville. I'd expected things to be dull due to dry weather lately but the colors are popping nicely. Not as many reds and golds as up north because the softer woods predominant around here. We get more yellows and brown, with some real deep red trees like one that turns quite early up the street from outer place. A strong cold ftont coming through tonight so we might lose some but there are still plenty of green leaves to turn. Next weekend should be a colorful one on the railroad.
ReplyDeleteWe're in live oak country, where most trees stay green all year, not much color change beyond the Chinese tallow trees. Our fall display tends to be a very subtle mix of grass colors ranging from gray to bluish green to purple. I'm fond of it.
ReplyDeleteWe spent the long weekend in Brattleboro, with side trips to Walpole/Drewsville/Keene, Stuart and John's Sugarhouse, and Mount Snow. All made me nostalgic for Northern New England in the fall. I found the leaves to be stunning, although since moving into an urban area it doesn't take much for me to appreciate nature in any form. I was surprised how much I was able to remember of the area from visiting my dad the short amount of time he lived in that area. I don't think I was much more than 6-7 years old. As an adult who is now roughly the same age he was then, I can see the attraction of living there, but more so wonder how in the world he planned to make it work.
ReplyDeleteYou have the spatial memory that Tracy has, and Jonathan, and now Emily. I don't much have it at all. I don't know about Ben, I'll have to ask. I recall early in your hiking career you could remember specific spots in the trail after we had climbed them, and when I told you about climbing Osceola, you asked about specific parts years later. It seems likely that it comes from Stuart - though Ann was the one who could spot a 4-leaf clover at a single scan of an area. Not quite the same thing, but related. BTW, Kyle has that 4-leaf clover ability as well. Clearly hard-wired stuff.
ReplyDeleteAs to what your father planned to do to make it work, you might meditate on the various meanings of the word "planned."
Brattleboro has restaurants with remarkable views of the river.