Fascinated with fall

Autumn colors have been something of an obsession of mine since I was ten years old and my family moved from western New York State to California. It was a culture shock to my childish mentality in many ways. One of the many differences between the two states is California doesn’t have the uproarious autumn displays that characterizes land east of the Mississippi (not enough water). From then on I have loved autumn and everything associated with it, because it brings me back to a happy childhood before we moved.

Fall colors – especially compared to more eastern locations – are also few and far between in the Inland Northwest, where conifers dominate. Don’t get me wrong, coniferous trees are stately and beautiful, but come autumn they simply lack the giddy exuberance of deciduous trees.

So imagine our delight at moving to our new home and finding two oaks (and an ash) in the yard, along with an assortment of willows. Deciduous trees! Oh joy!

We enjoyed the beauty of these trees all spring and summer. And when fall came, we hoped for the best.

We weren’t disappointed.

It started subtly, of course. The first color appeared in early September.

Once the leaves started turning, I tracked the changes with keen interest.

I couldn’t keep away from the trees. At times I would just stand under them, looking up and marveling at their beauty.

By late September, the colors were deepening.

I mean, look at that!

Leaves on the ground were just as pretty.

So the weeks passed, and I thoroughly enjoyed our own personal little backyard fireworks of foliar exuberance.

By mid-October, things peaked.

Don’t these colors almost look photoshopped?

What is especially nice is one of the oaks is visible from the kitchen window. I can admire it while washing dishes.

The trees had moods, depending on the weather and time of day.

And then in late October, we had a windy day and that was that.

Well, almost.

Time to rake.

But even raking was a welcome novelty.

This morning we got our first frost.

It was also the last sunny day before a period of rain, so I took advantage of the sunshine to buckle down and get the whole yard raked.

I pitchforked the leaves into the gorilla cart…

…and rolled them to the side of the house where I’d already started a leaf pile.

I wanted to keep the leaves corralled until spring so I could use them as mulch for our forthcoming garden. Don suggested a six-foot diameter pen of field fence. I did a quick calculation (circumference = 2 x pi x radius) and came up with just under 19 feet of fencing needed.

Don helped measure it out and cut the wire where needed.

Crude cage.

We walked it over to the leaf pile and plopped it on top.

Then I worked the leaves until everything was contained.

Now the lawn looks better. I’m not quite done with raking since the willows are still shedding, but this is the bulk of it.

Those who live in more eastern climates may smile at my childish fascination with fall colors and deciduous leaves, but to me these trees are a source of never-ending wonder. And I’ll have mulch for the garden in the spring as well. Will wonders never cease.