Fall Musings

George’s “Golden Cottonwood”

Here in the Midwest we are at the height of fall color. As a native Californian, the vibrancy of this season is still astonishing to me. The fall color palate in California is much more subtle! Above and below are a couple of George’s fall images taken in the Owen’s Valley.

George’s “Owen’s Valley Fall Color”

So here’s something interesting I learned working at the Morton Arboretum: The color of leaves in the fall - all those yellows, oranges, reds, bronzes - are their true colors! The green color is just the chlorophyll in the leaves, helping with photosynthesis. In the fall plants get a signal from the sun to turn off photosynthesis and the chlorophyll goes away, giving the leaves their true identity!

This “show” of color has a short “run” and can end abruptly with a hard rain or strong wind.

As we take in the brilliant color we are aware of steeling ourselves for the muted color pallet of winter. This year feels much heavier as we say goodbye to the outdoor “safe” gatherings we enjoyed all summer and fall. Are we looking at 4 or 5 months of not being able to see family and friends? I’m planning on getting out George’s two “mummy” sleeping bags from the attic to be able to visit with friends outdoors through the winter! Fire up those outdoor fire pits!