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Fall is one of my favorite times of year. The clear air, the changing light, the breeze, the foliage, people feeling energized…
Early October
On Monday, October 3rd, I took a bus to Hampshire College and back. There are many wooded areas, low mountains, and rolling hills to see along the way.
En route in mid-afternoon, the trees were back-lit by the sun. Right now, the leaves are mostly green, but the light brought out the variations in color.
Just before we arrived at Hampshire, I spotted an enormous cloud that looked like a tree!
The walkways have benches along them every so often. I chose one to occupy for 20 minutes, enjoy my surroundings, and read the paper.
Chorus rehearsal ended a few minutes before 6:00. The walk to the bus stop, a few minutes away, was gorgeous in the late-afternoon light.
A chipmunk raced across the walkway in front of me. He was playing in the leaves, so I stopped to watch for a minute or two. He scooted around so quickly, I wondered whether he ever stayed still.
Trees that still stood in the sunlight were backlit, with light playing off their trunks. The light made interesting patterns on the floor of the woods.
Students were outdoors, enjoying the experience while they could. Places to sit included benches, a platform, low walls, a picnic table, and the walkways themselves. Three pup tents had been set up on the lawn.
Watching the chipmunk meant that I missed a bus. So I found a bench and enjoyed my surroundings during the ½ hour wait for the next.
The mountains in the distance looked gorgeous in the sun. One of my favorite trees, a giant elm, was in shadow already. Two other trees just across the main entrance road were sunlit for several minutes, their trunks stately and strong, demanding attention at the edge of a field.
The colors most visible from my spot on the bench were the green of the expansive lawn, the reddish hues of the fields beyond, and the dark blue of the mountains in the distance.
And then the light disappeared. I felt disappointed, and then happened to look up. The sky was a light blue with white clouds, with a lighter blue appearing in the clouds’ gaps.
During the ride back to town, the light was elusive and had to be sought out. Soon that ride will be in darkness.
One week later
A few more leaves have changed, but not that many. There is more yellow than red. When twice as many yellow leaves appear among the green, they will look like lemons from a block away.
The sun is bright and people are out. Some are enjoying lunch outdoors. There are tourists wandering around. Two female college students walked through town together. Both were dressed in shorts and tank tops. One wore ankle boots with sherpa lining, the other wore flip flops. That tells you how crazy it is. When the days are so warm, it seems strange that the leaves are changing.
Just 2 days later
Some of the trees in back of my building are about 30% yellow. It was breezy today. I stood at the back door while having lunch. Leaves were falling every which way: some fell straight down; others blew diagonally to the left; still others caught the breeze about 8 feet above the ground, made an upward arc, then wafted down; and some of the smaller ones turned somersaults in the air.
Later this afternoon, I went to Hampshire College again. The trees on campus are incredibly colorful! Students say it happened all at once.
The road along the way is colorful in places, but completely green in others.
And in my neighborhood, the leaves have hardly changed at all.
One unusual tree at Hampshire is red and green. Nearly every leaf is 1/2 and 1/2. Gazing at it made me think of wrapping paper!
More foliage on the way!
When a tree has turned completely gold or red, the light changes color when you pass or walk beneath it. Since that is one of my favorite experiences in the Fall, I am waiting rather impatiently for total color immersion.
Once or twice around 4:00, when it’s not raining, I’ll take the bus to Mt. Holyoke College and back. The trees on the wooded, hilly route will be backlit. It is impossible to take one’s eyes off them.