Saturday, October 9, 2010

Red is the color of the day....






There's a fairly well-known maple tree by the Thompson Valley Ranch, about a half mile from Highway 70, that is [in local jargon] about 20%. That is, 20% turned the color it will be when it "peaks." That is, when it is at its brightest and reddest before the leaves fall a rejoin the soil. Currently, its leaves aare mostly green which is also a pretty color, lest we forget. Today I zoomed in on the reddest leaves I could find, and I think the prettiest of all was the one on the ground. Down the road another 1/2 mile or so was a small oak that I first photographed a couple of summers ago. If its present pattern continues, it will be one of reddest and brightest trees around in the fall. As a preview of spectacular shows to come, I include here photos of two leaves. Even the small diseased spots on one of the leaves look pretty in this context. Last, a backlit shot of California Dogwood which is turning very bright in in canyon of Big Thompson Creek on the way up Claremont Mountain. So, if you're watching the numbers, figure on the 100% mark happening Saturday, October 23, maybe around 9:38 a.m., PST.

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