Fall colors

It seems most of my posts latetly have been pretty depressing to read. While I don't want to depress people, just remember, if it's depressing to read, try living it! That said, on to some of life's pleasures. =)

One of my favorite things about living in northeast Ohio is the colors that come out in Fall, especially at my house. I wish all the trees changed and peaked in color at the same time, but they don't. At least they're pretty close. I've always enjoyed how our yard looks in the Fall, the back yard more than the front. The two main trees in our front yard are pin oaks, so their leaves turn brown. One of them keeps those brown leaves until Spring. The only tree with in any color in the front yard is our smaller dogwood at the very front (which also has pretty amazing blooms in the late Spring), a tree I planted around 10 years ago. The back yard has a lot more trees and a lot more color. By the time it peaks, it looks like a blazing yellow fire behind the house since the trees are so tall and all turn yellow. Some of our neighbors' trees get great shades of yellow and orange making for quite a scene. The tree right behind our house, one I planted back in 1993 when it was just a foot tall, gets pretty colorful. The only problem is that it is one of the first to change and lose its leaves, so I got some pictures of it the other day before all the leaves fell off. As I've been driving to Southeast Middle School I've been treated to some pretty spectacular colors along all the roads I take, I-76 in particular. All sorts of reds, yellows, and oranges along the roads; just incredible! I may try to get some pictures, but I've found taking pictures while driving is not only not very smart, but the pictures are blurry or the dirty windshield gets in the way. As I was coming home from school I saw a tree that was the most brilliant shade of orange along Tallmade Road just east of Southeast Middle School. I hope it's still there when I go back on Tuesday. It was stunning!

The Fall colors were definitely something I missed while I was on my mission in Arizona and New Mexico as well as going to school in Idaho. While Idaho had more color in the Fall than Arizona or New Mexico, it wasn't much compared to what we get here in Ohio, so it was nice to enjoy a Fall again last year here for the first time since 2001. Arizona and New Mexico's problem was simply not having hardly any trees and the trees they did have were mostly evergreens. Idaho had a similar problem, though it was mostly lack of trees period as was the case in Utah. Idaho and Utah had more deciduous trees than Arizona and New Mexico, though. The only Fall colors I saw on my mission were a select few aspen trees (which turn yellow) in Ruidoso, New Mexico for Fall 2003. I don't remember seeing much of any color in Sierra Vista, which is where I was in Fall 2002.

I just want to point out I wrote this blog while waiting for my car at Montrose Chevrolet in Kent. What a fun day this has turned into! Who would've thought a simple little belt breaking in the car could cause so many vital systems to not work??

Notes on pictures: 1. View up the tree right behind our house before it lost its leaves a few days ago; 2. That same tree with the back of the house and other trees visible behind it; 3. Looking towards the back yard from the front porch; 4. A view down our street...the big color change will happen in a few weeks, but some color is already there.