Autumn Leaves

The autumn leaves speak for themselves, but, knowing me, I'll probably have something to say for them later today. meanwhile, I'm off in search of a rumor of a very large toad. In the next post, you'll see that I didn't find the toad - yet. Anyway, a day late, here are a few comments about the above leaf photos.
Top photo is sycamore. There are several large ones adorning the constantly groomed lawn around our county courthouse. Our courthouse is a stately building of historic interest (aren't they all?), and the lawn is well-kept. However, I periodically grouse about the excessive use of leaf blowers (redundant?). I think it's on Monday mornings that four or five of them swarm over the lawn, blowing leaves into piles. They are then collected and trucked off somewhere. I'm opposed to this!
The Sycamore leaf, by the way, strikes me as a perfect example of a palmately lobed and palmately veined leaf, almost like a textbook diagram. They turn various shades of yellow or slightly orange in the fall. I've never seen any red on them. Collective effect of thousands on the lawn can be quite beautiful as is the sight of children jumping and rolling in big piles of them - if they get a chance.
The middle photo is of Mountain Ash leaves. The red one (Yes, one. It's a compound leaf.) has lost a couple of its leaflets. This one is classified as pinnately compound in that it resembles a feather. And, each leaflet is pinnately veined. The tree from which these fell is extraordinary. Maybe I'll photograph it tomorrow. First, in September, the berries turn bright red while the leaves are still a deep green. Very Christmasy! Then the leaves start turning and today a large part of the tree is covered with very bright orange leaves and a few yellow, while other large branches are covered with bright red like the one in the center of the photo. When they litter the lawn after falling in random patterns they are quite striking against the green grass. Yes, I think I'll go back today and do them justice (In front of the courthouse, get it?).
The bottom photo is of a couple of Sweetgum leaves. Like the Sycamore, they are palmately lobed and veined. They turn a variety of bright shades of red, orange and yellow, and their seed capsules are spiked balls that are quite interesting-looking in their own right. Other trees around the courthouse include some maples and California Incense Cedar. Within a block or so of the courthouse can also be found Giant Sequoia, Catalpa, California Black Oak, and Black Locust, among others. This neighborhood begs for a book, "The Trees of Downtown Quincy." Maybe I'll take that on. The only other place I've been with sidewalks and a great variety of trees that matches downtown Quincy is the Capital Mall in Sacramento. I haven't been there in years. I assume the trees are still there, but I don't really have the desire to check. This is home!