A long time ago I got used to commercial entities launching the Christmas (buying) season earlier and earlier and I try to ignore it. Now it's happening with the Fall Colors season. You don't think it's commercial? Guess again. Here's a summary of the ads: "Come to our region to see the fall colors; it's better than the other regions; stay a few days; spend some money; the Quaking Aspens are at 85% in such and such a canyon, and the Black Oaks are at 65%!"
So, here's my version: "Get out of your car and walk; enjoy a close-up view of an individual leaf or bug; maybe take a few drives that interest you, but don't become a traffic hazard on a highway used by logging trucks; better yet, learn to appreciate the details of nature's seasons in your back yard and neighborhood; walk with your kids and explain why leaves change color."
Rant accomplished. Now, here's what's going on in my yard and neighborhood. I live on the edge of Boyle Ravine, and up there the Dogwoods are mostly still green. But when there's diminishing sunlight and/or less moisture and colder nights, a few leaves at a time quit producing chlorophyll and the bright red anthocyanins that have been hiding there all summer long are finally revealed. When there's just one or two leaves turned bright red they really jump out at you against the surrounding green. These two photos are of Dogwood bushes within 100 yards of the water tanks in Boyle Ravine.
It's not Fall yet, but with only a week to go, I think this little Brown-eyed Susan in my front lawn (what
was a lawn!) will stay bloomed until Saturday and become an official representative of Fall Colors. I include my pen here for scale. I'd like to claim it was my successful bonsai project, but I'd be lying. It's one of nature's nice surprises.
Near the trout ponds at the Feather River College hatchery the sprinklers are keeping a large patch of poppies and Rose Campion in full bloom a bit later than their cousins on the roadsides. Looks like mid-summer if you block out your peripheral vision. Great bug activity around here, too.
I reported my first sighting of the Oak Treehoppers nearly a month ago. The ones on the oaks in my driveway are slowly but steadily getting bigger and more colorful. Here are three nymphs, each about 1/5 of an inch long.
Here's a mama and a couple of her babies. She'll stand guard until the bitter end - when cold weather ends her season and her eggs are safely implanted for next year's crop.
Like the dogwoods, the Cascara Buckthorn is still mostly green, but in a few places they're turning bright red a few leaves at a time. This beautiful patch is on the hillside below my back deck. Even though it's not quite fall, this one is sporting "Christmas colors" so it's a candidate for this year's Christmas card.
My son spotted this tremendous Longhorn Beetle in a dark corner of our front porch. It blended well with the firewood and dark shadows so I slid a piece of paper beneath it for contrast. Imagine trying to fly with those long "horns." I tried to urge it to fly without luck, but it made a dramatic photo. Click on it to see more detail. There are harmless, even though I've noticed they scare people. They can deliver pretty good bite, but they won't pursue you for that purpose. They just don't want to be trapped in your hand. My kids and I let them crawl over our hands and we've never been bitten. Those jaws do keep you alert though.
So, what is this photo doing in a group about Fall Colors? Scientifically, white is the combination of all colors; the entire spectrum of sunlight is reflected back to our eyes. Black is what you get when all colors are absorbed. The beetle could get a lot warmer than we could while standing naked in the sun. But, when we think of colors the way we did when presented our first box of Crayolas (r) then black and white are colors, and here they are! Here's a teaser: Did you know that polar bear hair is not white?
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