It seems the internet and airwaves are awash with bad/crazy/scary news. I care about it all and am paying attention and cannot wait until next Tuesday, when I will be pressing my nose up against the window at my local polling place, eager to vote.
And yet . . . one needs a break. One needs a reminder that our world isn’t only bad/crazy/scary. You, my blog friends, offer many and excellent reminders of that. And I want to contribute my own, from my lovely part of the world.
Autumn has been awesome this year. It’s always my favorite time of year, here in upstate New York, in the Adirondack Mountains, near Lake Champlain. But this year the color of the trees, in addition to being bright, has persisted longer than usual or so it seems to me. A few trees fade and more have taken their place.
I can’t give you the freshening breeze that makes the leaves dance and sparkle. I can’t give you the tang of woodsmoke or the crunch of dry leaves beneath your feet. I can’t give you the snap of an Autumn Crisp apple or the sound of the snow geese as they make their raucous way south.
But I can give you the sights of autumn. Many, many sights of autumn. You can click on them as you choose . . . I just know I feel better having been out there, in our pretty world.
-
- Such gem-like kernels
-
- Tree in transition
-
- These vines turn red
-
- Cemeteries in autumn
-
- Maple gives us red
-
- Love these!
-
- Indian corn
-
- Even the government building looks good!
-
- An early bit of color against the green
-
- I love a good cemetery
-
- Don’t you?
-
- I call this “curb appeal” for that home!
-
- Those vines again!
-
- One bright red maple!
-
- Panorama with horses
-
- I take this photo every year
-
- My cute mom and cute pumpkins
-
- The mountains glow with color
-
- Historic building and great tree
-
- What would you call this color?
-
- Tree is partly dead, partly brilliantly alive
-
- And folks are still sailing
-
- Are you sick of photos yet?
-
- We found this flag on a deserted beach
-
- A bucolic North Country scene
-
- A highpoint of the season
-
- Jamaicans come every year, to pick
-
- Different stages of color
-
- With tree-size driftwood
Love Those "Hands at Home" 
That color is autumn flame, of course. And cemeteries are urban playgrounds, at least where I grew up.
Autumn flame! Of course! I do think city dwellers see cemeteries differently–green space!
Oh! The leaves, tress, vines and red barn! That is what I call Autumn. In my locale we from hot to all the sudden cold. Leaves just dry up curdled brown. Beautiful pics!
Thanks, Joanne! I would miss this color desperately if I moved away!
I love your descriptions of upstate New York as much as the photos, Kerry! Autumn back east is different from our autumn here; each has it own beauty.
My favourite time of year as well. Our leaves are pretty much finished here in Eastern Ontario. Beautiful photos!
Thanks! Our leaves are almost done, too–lots of bare branches but an occasional late “bloomer” that still has leaves and color!
Beautiful photos and words too 🙂
Thanks, Margaret!
We have two weeks of early voting here — I went on the second day, which was cold and rainy, thinking that would have kept the crowds down. But there were over 100 people in line, and the line stayed at that number the whole time I was moving through. I am so relieved that I already got my vote in, the pressure would be killing me if I had to wait until the actual day!!
But you are absolutely right, we all need that respite. Thank you for creating it!
I heard from a friend in Houston and she said the same thing–early voting was packed! We don’t get the option of voting early here so the polling places will be swamped next week. I really do intend to be there at 6 a.m.
I like a good cemetary, too! And that one red maple photo is great…but they all are. Thank you for sharing. Have you had any snow yet? My daughter is up at Saratoga Springs this weekend for a rowing regatta and they were forecasting a wintry mix. Brrrrr.
Rowing in a wintry mix?? She’s a tough cookie! We have had snow flurries here in the valley near the lake but I can see snow covering the nearby mountains. I missed a great photo of the blue lake with Mount Mansfield, in Vermont, glowing white in the background.
I love autumn colour, and miss it here in the tropics… I think my favourite of all those photos isn’t leaves, but that second close-up of the corn, such a fabulous combination of colours. Gold, eggplant, black, garnet, gold, watermelon – ooh, I feel a quilt coming on!
I agree about that corn–those colors are fabulous and I hope you translate them into a quilt! I know you can do it!
I’m just off to steal your photo to put in my colour inspiration folder, if that’s OK?
Sure!
🙂
I have to say our fall color has not been that great. I have no idea if we had too much heat and humidity or too much rain, but the color responded and it’s not that pretty this year. Today, it is cold, in the 30’s, pouring rain, and we’ve already gotten a text from the power company alerting us to potential power outages. And, so fall goes. 🙂 As far as the state of the world, well, that’s a topic that could cause us all to need meds to cope. Every day, I think I’ve seen all the ugliness we can heap on our fellow citizens, and then a new one pops up. There is zero tolerance for anyone we don’t see in the mirror. I’ll be there on voting day too, but I’m not sure how far that will get us onto a better track because we are way down the road from where most of us would prefer to be. But, there’s always hope. 🙂
We drove through New York to Pennsylvania a week ago and I was surprised at the lack of color the whole way–I expected so much, based on what we had locally. I guess it was really a strange fall. And speaking of strange falls, has there ever been a week as awful as last week?
No, last week was ugly, pure and simple.
Your autumn colour is simply beautiful! You are a wise woman, turning your attention to the beauty of your world where energy and refreshment are both found in abundance. The Indian corn is so pretty. We don’t get it here except as the odd dried relic from the 70’s when it was briefly here – probably illegally 🙂 Sending you wishes for better days xoxo
Thanks, Pauline, for your wishes–every day seems to get worse, in a lot of ways. The times that try our souls . . .
Lovely!!! Such clear pretty days you have had!
And I voted Thursday morning, just in case. Do not want to miss my chance.
Actually, we’ve had a lot of rain but I took photos when the sun did shine. We don’t have the option of voting early in New York–what’s up with that?? I really do plan to be at the door of the polling place at 6 a.m. next Tuesday.
We have had lots of rain lately, which is good, it makes up for the dry summer. Glad you saw a bit of sun, though!
Bummer about no early voting! I really like that we have it, I use it most years. Gets it out of the way. Check it off the list! I am holding my breath on outcomes…
These are scrumptious photos. Thanks for cheering us all up.
Well, since I posted them, much else has happened to take the cheer away. The news gets worse every day . . .
Why did I click on ‘like’?
To show support? That you were paying attention? I never thought it meant you “liked” the awful news . . .
I needed that respite, too. Anxious in Canada.
I wonder if there’s anyone *not* anxious these days. I keep wondering how it can get worse, and then it does.
We, I, need all the positive sights and reminders of scents and sounds that offer joy and reminders of life. So timely. Thank you!!!
How can these things be happening here? And now our weather is gray and gloomy so that brings us down every more . . . I can’t wait to vote. it’s such a small thing but it’s all we seem to have.
The Autumn gorgeousness flew by our windows last Saturday afternoon when 45+mph assaulted our area! Thank you for sharing yours……hugs…….
Winds like that take the leaves down fast! We’ve had leaves plastered on our windows the last couple days–nature’s decoupage.
Yes….”Nature’s decoupage”!!!! Precisely!!!!!
Cute mom is right! Many, many thanks for this lovely post, both the words and the images. Like you, I am utterly exhausted by all the chaos and ugliness in this country. At times, it is soul-crushing. Thank heavens for blogging friends like you.
It is soul crushing and it just seems to get worse every day! Unreal.
Sure does. Sigh. Heartbreaking, really.
I think those of us overseas need to know that there is still so much beauty in the USA, both physically ~ thank you for those beautiful photos ~ and in people like yourself. Cast your vote with pride.
Oh, thank you, Anne! Really, there is so much good in this country–I just hope there’s enough good to outweigh the current evil. I will vote with pride and hope . . .
So beautiful! We get yellow and a bit of orange, but very little red. I could look at these all day! Thank you, Kerry!
Yes, the red is the little extra we get in the northeast. And I read that climate change may threaten our maples and we could lose those colors. Makes me sad to think about . . .
I wonder what the thought is in that. I always thought basic color is based on DNA, and weather can make the turn brighter or duller. I’ll have to look that up! We did have some violet red in our plum trees this year, never seen that before, so maybe the 200% rainfall?
Oh how wonderful! Your fall photos are bursting with color…I love the photo of your Mom also the North country scene.. great capture of the old tractor!
My mom loved that outing–she kept oohing and aahing over every bright tree and pretty scene. The tractor is at a farm museum–strange to think we need farm museums . . .
What a gorgeous collection of photos. I loved seeing your mom with the pumpkins, as well as the contrast of the blue sky and fall colors, the vines clinging to buildings, the tractor, all of it. Your words helped me take in the scent of the season as well. I left Canada in 1966, but buried deep in my DNA or sense memory is a set of emotions that bubble up this time of year. Thanks for the memories, both new and old.
Thanks, Alys! The photos come from 2, or maybe 3, really nice days we’ve had lately–so much rain! But there’s nothing like autumn in this part of the world. I’d miss it very much, if I moved away.
I would surely miss it, too. You’ve had so much rain this year. I’m sure you’re ready for a break. We on the other hand, can hardly wait for a drop or two.
All so lovely. We’ve had a beautiful autumn here in the French Pyrenées too but, yesterday, the temperature dropped significantly and we had some rain which fell as snow in the mountains. So now I can see (not too) distant snow from the windows I might have to light the log burner which also has its attractions of course.
Yes, I can see snow on our mountains, too, and I hear that a couple places in Vermont have already opened for skiing. It’s time for fireplaces and warm drinks!
Glorious. I am imagining the crisp deliciousness of the apples, as I type.
Yum–I’ve had some really good apples this fall! We got Northern Spies and they are excellent!
Yes Kerry, despite everything we feel and see sometimes, we must must must keep going and showing we are better than “that” and won’t be beat nor getting numb and loosing compassion (as if you ever would…) Where and how else than restore energy and get invigorated than in Fall and enjoy all the bounty of harvest and the beauty of Nature. Kindred Spririts Kerry and your mom is indeed too cute for words. Lots of love from this Happy Fall girl too xoxoxo.
I always know that you will share my enthusiasm for autumn, Johanna! Even the terrible news every day can’t keep me from being happy to be out in nature’s beauty. XOXOX
I needed this! Thank You!
It’s been a rough stretch of bad news, hasn’t it? The synagogue murders have really gotten me so far down . . .
We are doing Spring in Peru instead of Fall in West Virginia this year. We are also skipping out from the election adds and robo-calls (but will be back on election day). We thought of you yesterday when we toured a traditional textile weaving/embroidering studio (and SHOP). I’ll post a photo in a few days, when I catch up with our time in Cusco (we may also be out of internet range for a few days). – Oscar
I love the idea that you spared a thought for me while in Peru! And I’m envious of the amazing sights you’ve been seeing.
I love all the pictures, but I’ll single out the giant driftwood and the chance to meet your mother.
A wonderful post. You clearly stated that sometimes we have to look for our blessings. They don’t just come up and tap us on the shoulder, do they. Always good to be reminded of that.
And blessings feel a little hard to come by lately, when there seems to be endless bad news. Thanks for your comment–I’m headed out to actively look for blessings!
Just stunningly gorgeous there. Autumn is my favorite and my ballot is sitting right here waiting to be filled out. We can only hope and try to get it right this time. Your photos of this beautiful part of the country do ease the heart a bit. Thanks.
Thanks, Marlene–I helped my mom fill out an absentee ballot (we can’t vote in NY until actual Election Day) and it was very satisfying to make certain marks on the ballot!
Nice pictures – I voted last week! Vacation time is coming after elections! YEA! Time to hit the Casino where one’s brain only focus on winning $$$$$!
Yes, I heard early voting in Texas was very busy! Have fun on your vacation.
Oh wow, Kerry! I love all those shots! I have scrolled through them all a couple of times and just adore all of them. Your Mom is definitely cute and that leaf colour…well, I am speechless! 😀
Thanks, Clare! Every time I left the house, I saw more shots I could take and share but now it’s pretty much over for this year.
Beautiful photos – autumn is a wonderful time of year.
It really is–just too short! We’re headed into winter . . .
Beautiful! The foliage covered church is especially impressive.
Fabulous! Autumn is definitely my favourite time of year (apart from all the other seasons, of course! 😉)
I do love all the seasons too! But autumn is my favorite favorite!
Perfect! 🙂
Thank you so much, Kerry, for sharing these beautiful views of the season! It is healing and relaxing to take a walk on a crisp autumn day to get away from all that drains our spirit!
I keep hearing people lament that this fall has not been very colorful, with the foliage, but our region has done itself proud!
Wow, girl! What a beautiful collection of images. Thanks for sharing.
I also hope you were pleased with the election results. I found them to be very encouraging.
I was pleased! And it gets better, as some of the undecided elections are concluded. One always wishes for just a little more, though . . .
How very lovely. Autumn was my favorite season when we lived in New England. Here in Florida, summer just won’t leave.
I love a nice trip to Florida in the dead of northern winter . . . but I would very much miss the change of seasons if I had to live there!