Fall foliage

Growing up, I didn't really have much appreciation for New England's fall foliage colors -- to me, it just meant lots of leaves to rake off the lawn, and the approach of winter (and the dreaded shovelling of snow). My home town, North Adams, MA, even had (and still has, I believe) a "Fall Foliage Parade" event, with a variety of floats and marching bands and local dignitaries parading down Main Street. My parents took me and my siblings to this event many times, but I think the thing I liked most about it was that you could get cotton candy from sidewalk vendors.

As I've grown older, I've come to appreciate the great beauty that this act of Nature brings to our surroundings. It really can be quite spectacular, especially when seen in bright sunshine. I have tried over the last few years to capture with my camera the wonderful glow of the transformed leaves when they are illuminated by the rays of the sun, but it's not really possible -- I think it's one of those things that you have to be there to see.



This is a photo I took a few days ago in Look Park in Florence, MA. I'd bicycled up there to eat my lunch and do some writing. The day was sunny and the leaves were lit up. This photo is really a pale reflection of what it was actually like, but looking at it is a nice reminder for me. -- PL