For a lover of color, nothing can surpass the lovely colors of fall. One  can never be sure what colors will comprise the palette of each year’s changing and falling leaves. In some fall seasons the leaves seem to dry up and wither into brown curls before Halloween, as though they don’t have the will to go on.  But some years the leaves put on a show of riotous colors before they eventually fall and land into drifts of red, gold and yellow. If leaves had feelings, and maybe they do, I think they would rather end their lives in a triumphant blaze of color, as they are doing this year.

I wonder if anyone else has almost driven their car off the road staring at this tree.

For the past few weeks I have been enthralled in this year’s … leaf season, I suppose I will call it. As many participate in the ‘football season” and plan their time around watching it, I have organized myself around.. well, participating in the fall leaves! Because of my allergies I can no longer jump and roll in the leaves, so mostly I stare at them, take their pictures, and exult. Even the shades of the colors are thrilling; crimson, persimmon, pumpkin, magenta, gold, copper… Sorry, I just can’t stop!

A few leaves hang around on a patio chair.

I have made my poor husband into a “leaf widower’. I find myself saying, “Uh huh, Mmmm,” when he speaks to me, as I gaze past him into a stand of gorgeous maples. I turn down his invitations  to do do things at times because no activity may interfere with my   obsessively photographing  leaves.  If we do go somewhere in the daytime, he must expect to stop the car several times for me to “just get a few” shots of whatever beautiful foliage we pass. No matter how many pictures I take I never seem to have enough.

Now that the branches are becoming more bare I think I can pause for a few minutes to share a few  the brilliant beauties I have been admiring. I’ll try not to look out the windows, for if I do I will fall into a trance which will require me to wordlessly grab my camera and head for the yard.

This leaf appears to be roasting itself over a campfire.

Even when they fall they’re making lovely designs.

The lines and imperfections are just marks of character.

 I simply cannot recall a more vibrant leaf season, so I’m not apologizing for enjoying it while I can. I would take pictures of every single tree if I could. I hope the leaves are as lovely where you live as they are where I am. If not, enjoy these! And to “leaf widows” and “widowers” everywhere, do not despair; this too shall pass.