Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Southwest Fall Color


Since I grew up on the east coast, I get all moony for fall foliage around this time of year. Once again I’ll settle for watching the autumnal spectacle unfold on the internet.


While driving around the other day, I noticed our own autumn palette really isn’t too shabby. There’s soft sage and rust, terracotta and steely blues. If the northeast corner is the big brass band of pigment performance, the southwest is a nice wind ensemble. We’ve got deciduous trees. Sure, the sycamores go right to an unremarkable brown, but the cottonwoods will at least have the decency to turn bright yellow.


These are some pictures I took around Old Mission Dam in Mission Trails Regional Park. It's still early. Stay tuned for more yellow:















What color is your world?

19 comments:

Lisa said...

I think they are really great pictures. Thank you.

The wonders of four seasons, the one thing we missed out here in the tropics.

My high school was in the middle of a rubber plantation and rubber trees do change colors according to their seasons (I don't what they are) and I remember how pretty the sceneries can be at times.

Rebecca Ramsey said...

What gorgeous pics! So interesting to see the colors in your part of the world.
Bring it on, Fall!

Bish Denham said...

Beautiful colors! Love your comparison to an orchestra. Growing up in the tropics some might say "there aren't any seasons!" But there are, they are simply subtle. One has to perhaps slow down and become more in tune with nature, become more aware.

PJ Hoover said...

Wow, the last picture is gorgeous! I want to go there!

MG Higgins said...

Ohh, now I'm all nostalgic for Arizona! Beautiful photos. I'm trying to remember fall in Tempe and what's popping into my mind is relief--the temp finally staying below triple digits.

LW said...

The color in my part of the northeast has hit a flat note.
A lot of rain and wind has thinned the trees before their time.

I love your pictures...the last one is
gorgeous...

Louise

Kelly Polark said...

Gorgeous pics, especially the last one!
Our leaves are starting to turn, but it's been gray, cold and rainy so it's not as pretty.
I love crisp, sunny days of autumn. I want some to come my way!

Ara Burklund said...

You take beautiful photos, Adrienne! Can't wait to see more. : )

Anonymous said...

There is some nice color there--but yes, the Midwest is a SHOWY place in fall--flamboyant like a Vegas showgirl. Every year.

babYpose said...

Thanks for taking me there. Beautiful. four seasons is just great. warm greetings from equator :)

Unknown said...

Lovely palette of autumnal colours :)) Let's hear Vivaldi's 4 Seasons!!

Adrienne said...

Ocean Girl - Rubber tree plantations look so pretty. I didn't know they changed colors. :)

Becky - Yes, bring it on! I'm glad we're actually getting some cooler weather, too.

PJ - With all your traveling...if you make it to this part of the country, there are lots of great hiking spots to check out!

MG - We get a share of triple digit days - I don't know how I ended up living somewhere so hot. But it is beautiful.

Louise - It's the perfect days like to remember - but I remember it being too gray and rainy to enjoy the scenery some of the time. Hope you have some nice days ahead.

Adrienne said...

Bish - You do have to pay closer attention. Maybe that's why it took me longer to appreciate the cycles we have here.

Kelly - It's still early...hope you have plenty of those perfect fall days. For some reason now I'm craving a caramel apple!

Ara - Thanks! I'll try to keep them coming.

Green Girl - Vegas showgirl - great comparison! Enjoy the show.

babYpose - Your part of the world is beautiful - what everyone daydreams of.

Keats - We were just discussing Vivaldi! My daughter is learning one of the pieces for orchestra.

ICQB said...

Wow, I lived in the southwest for several years with similar lanscape. Now you've made me all moony for the subtle desert colors and the smell of it.

Anne Spollen said...

Great pics. It's similar to fall colors here, only with a whole lot more sun added to it.

The leaves here are meh. Tons of rain and wind took the leaves down before they could change.

Rena Jones said...

Beautiful!

Mary Witzl said...

My world is pretty much the color of your world. I miss fall colors too (the trees in our part of Scotland were just beginning to turn when we left in September), but I remember loving autumn in Southern California too. There really is seasonal change in California, it's just very subtle. Looking at your pictures makes me a little homesick. We've got many of the same plants here, but lack a lot of the things I really miss: the poetry of Spanish, the smell of Mexican food, the air-conditioned comfort of a huge bookstore stocked with books in ENGLISH.

Lily Cate said...

Our fall colors are blazing here. It's just about peak, and you can hardly step outside without getting totally distracted with the view.
But before you get all jelous, we're also in the middle of a wicked, unseasonable cold snap. We had to break out the gloves and hats last night! Normally we still get a few days of t-shirt weather towards the end of Oct, and I'm a little worried that this is a hint of another brutally cold winter. Last year we had record low temps. Yuck.

Adrienne said...

ICBQ - It does smell good...maybe you can find a nice sachet of desert herbs.

Anne - The colors are similar, but you have to hunt for them a little more.
Sorry it rained on your parade this year.

Rena - Thanks! I know you're familiar with this landscape. :)

Mary - If we're not homesick, we're full of wanderlust. I'd love to see some of the places you've seen. But I'm with you on the smell of Mexican food - that would be hard to do without!

Lily - I hear about your crazy weather and have trouble imagining it. Hope the early chill doesn't mean you're in for a long one...