Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Jumping the Gun

Every year there are certain trees which seem to jump the seasonal gun.


Is it stress, or some kind of innate arboreal pessimism, that causes them to give up so easily?


If the word "frost" be so much as mentioned in the weather forecasts, these tender trees grow blotchy and pale (or blotchy and red, according to their chemistry), and begin to tremble with autumnal fear.


When the nighttime temperature drops below 40º, they shriek and throw up their branches in surrender.


Add a cold north wind (the final blow), and they burst into leafy tears.


Usually it's the sensitive young maples that first succumb...


...but this year, thanks to the drought, more trees than ever have taken an early leave and are shutting down operations. You can almost hear the chlorophyll saying, "We've had enough, thank you very much, and it's time for a long winter's nap."


(Meanwhile the ever-young pines stand greenly by, wondering what all the fuss is about.)


Even the stubborn oak in our front yard - usually the last to shed its leaves - is showing signs of crumbling.


There is, no doubt, some sort of valuable moral to be drawn from all this - but I have no idea what it may be. (Something to do with aging gracefully, perhaps, or not giving up the fight?)

In fact, there's really no point to this post - it's just an excuse for me to show pictures of trees, which I love, and leaves, which are endlessly fascinating. (And blether on betweentimes.)

What is your favourite tree?

:)

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27 comments:

  1. the autumn leaves are beautiful... and sad too, as they have to go away...
    my favorite is a pine tree and a birch :) typical Russian trees.

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    1. I love birch trees too - especially white birches. :)

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  2. Lovely photos, of course. And poetic words, in your post.

    Your words flow and are quite lovely. And thus, do not need any point-in-particular. "Auntie" sezzzzzz... :-)

    "Auntie"

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    1. Thanks, Auntie (you'll have to tell us your real name sometime). Actually I was going for tongue-in-cheek here, but, again, thank you. :)

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  3. Oppps, you question...

    Mmmmm, not sure I have a "favorite" tree. Pressed quickly, guess I'd choose the Maple. :-)

    "Auntie"

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  4. According to the celtic calendar I am a willow. I really love them. There are so many different ones. I love oaks and maples too. A lime on a little hill, which you can see here often, is picturesque. But then, the fruit trees, like apple and prune, are great too. I'm probably more of a leaf tree person, although listening to the wind in a fir is wonderful.

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  5. I love watching the leaves change color.But myfavorite tree doesn't do that, it is a banyan tree. From earlier tree climbing days.

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    1. Ooh - very exotic (at least in the Midwest). I can see how the banyan would be great for climbing. Thanks, Beth. :)

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  6. THANK YOU! For your wonderful comment today... Giving tips on how to *transverse this lybrinth of *New* Blogger*. :-))) Thank you. I will have to return to it, to digest it. But! I know it is there!

    Thank you!

    "Auntie"

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  7. Is there a word... "transverse"? WEll, there is now. "Auntie" sezzzzzz... :-)

    "Auntie"

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  8. I love the sugar maples. We have those and pines in our yard mainly. Our neighbor has a huge magnolia that I love. But willows are my favorites.

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    1. The sugar maples are probably the most striking of fall trees here. I do love willows too (as you may have noticed from other posts). :)

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  9. Ours are doing the very same thing. We'll be out this weekend to see if we can find as many gorgeous leaves for photos as you have done. The race is on...

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    1. You'll win hands down (or do I mean lens down?). :)

      Looking forward to the photos!

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  10. I have no favourite tree, I love them all. At this time of year, my hair starts to fall out in sympathy with the leaves.

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    1. T-a, you kill me. :)

      P.S. Some I favour more than others, but I love them all too.

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  11. These pictures are so beautiful, especially for me here in Florida where everything is still green, green, green. By the way I am a Birch Tree fan, even though there are not any here.
    Hugs,
    Meredith

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    1. Yes, birches are lovely - so stately and delicate at the same time. :)

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  12. Sept. 20th

    5:15PM

    Whooooooo-hooooooo! I just did it! I just SAVED my post entry for tomorrow, following your instructions!

    "Mrs. Micawber" you ROCK!!!!

    "Auntie"

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  13. My favorite tree is any one that I can reach that tastes good. :) The Goatmother likes trees that turn orange. As for the trees giving up. Well, sometimes you just gotta' go with the flow. :)

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    1. Trees that turn orange and gold are the most fun to look at in the fall.

      Amen to going with the flow. :)

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  14. A longer show is a fine thing when it is such a splendid thing

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    1. Very true - I think the show will start in earnest now that we've had a frost.

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  15. It saddens me that so many people think of trees as a "nuisance" or that they are "messy," or even worse, cut down trees because they're "blocking the view." Silly people. Trees ARE the view! My favorites? Almost any large flowering tree (jacaranda, coral tree, orchid tree), willows, birches, maples, oaks and, of course, redwoods. Beautiful, majestic, sheltering -- what's not to like?

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