Glorious Sunlight - October 2012

Sometimes sunlight - or sun and shadow - is what makes an image special. There are three that are like that for me in this post. 

The first is from near Ithaca, New York. It is at the very top of Taughannock Falls from the overlook across the gorge. The light at the edge becomes deep shade so quickly in the grotto behind the cliff edge with the plants growing wherever little bits of soil can accumulate in the rocky ledges.

The second is oak leaves. Have you ever noticed that oak leaves need direct sun to look deep red or yellow in the fall? If they are in shade they simply look green and brown. 

And finally - the third are pine needles. They almost glow in the fall sunlight.

Pennsylvania Canyon

The Pennsylvania Grand Canyon was one of our destinations on our fall foliage trip this year. It’s located in north central Pennsylvania just west of Wellboro.

Unfortunately we were at least a week too late for fall foliage. The leaves were on the ground and their color fading. Colton Point State Park is on the western side of the canyon and has primitive facilities compared to the state park on the other side - Leonard Harrison State Park. There are a visitor facilities and overlook into the canyon from that eastern side of the canyon. Both also have hiking trails which we did not investigate on this trip.

The temperature had been in the 20s when we set out from Owego, New York earlier in the morning and was still cold. We enjoyed a short and quick hike along the rim in Colton State Park. A fall foliage trip is probably not complete without some wading through leaves and this was the place to do it.

We had warmed up in the car on the short drive over to Leonard Harrison State Park. The temperature had gotten a little warmer and there was a Boy Scout troop cooking hamburgers and hot dogs for the crowd; they were getting some customers even though it was only about 10:30. The oak trees that hold on to their leaves a little longer and the pines are certainly to be appreciated when the fall itself has come and gone!

Fall at Centennial Park

This past weekend was probably the peak for fall foliage at Centennial Park in Howard County, Maryland. We stopped at the boat launch area first - and a Great Blue Heron flew up and stood for some moments on a pile of rocks! After that start to the hike, we began the 2+ mile loop around the lake. Enjoy the fall scenes in the slide show below: red dogwood leaves, the reflections of trees in the water, water droplets on a grass seed head, a boat on the water, cattails, Canadian geese taking of, lady fingers, faded lily pads distorting the reflection of lots of yellow trees, a frost damaged poke weed, and the lake through an oak curtain…..the scenes of fall at Centennial Park.

Leaf Etchings

Have you ever made leaf etchings? They’re easier to make with crayons than with a pencil. The trick is to hold down firmly and complete each section completely before moving on. No going over the leaf a second time since it generally shows that the leaf has moved slightly.

Can you name the trees from the etchings I show below? They are all very common trees in Maryland.

<< Tulip poplar'

Sycamore (just one edge because the leaf was too big for the paper) >>

<< Maple

Oak >>

….Another way to celebrate the ending of the summer….the beginning of fall.