Fall Finally Arrives, California Style

I would never try to compare our fall season with the hardwood forests of New England and the Appalachians, or even with the aspen groves of Colorado or Utah. But there are a few benefits to experiencing fall here in California.

For one thing, our fall lasts for a couple of months, and our trees are at the height of their color at a time when the trees back east are barren of leaves, and winter-style snows are lashing the landscape. It was 68 degrees out yesterday (though we had a day of light frost last week).

I walked the Tuolumne Parkway Trail this morning after a week on the road, and the changes were pretty obvious. The willows and wild grapes were changing.

There are also some mature cottonwood trees that have been various shades of yellow for weeks now.

But we also have some brilliant colors in the city as well. I had errands in town and took a few shots of the Modesto neighborhoods where Modesto Ash was planted many years ago.

There are other ornamental trees on our west campus that are relatively young, and they turned almost fluorescent over the holiday weekend.

So yes, I would never presume to say our fall show of color can compare to the wild displays back east, but I certainly enjoy having a few weeks to appreciate the changes that are happening here right now.

There is a lot of horror going on right now in so many places. I'll be back to trying to right the wrongs soon, but for a few moments today I took a few breaths of blessedly clean air (the Camp Fire is out, thank heavens) and enjoyed the technicolor show.

You Say it's Winter Already? Fall Has Just Arrived in California!

Some people say they could never live in California. The earthquakes are scary and the state will fall into the sea. The politics are too crazy. It's an urban hell. Californians are too flaky. Pick your reason. But there are things that are undeniably nice about California. Our fall season is one of them.

Oh, it's true that my fair state can hardly compete with the extravaganza of New England's colorfest, but that color show was over a month or more ago, and people are complaining about the arrival of winter. Meanwhile, here it is almost December, and our fall season is just getting going. And while some folks will still be shoveling snow in April, we'll be enjoying the blossoming of our almond and peach trees in late February.

The first two pictures were snapped yesterday at Pinnacles National Park, but we have a lot of color in our supposed "worst place to live" cities too. The picture above is just a few blocks from my college. The peach orchard below is across the street from a major shopping center. In a few months there will be a blizzard of beautiful pink blossoms.

Of course, with the coming of fall, it's getting COLD. I almost thought of putting on jacket one morning the other day but decided in the end to tough it out in a t-shirt. It only got to 70 degrees outside today. I just don't know how much longer I can stand the suffering!

Anyway, enjoy the late season colors. We'll probably have an earthquake because I was being a little snarky.

Autumn, Western Style

Sycamore at the Pinnacles National Park Visitor Center

I can't help but notice that winter has set in around much of the country, but my calendar says it's still autumn for another few weeks. I don't know why so many of you are so anxious to jump right into winter, but I'm not. As I've traveled around these last two weeks, I've seen some beautiful sights that I'm sharing as part of a feeling of thanksgiving.

Sycamore tree and Saguaro Cactus in Burro Canyon, Arizona

The western United States has some of the best geology to be found anywhere in the world, but the eastern U.S. can certainly boast a wonderful show when autumn rolls around. I'd never say we can compete for color, because our trees are usually few and far between, or hidden in conifer forests. Still there is great beauty in individual trees, like the Sycamore I saw last week at Burro Canyon in Arizona, or two weeks ago at Pinnacles National Park.

A street in Modesto CA

My home base of Modesto is no slouch in the color department. We may be the officially the #2 or #3 worst place to live, but for a few weeks in November, our streets come alive with color. One of our most colorful ornamentals is the Modesto Ash, a tree of western origin that is good in drought conditions.

In the Klamath Mountains near Dunsmuir

The mountains aren't done yet, either. As we drove north towards Oregon yesterday, the hills around Dunsmuir and Mt. Shasta were alive with color as well.

Our winter will come soon enough. I'm glad to see fall colors lasting for weeks after the leaves have all fallen elsewhere!

The Beautiful Days of Autumn in the Great Valley

I get it that Californians don't truly understand the concept of autumn. I've never seen the full glorious display of fall colors across the hardwood forests of the eastern United States, so maybe I understand the mild disdain that my eastern friends have when I get excited about the belated arrival of fall here in Modesto.

Just the same, I love it when it finally gets cold enough that our Modesto Ash trees (Fraxinus velutina) start turning. The ash trees are a southwest native that are drought resistant, so they are a nice match to our local climate.

Today was the kind of day that I really appreciate living here. Modesto has less than stellar days sometimes, hot and smoggy summers, and cold dreary foggy winters. For a few wonderful days in November the streets are alive with color, the skies are washed clear by the first rainstorms, and the air smells fresh and clean.

I grabbed my camera and started walking around the blocks near campus, and I enjoyed every moment. Modesto is a totally different looking kind of place for these few days.

The pleasant days won't last for very long, and the tule fogs will soon begin. They can be nasty (try driving with a blindfold on). I remember them being worse in years past, and I don't know if it is because of warming temperatures, or changing patterns of droughts and wet years, but any day without fog is a joy.

Especially this day...