Sugar maple in its blazing glory, in a cemetery in Mendon, MA
Find the “perfect spot to view the stunning foliage in New England is a matter of luck, skill, patience, and determination. A rainstorm can cut short an already short “season.” The leaves that were ‘just there” when you drove by may be gone by the time you can grab your camera to preserve that stunning view.
Oaks glowing in the fall sunshine, Uxbridge, MA
But then there are the other factors. Besides rain, the lack of rain, which is a huge problem in New England this year, is stressing trees, leading to early peeks of color which quickly turn to brown as the leaves die and simply fall, rather than rewarding us with the glorious displays of other years.
And the gypsy moths, which totally denuded many area forests earlier in the summer. The healthy trees leafed out again, but are weakened. Walking in the woods on a recently hike, I noticed lots of sunshine on what otherwise would have been a shade-filled stroll. Looking up, I saw the oaks were like fine lace, filled with leaves that created a lovely pattern, but offered little protection from the late summer sunshine.
Look, but don’t touch! poison ivy adds to the show of fall color. Uxbridge, MA
In my “finding fantastic foliage” presentations, I talk about these sorts of things, but also share photos from past years. The challenge of offering these presentations is that people are hungry for color before the trees have actually gotten into their “foliage” gear. And so I share pictures captured in previous years.
We may still be surprised by some stunning color. But just in case, here’s a peek at some of the color I’ve captured in my wanderings not too far from home.
Along the Blackstone River, seen from the Blackstone River bikeway, Blackstone, MA
View of Blackstone Gorge, the rushing water of the Blackstone river, seen through the lens of fall colors
Marjorie Turner Hollman is a writer who loves the outdoors, and is the author of Easy Walks in Massachusetts, 2nd edition, More Easy Walks in Massachusetts, 2nd edition, Easy Walks and Paddles in the Ten Mile River Watershed, and Finding Easy Walks Wherever You Are. Her memoir, the backstory of Easy Walks, is My Liturgy of Easy Walks: Reclaiming hope in a world turned upside down.
Marjorie Turner Hollman 