There is no denying it. The leaves are changing. First it was the sumac, but they are always early. Today as I drove along, I noticed the milkweed leaves have begun transitioning to yellow. If you look at the still plentiful green woods, at a distance you can see the shift from the deep green of summer to more of a yellowish green.

I was a bit further north this last weekend, only an hour, but the colors of fall are more pronounced there. Oranges are starting to show at the very tops of the maples in Maplewood State Park. More shocking was the two or three whole trees already dressed in their fall finery. Brilliant orange against the deep greens. At first I thought maybe it was because of a weak tree, savaged perhaps by illness. Nope. Just young trees, impatient as all youth are to get on with things, leading the latest fashion changes.

Every year I see the changes. Every year I am amazed that all that color is there all along, only visible when the green fades away. The only real mystery is how long we will have to enjoy the vibrant colors. It could be months, well, two anyway. Or it could be all wiped away in one windy storm, leaves torn away, beraggled remnants waving feebly in the breeze. There never seems to be enough time to enjoy it. So get out there and take the time to just look at the fall landscape. Drink it in. It will help sooth your soul when the winds are howling and the only color out there is the brightly colored jackets of people scurrying from shelter to shelter.