I think that I shall never see. . .

Our trees have started dress in their fall colors and look a little bit different every day. One of my favorites right now is our Scarlet Oak. One reason it is a favorite is that we planted this tree about 12 years ago and it has really grown and become quite handsome. It is at its prettiest right now. Before long the leaves will turn a dull, cripsy, brown, but I like how oak trees hold on to their leaves through most of the winter. The oak looked especially pretty as I snapped this photo with the sun shining on it and making the leaves almost appear to glow.

Another favorite is this Sweet Gum which has turned a brilliant shade of red. The maple tree on the left has not yet begun to change colors, but the little crabapple in front has already lost all of its leaves and is sporting only tiny red apples.

As the tree lose their leaves, bird nests, once so cleverly hidden, begin to reveal themselves. This nest must have been built by a mourning dove because it is little more than a pile of sticks. It is a miracle these nests are adequate enough to hold in the little eggs, let alone the baby birds, yet somehow they seem to manage to do both. Mourning doves are certainly not the Einsteins of the bird world, but the sound of their soulful coos are a sound of summer I never want to be without.

The final picture is the view off of our front porch. This scene will change dramatically over the next several weeks. Once the trees have all lost their leaves we will once again have a view of the river. As the trees have grown over the years our front porch view has changed quite a bit. Sometimes we miss having the more open view, but we love the trees and wouldn't wish them away for anything.