Halt the Heat and Cue the Cool!

It feels like there have a been a couple false starts to fall, at least temperature wise, but maybe the cool days of autumn have arrived. All the other signals are here: Sandhill cranes are arriving, I saw my first brown female northern harrier, I caught and moved a daytime rattlesnake and rubber rabbit brush is blooming. I’m just waiting for the turkey vultures to leave, then I will announce to anyone that will listen, “It’s official, fall is here.”

It’s fun to find fall color at the mid elevations and the two sumacs mentioned are usually quite showy. The thicket creeper is also scarlet and clambering up and over trees and shrubs. That said, some years are better than others and this year I do think drought has played a part in dimming the show. Oh, there are other plants- like wild cotton- doing a colorful fall thing and I shouldn’t forget about going up a little higher in elevation for some maple and aspen color. So, just say yes to fall and don’t forget to dance!

The photos are mine of scarlet sumac (Rhus glabra) and some creeper climbing up an oak trunk (Parthenocissus vitacea).