Dinner was over and Joe suggested taking a drive to see the beginning of the fall colors in our town. As we went down the road leading to our house...this is what we found. This is the road that we take into town. The railroad tracks lead to the Byron Nuclear Power Plant. It is seldom used...only when the need to move something by rail a couple of times a year. Each year they go back and forth on the tracks and spray an herbicide to kill the weeds along the tracks. I wish that they didn't do this....and I wonder what they use. Last year the sprayer went a little haywire in this spot and they not only killed the weeds in the foreground, but they sprayed it up into the trees, spoiling their fall show.
Traveling along the Rock River...we come to Lowden State Park. It was such a nice weekend that many campers were there. They were starting to pack up and get ready to leave. We took the road to the top, where a statue of Blackhawk stands majestically looking over the valley below.
These next pictures are scenes that I saw yesterday along the paths in the State Park. The only little creatures that I saw was a chipmunk and a squirrel. As I went through...I wondered how many eyes were watching us from their hideaways in the brush along the road. I like to imagine them all coming out, when the park closes for the night....happy to have their peaceful home to themselves for a few hours.
The yellows and oranges were the predominate colors yesterday. The reds are usually the last to change. I noticed along our drive that many homes along the way...have planted new trees and so many of them were going to have red leaves. I think that towns along this wonderful river are thinking ahead and planting trees in beautiful colors to make our fall drives spectacular.
This yellow beauty caught my eye. I love the black branches and trunk against the colorful leaves.
Leaving the park, the trees stand majestically along the roadside. It's their time of the year to shine. After the hot, hot summer, I didn't think that fall would be anything but crispy brown. To my delight...I think that it might be the most vibrant yet.
Today it is a little cloudy and the end of the week promises cold weather. We might take another drive to see the colors once more. If not...I can just look out my computer room window...our trees in the yard are beautiful. I'll show pictures of our yard tomorrow.
Balisha
6 comments:
Really pretty - what a nice Sunday :-)
Beautiful!
I can't wait to experience fall again. After 16 years in the desert, I am actually in a place now that has fall :-)
Aren't those gorgeous! Thank you for sharing them with us. We hope to get out and go to an apple orchard that is a new one for us and farther away. They are having their autumn festival Saturday. Hope the weather cooperates, because I am looking forward to the outing very much. I love the yellows and oranges. When there is a red one in the mix it really stands out prettily. I have read that our Eastern forests are turning redder, because the red maple is more aggressive than the sugar maple. Red is pretty, but I wouldn't want the woodlands all red. Here in town the Pepsi Cola bottling location is on a corner. It is near here and I pass it frequently. Their property is bordered by a street planting that is one of the most attractive "planned landscapes" of young red maples and red Burning Bushes (Euonymus alata). Someone did a good job of selecting what to plant. When they all turn red simultaneously it's so pretty it's a wonder there aren't more wreaks at that busy intersection.
Beautiful fall colors! We went on a drive this weekend, too. I did not take any pictures, but the color was great... lots of reds where we went. I think this coming weekend will be the peak of color in our area. We are hoping to take a Sunday drive to see it.
So pretty I love the colors of fall.
Cathy
Sunday is the day that we usually go for a drive. We live so close to the state park and the nature preserve...so we have some beautiful things to look at. The Rock River is part of the Blackhawk trail...many people from all over take a fall drive along the river. Our area has been very careful to protect this part of Illinois.
Balisha
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