Fall

I have to say, fall in New England is pretty cool. There are just so many beautiful and vibrant colors. I spent a week with my parents traveling around Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Main. I honestly can't tell you guys where exactly I took most of those pictures but I still like them.



The reason for why leaves change color is mainly due to the increasingly longer nights during fall. Leaves have three kinds of color pigments. Chlorophyll are the green pigments. They are produced by sunlight. Carotenoids are orange, yellow, and red pigments and are also found in foods such as carrots. The Anthocianines are responsible for vibrant colors and are found in foods such as blueberries, cherries and strawberries. During the summer, when there is a lot of sunlight, the leaves appear only green because the Chlorophyll production is operating on high speed. As the nights get longer, the chlorophyll decreases and the other colors can shine through. Different kinds of trees have different amounts of pigments, that's why some are more red, others more orange, and others more yellow. Pretty cool.







This is at the entrance of the Killington National Park in Vermont. This picture makes me think about a different, very peaceful planet, where the trees are red all year long.



This is at the same National Park, a little ways in. I thought this was kinda eerie. On the other hand it is almost like a message for survival.






This one might not be a representation of survival but I loved the old tombstones in front the colored trees. I can't quite put my finger on why though. This picture I took in a small village in Vermont.








This is at the Canterbury Shaker Village, New Hampshire. If you haven't been there, it is very beautiful and very interesting. Maybe some of you History Museum followers might be interested in it.




We also came across some pretty cool reflections in lakes and ponds. I don't think I have ever seen fog reflected that clearly in water.



This last picture is of a swamp we drove by one early morning. We actually stood there for about 30 minutes because it was so magical.





Since the last two pictures are a bit gray, I am going to continue like this. This picture I took back home in Switzerland. To me this is a very "poetic" picture. Can you write a short poem about it? Think about what is in the picture, how it makes you feel, or maybe how it makes the tree feel?