"The leaves are changing"

This couldn't be a nature blog in the fall without the obligatory post about trees changing colors. So if you haven't heard it yet already, let me be the first to let you know that "the leaves are changing."

I've gone on several walks in the last few weeks and have seen the progression of leaves turning from green to all sorts of vibrant colors before darkening and falling to the ground to be crunched by walkers like me.

This is the tree in front of my house that I pass by daily. It's lagging behind in the color change compared to a lot of others, still holding on to most of its green. I think that makes the fall even more fun to observe because different trees go at different paces. Some are bright green like in the peak of spring while others have already turned every shade between green and brown and are nothing more than bare branches.

This reminds me of one of my favorite roadtrips with my family about 10 years ago. We lived in New Jersey, and when the leaves started to change colors, we decided that we wanted to go farther north to see Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine in the peak season of Autumn.

I remember telling my friends I was going on that trip, and one of my 6th grade friends questioned me, saying "Why are you going there? We have trees here." 

That stuck with me for some reason. I think there's a lot to be said about enjoying the nature you have around you and being amazed even by the ordinary things. I would be sad if I lose by sense of awe for the ordinary in pursuit of the extraordinary. At the same time, my friend's shock at going somewhere simply to enjoy the beauty of nature was amusing to me, and exemplified a common human tendency towards staying put where you.

That trip was breathtaking, though. Even just driving and gazing out the window at the foliage along the road was beautiful. The Maple and Oak trees, amongst other species I can't specifically recall, produced a deep red and orange color while some Beech trees produced a lovely yellow.

Fort Worth may not be the same as Vermont, but I am still blown away, even by trees like the one in my front lawn.