Thursday, October 01, 2009

Foto Friday - Fall Color

Fall Color is beginning to inch into my area of Arkansas. Fifty miles from here near Harrison the sumac brush has already displayed the brilliant orange to deep red leaves. A second trip only two weeks later, the seed heads had formed and the color was brown and dead.

Bountiful rainfall and relatively cooler summer temperatures may account for earlier-than-normal color and may predict peak color earlier than last two weeks of October. Highway 7 from Missouri line through Hot Springs, AR is the nationally known tourism trek in Arkansas. I doubt I will make any of that long trek through the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains this year.

Here are a few photos of early Autumn color in my area of North Central Arkansas.

▲Nandinas are changing to their seasonal colors

and soon will have traditional red berries.
▲Nandinas- color in flux
▲What kind of Japanese Maple do I have? This small tree (now a shrub but hopefully will grow into small tree) seemingly has two kinds of leaves!!
▲ Another view of same Japanese Red Maple (Weeping feathery leaf)
▲PortaPot Pit Stop on Bull Shoals Dam
A road construction project in progress for several months has necessitated the placement of a PortaPot for convenience of workers. Its arrival and bright color has amused locals. The inconvenience of one way traffic light controlled traffic is less amusing. [Plan to get a better shot of this amusing landmark when I have some good light. Lots of clouds and rain have reined photography efforts.]

12 comments:

Arkansas Patti said...

Good thing you left a message for you are showing up "two days ago" on my blog roll. I checked early this AM but there was only Wed. post. Weird.
I just love Nandinas. They are so pretty in winter.
That portapot really is blue isn't it?

Carol Murdock said...

Beautil pictures ! I love Hwy 7 !

Rosaria Williams said...

Colors of fall and necessity: precious.

Renie Burghardt said...

Beautiful pictures, Carol Ann. Our dogwoods, sumacs, and sassafrass' are all showing lovely colors. Even the hickory trees are turning, and they are early. We usually don't peak until the end of October, but it looks like it will be earlier this year. And it's much cooler than normal for this time of the year as well. I love fall but am not in a hurry for winter!

Have a great weekend!

Renie

NitWit1 said...

It has occurred to me Those of us who incurred massive tree damage and loss in the 1000 year ice storm may have very little color. I am missing 8 very old trees. The ones we tried to save may not celebrate with color this autumn.

Several of my comments are Arkansans. I'll be interested in their "color."

THere is an old cemetary in Harrison with fiery red maples in the fall (appropriately named Maplewood). I may have to keep tabs on it and see if a Saturday drive is warranted. The ice storm was severe in that area, too

Peeaceful weekend to all.

PS Annual flu shot I got this year (yesterday) kinda slowed me down--doesn't usually happen and may be because I already had a tad of respiratory distress. Just a warning

Pat - Arkansas said...

No color here, yet, excepting an odd leaf or two. The maple tree across the street is my watch-point. When it starts to turn, I know the surrounding area will be showing color and it will be time to hit the road with the camera.

I can no longer trust my Japanese Maple as a early-color-warning; it's sick, and some leaves started turning a rusty brown way back in August.

I had a plethora of Nandina shrubs at my former residence, but nary a one here. Perhaps a row of them would look good against my back fence (chain link) which borders a relief ditch, so the "cover" would be welcome.

I think the marigolds photo in a previous post are lovely. I can see why you took the shot.

Dimple said...

The first picture of the nandinas with the garden fork is beautiful! It deserves to be enlarged, framed, and hung on a wall

Sniffles and Smiles said...

Your photos are gorgeous! The first one belongs on Red Bubble!!! I love the composition and contrast between the leaves and pitchfork...And your landmark? You give me big, big smiles!!!! Love this post!! ~Janine XO

Lorna said...

ALL our portable johns are that blue, and they have chrome yellow doors.

We were away this weekend and saw a lot of fall colour---back
roads in Ontario are famous for it. No flowers though.

Silver said...

I just can't remember the name of the trees the landscape nursery had planted for us all around our house.

They are cone shaped and looked a lot like the Nandinas. Except that it doesn't bear any fruits but gives out beautiful robust leaves all year round that bears a few colors on them. The new shoot comes out in red, and gradually turns a little brown before it is finally green. i just enjoy seeing them and the best thing, they are low maintenance plants.

It is like having the colors of fall all year round.

love,
Silver

Kelly the Happy Texan said...

Good Monday to you. Please come visit me at my blog. I have something for ya. :)

Amber Star said...

Well, I'm in Texas and we aren't having brilliant color yet. I've noticed the nandinas are starting to get a little redder...they were sort of a dark orange last week. Our trees haven't changed color at all yet. I love nandinas because they live through EVERYTHING. I LOVE them. I took some pictures after I went on the longest and shortest walk ever. I haven't been able to work out for about a year. It is cloudy and cool here today so I went for a short walk. Well, that did't work out all that well. I'm so glad it wasn't timed.

btw-I don't remember too much flooding from the Trinity when I was growing up, but I did have other interests. The water went over the dam at Benbrook once after a hurricane blew on through here. I think Mary's Creek used to flood a lot, but not so much now.