LIFE: Fall Colours

Fall - with strong early Germanic roots,  fall became the popular definition for describing autumn (actually a French word) during the 16th century. As it fell from use within the UK, fall migrated with the early English travelers in their new colonies - the USA, hence it's use there today.

As someone who has experienced fall in both countries, nothing in Yorkshire could ever compare to the fall colours I know find in the Mid West. Thankfully you don't have to travel far in Michigan to catch a glimpse and be amazed by the colours here, yet the colours are even more striking when all you can see is the tops of trees shining out in shades of burnt oranges, crisp yellows to burning reds, all still singed with their former green life all the way to the horizon.

Here in Michigan the peak colour season runs between the very end of September through to late October with the height of colour migrating south through the state as the month progresses. Our stay in the north was timed perfectly for seeing this years peak colours, although there was a remarkable fading by the end of our stay as the leaves sadly started drifting to the ground.

Garrison Keiler shared a poem on The Writers Almanac the Wednesday morning during our stay, it seemed to fit the approaching season and the slow vanishing of these colours to the ground just right;

Outside the leaves were falling

and they cried

Too soon! Too soon!

Taken from The Pennycandystore Beyond the El, Lawrence Ferlinghetti

I just want these colours to always last! Where are your favorite places to see the autumnal colours?!

Photographs where taken across our visit including - Rose City, between Grayling and Traverse City, Westgate Overlook, between Kalkaska and Petoskey, along US-23 and the Calacite Quarry outside Rogers City