Missing the Adirondacks as fall arrives

[Clipper]

Have the leaves started to turn yet? Fall was one of my favorite times of year in upstate NY. Always brought the end of summer activity but brought all the great fall activities.

Fall was one of the best times of year for Bass and Walleye fishing and was a time when hunters started preparing for the upcoming season. I used to take morning or evening drives to my favorite hunting areas to sit and watch for deer activity and to find the most opportune place to be sitting when the sun came up on opening day.

When the leaf colors reached their peak we always took a ride up Rt 8 To Speculator, over to Indian Lake, then Blue Mountain Lake and back down Rt 28, stopping for dinner either in Old Forge or at the Buffalo Head.

Leaves don't have much color here when compared to the brilliant color in the North. We usually see some fairly bright oranges and golds, but not much red. Not the postcard worthy brightness we had grown used to growing up in CNY.

[Ralph]

   Nothing happening up this way as of late.  We haven't had any of those cold snaps come through yet.

[Atticus Pizzaballa]

I have always missed the Adirondacks especially autumn. I used to drive up there a lot each year.

I should see a good view from my living room windows since I face the woods with the variety of trees and bushes. I like to have a cup of coffee in the evening after I eat with a little cinnamon, nutmeg and a pitch of clove along with one autumn cookie.

[BHU]

I've seen just a light shade of yellow on some trees but not much else. There was a huge maple down the road here that had bright red & orange leaves every fall but they had it taken down this spring. Probably got tired of raking all those leaves. Candella's has Honey Crisp apples but I didn't ask if they're local or not. Didn't buy, seems early to me.

[kit]

There was a huge maple tree at my previous house between the front sidewalk and the street, so it belonged to the Village. It produced a gorgeous array of beautiful colored leaves in the Autumn. So beautiful that I didn't mind raking them up when they fell to the ground. However, some of the branches hung out over the street and the tree was getting old and the trunk showed signs of disease. The Village showed up one morning and said they were going to cut it down. I told them I didn't want it cut down because it had a few good years left in it and I would attempt to protect it through legal channels.

A while later the mayor came to visit me and reminded me that the tree belonged to the Village and they could legally take it down if they deemed it necessary. Of course I agreed with him, but reminded him that if this beautiful old tree who's beauty added much to the value of my house and property were to be taken down, it would drastically reduce the value of my property and I would expect a reduction in my taxes. He politely excused himself and left.

A couple of hours later a crew of tree experts showed up and the men climbed the tree and trussed-up several of the branches with cables to reinforce its strength and trimmed the parts of the branches that hung out over the street. Then they left.

That beautiful old tree remained in its glory for the next 3 seasons before its condition declined to the point of no return. It simply had to be taken down, and it was with my blessing. The Village then planted a new tree where the old one used to be.

With that beautiful old maple gone, shortly after that I sold the house and moved away.

[clarencebunsen]

My maples haven't started to change yet.