I’m not sure what Fall #2 will look like,

but I know there will be more posts. I’m sure people in the upper midwest and northeast U.S. will be rolling their eyes at this, but I’m delighted with how much red this year’s crop of Black Oaks (Quercus kelloggii) have. Normally they are a golden brown – down years more brown than golden. But this year they have red, as well as bright yellow. Combined with the dogwoods (Cornus nuttallii) and big leaf maples (Acer macrophyllum) , I have one of the prettiest drives home in the county. 🙂

Black Oak Leaf, Quercus kelloggii, fall, ponderosa pine, bark, trunk, fall, autumn

California Black Oak Leaf against Ponderosa Pine

I found this pretty leaf in my driveway – there’s one branch up near the top of one of my Black Oaks that’s nearly all red, and the whole tree has various bits of red here and there. It’s growing next to this large Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa)  so I tucked it in the bark for this quick mobile photo. I’ve always loved the multicolored leaves like this – red, yellow, green and dark golden brown.

Happy Halloween!!

Blacksmith Shop, Columbia State Park

BOO!