Fall seems to me to be the most fleeting season. Maybe it’s from the falls I spend in Alaska. It’s a beautiful season, that doesn’t stick around long enough for my taste. Our dominant tree color is yellow – cottonwoods, birch and aspen.
If you’re lucky enough to hit the high country or visit the tundra, you’ll be treated to a carpet of oranges and reds. Termination dust settles on the mountains like powdered sugar, reminding you that winter is closing in.
On the Kenai Peninsula, fall brings windstorms. Leaf-clearing, branch-baring windstorms. When these hit, it seems like fall is here one day, then gone the next. The undergrowth starts to lose its luster, fading to muted tans. It doesn’t take long for winter to knock on the door. Bluebird days look so promising, until you step into the frigid air.
We also lose daylight quickly this time of year. I miss the midnight sun of our summer days. But I relish in catching sunsets, the unreal amount of stars you can see on a clear night and the first appearances of the aurora borealis.
I’m usually lucky enough to catch a second fall in the midwest. Even though I grew up in Virginia, fall in the Ozarks is the fall of my youth. The trees I grew up with – maples, oaks, hickorys, sweet gums and sassafras.
It doesn’t have quite the sense of urgency that fall in Alaska does. Maybe that’s a part of my fall nostalgia. It reminds me of my time in the Blue Ridge mountains as a young adult. A simpler time in my life, when it was easier to make time to do less.
So I use fall as a reminder. Slow down. Breathe. Enjoy the view. You have time.
9 Comments
Amazing pictures. I love Fall and it does always seem to come and go too quickly to really appreciate the colors on the trees.
Thank you! Some years it seems like if you blink, you’ll miss it.
I love how you portayed the fall season. Your photography is absolutely stunning too. My favorite picture is the one of the mountains in the Kenai Peninsula. Thank you for sharing this beautiful post.
Thank you! Every photo is a memory for me. That was from a fly out trip I did with my dad.
Beautiful photos. Visiting Alaska is on my bucket list. I especially love your Northern Lights Photo, we sometimes get to see them here in MN, but it is such a rare treat! Goregeous!
You should make it happen! Take as much time as you can, and rent something you can camp out of, is my suggestion. Thank you.
I totally hear you on fall in Alaska. It’s so fast and everyone is just dreading winter! But It’s so pretty seeing the trees turn yellow and the tundra turn red. I love it!
Fall is pretty much my favorite!
I love fall photos! Your photos show great color and the change of season landscape! I love to see snow and fall colors together!