We are rapidly approaching the autumn equinox on September 23rd when the length of the day becomes equal to the length of the night, but for the most part, the trees here in the Finger Lakes are just beginning to show a hint of Fall. Our night time temperatures have dropped into the forties, so we know for sure that the seasonal change is underway. Fall is one of our favorite times of the year in the Finger Lakes. Most vacationers have returned home, the children are back in school, and the restaurants are not crowded.
The pumpkins are just showing up for sale. I don’t know about you, but I love pumpkin pie! And with a big mound of whipped cream on top and a hot cup of coffee….mmmmmm, perfect for anytime of the day. I stopped at the little beach in Vine Valley. It was deserted and no one was in sight. But still this is the best time of year for a picnic along one of the Finger Lakes. And a thermos of hot coffee, perhaps a nice ham and Swiss cheese sandwich, or a bottle of wine would go well with the cooler temperatures.
The golden rod has been in bloom for several weeks now and its yellow color adds to the beautiful green of the fields and forests.
Some of the maple trees are just showing a hint of color as the trees start their process of preparing themselves for our long cold winter winds. Full fall colors in the Finger Lakes normally occur around the first weekend of October so there is still plenty of time to prepare for a “leaf peeping” trip to the Finger Lakes.
Boaters have another three weeks before they need to pull their boats from the water and prepare them for winter storage. It’s not a time of the year for water skiing or sun bathing in the boat, but time for catching that fish that got away this summer or just taking a leisure trip down the lake to see all of the colors which are beginning to form on the hillsides as they are being decorated from Mother Nature’s palette.
There’s plenty of time to put away the lawnmower and get the snow blower ready. I plan on enjoying fall as long as I can!
I love the fall also. But that is also the time the hunters love and you can’t take walks in any of the woods and Finger Lakes trails safely. I don’t even walk in my own woods at home.
I usually limit my picture taking to along the roads or in public parks, etc. During hunting season, I fear the deer running into my car more than I do the hunters!