Fall mornings are cool and crisp. I am now wearing an extra sweatshirt or jacket each morning when I venture down to the barn. Glori, my horse, loves these cooler temperatures and is quite frisky. Fog is now common along the river each morning. The water is warmer than the air on these cool mornings, so the rising warmer air cools, and the moisture in the warmer air condenses to form a cloud near the surface, commonly known as fog. This picture of the James was taken before a fishing excursion by my brother-in-law. Mysterious and lovely.
Trees are so amazing. Fall is a time in which Mother Nature prepares for dormancy. The beauty of leaf pigments is in reality the draining of living fluids into the trunks and roots of trees in order to hibernate for awhile. Trees deserve this break. Oaks over-produce their acorns with the probability of some making it to adulthood, while fattening squirrels, other rodents, and bears for the winter. I'm still amazed that it's the shortening daylight which signals this transformation. Even though they have no nervous system, trees and other plants can sense changes in their surroundings. During their active growing seasons, trees absorb carbon dioxide and some pollutants. They cool the environment, and provide habitat and food for so many organisms. Wow. I say again, trees are amazing. They are my favorite living organism.
