Looking For Color In All The Wrong Places

 

It is easy for me to see fall colors. All I have to do is look out the window. And while a few of the trees are showing color, many are still green. (I especially like the red one right in the middle. It is my favorite choke cherry tree.) 

I can also drive up to Lake McKinley and spot a bit of color across the water. But Wednesday we were going to the funeral home in the old home town to pay our respects to a former neighbor. She and her husband were wonderful neighbors when I was growing up and remained so to everyone in our old neighborhood for the rest of their lives.

I had hoped to see alot of fall color on the way down and back, but saw very little. I opined that maybe it was because of the drought. The next morning I read: "Experts say drought hasn't had much impact on fall foliage show in Iowa." So much for that idea. I also read that this weekend was the prime time to see fall colors in SW Iowa. 

When I expressed my regret over not seeing a lot of pretty trees going to and from Corning - not even around Mt. Etna - Bud said, "You can always drive around Creston and see lots of pretty trees." So this morning that is what I did.

Beginning with some shots at McKinley Park and Lake.

I'd like to be lucky enough to happen by when the migration of Cedar Waxwings comes through and strips this Crab Apple tree of its fruit. 

I've only been fortunate to see them there once in all the years we've lived here.

Two more trees at the park. McKinley has lost so many trees in the recent years - both Ash and Pines.

They have been planting new trees to fill in the bare areas like this little one in the foreground.

Eventually it will grow and be just as stately as the one behind it.

This one is more orange than red and is in the area of  'the bear' - near where the Farmers Markets are held.

This beautiful speciman is south of the Historical Village located within McKinley Park.

And this venerable old Cottonwood is on the southside of the gravel road that goes toward the campgrounds on the SE side of the lake at McKinley.

I was afraid they were going to cut it down when they cleared the sides of the road a few years ago. I'm so glad they left it.

This morning's blue sky couldn't have been any more perfect. "Suns and skies and clouds of June and flowers of June together cannot rival for one hour October's bright blue weather."

I still had some time to kill after my grocery run and the time the library opened.

This tree was near the library. I couldn't decide if it was a Maple or an Oak. And I still can't tell. Maybe it's neither one.

This one was on the way home from the library.

Another bright and colorful speciman.

In addition to trees there were bushes. I drove through an alley to get this picture of a burning bush. There was a whole row of them between the house and alley. Beautiful!

Also along a property line on the way home was this sumac.

Grasses caught my camera eye, too.

They are very ornamental. I'm not even going to try to name these two.

Virginia Creeper on a tree just north of the RR underpass.

And more Virginia Creeper near the new dog park in McKinley Park.

So, yes, there is plenty of fall color around town and it is gorgeous.

But it just doesn't quite take the place of a drive in the countryside and seeing a whole timber full of reds and oranges and yellows.

        A plus to driving around looking at fall color - seeing the fun Halloween decorations.