FALL COLORS

       There have been a number of excellent photos on leaves recently. It's very appropriate because of the fall season.

        These photos reminded me of some school activities about 75 years ago.

        I had an excellent teacher for grades 3,4 and 5. She was far ahead of her time when it came to excellent learning projects. One of them was on leaves. 

       The whole class of 17 from gr one to nine would spend an hour or two wondering around off the schoolyard collecting leaves for a project. So in this little field trip we observed many different plants. She didn't know the names but we observed plants. 

      I think my technique for this has weakened but I hope you can see the outline of a leaf. 

      When we got back to the classroom we chose leaves to make a tracing with our pencils. Of course, we had to arrange the leaves in an interesting manner. Then she displayed our works. We did not have a bulletin board and I don't think scotch tape had been invented yet. Thumb tacks were used to attach our work to the wall. 

      So my teacher evaluation hat says that she could teach many things with just one item. Every moment to her was a teachable moment. 

...and I Still Have Great Fall Colors

    Yesterday I took some people to a local wetlands for two hours of birding. I was surprised  to still find brilliant fall colors. Usually our leaves do not hang on for long. This fall the leaves turned color and have stayed on the tree. This morning was our first hard frost... minus 5 C ( 24 F). The leaves were rapidly falling this morning. It's a good thing I was out yesterday afternoon.
  
The Michael Obrien Wetland is a man made wetland. Riparian plants have been planted on the edges of the series of ponds. Other trees have been planted on the area so it makes a first class park area right in town. The objective of this wetland is to treat some of the street run off so that the water is in better condition when it is returned to the river.

This Fall Keeps on Giving

   I didn't start this fall with any intention of taking pictures of fall colors. Colors this year have been brilliant and wide spread. So here goes with some more fall colors that were given to me.

Brush  on the river bank

Wagon trail

Aspen at the bottom of the escarpment

This time I got some sky in the photo like I was supposed to.

A cooperative pileated woodpecker that posed for me.

       I was surprised to see two flowers in bloom.

Common bluebell

Smooth fleabane

"It's a Beautiful Day in my Neighborhood"

      This huge poplar tree is directly across the street from me. Since it's such a large tree and has brilliant yellow leaves I couldn't resist a photo. I wanted more light from the rising sun , but that was not to be.

Many of the leaves have dropped from this tree but it's still got color

      Trees in the neighborhood are from 6 m (20 ft.)  to 14 m (45 ft.) high with some spruce at 28 m (80 ft.) Some variety of poplars were planted and are up to  30 m(100 ft.) and stand out over the whole district. The tree dwarfs the house in front of it.

    The spruce help to show the yellow of the poplar leaves.

      So it was "a beautiful day in my neighborhood."