Saturday, September 17, 2016

Autumn is in the Air!


Thank you, everyone, for reading my last blog post about my reflections on the fifteenth anniversary of  9-11-01. After all these years it is still a difficult day to remember with many emotions and much sadness.  Our community in Littleton had a candlelight memorial service for a former resident, Jason Dahl, who was the pilot of the hijacked United Flight 93 that was brought down that day in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.  At the ceremony friends and neighbors talked about their fond memories of Captain Dahl, and one of the recipients of this year's Jason Dahl Aviation Scholarship, awarded in Jason Dahl's memory, spoke about his dream to become a pilot one day. As the program ended all in attendance sang "God Bless America." It was a very touching and heartfelt ceremony.


As the days pass deeper into September, and the sun lies lower in the horizon, with days growing shorter and evening temperatures getting cooler, the aspen trees in Colorado begin to turn from green to shades of gold and orange. Autumn is definitely in the air!  It is my favorite season, and I'm looking forward to enjoying it as much as possible.


The aspen color changes occur in the higher elevations of Colorado first...


..... and then slowly descend down to the lower elevations.  So it is possible to enjoy autumn now, and well into October

Please click on to enlarge

Our summer was unusually warm on the Front Range of Colorado this year, with many days over ninety degrees, so I'm looking forward to cooler temperatures, and yes, even snow! I will miss seeing the delightful hummingbirds that liked to visit a blue salvia plant in my backyard many times a day. I'll also miss the young fawn who was born in my next door neighbor's yard in early summer and who visited us frequently while his mother looked for food. These last days of summer brought cheerful little sparrows who sat on my lavender bushes  and enjoyed eating the flower seeds of the lavender plants. Every season brings its precious moments of beauty!


This is the perfect time of the year to take a long drive to enjoy the scenery.


Our grandchildren have been back in school for almost a month, and weekend soccer games and fall festivals have begun. 


Soon we will be picking out a pumpkin at the pumpkin farm and decorating for Halloween with the grands, rituals that bring back many happy memories from my childhood, as well as my children's childhood.


I'll share Colorado autumn photos in the next few months, and I will also be sharing the wonderful trip my husband and I took to see Glacier National Park in Montana in August. I finally finished downloading and editing almost 2,000 photos that I took on that trip! It was a spectacular park to visit and our drive through Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, on our way to and from the park was also wondrous in its own way.


There is so much beauty in the world and the western states of the USA really have a special charm of their own.

 Enjoy life and enjoy the changing season! 


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17 comments:

Linda W. said...

Looking forward to your Glacier NP trip recaps!

Lady Fi said...

I love the cusp between summer and autumn. Your photos of this enormous landscape are gorgeous!

Mersad said...

Those sweeping views of the Colorado mountains and valleys are mesmerizing!

Mersad
Mersad Donko Photography

eileeninmd said...

Hello, gorgeous views and images. I love the mountains and sky. The hummer is beautiful. Happy Sunday, enjoy your new week ahead!

Ruth Hiebert said...

Gorgeous scenes.I look forward to seeing more pictures of your travels and even around your home area.

The Joy of Home with Martha Ellen said...

Pat, you are so right, there is much beauty in the world! And your photos attest to that fact! Our country is so large and full of diversity! What a wonderful post. I look forward to seeing your next adventure! ♥

Michelle said...

Beautiful views! I am looking forward to your Glacier NP trip pics!

Villrose said...

Great shots of sky and clouds!

The Gathering Place said...

Pat, your pictures are beautiful as always. Fall is my very favorite season and I'm loving the changes already. Mountains are a great canvas for fall.

likeschocolate said...

So touching! Glad he isn't forgotten! We drove through there this summer. So grateful for all those whom made the sacrifice.

Anonymous said...

A lovely post Pat:) Good to stand still and put our priorities in order at 9/11/ The yellow gold is such a beautiful contrast with the blue sky. Many thanks for sharing your thoughtful post with SEASONS! Much appreciated:) Have a happy week!

betty-NZ said...

Wonderful photos. I so love autumn colors!

Lowcarb team member said...

What a fabulous series of photographs. The colour in them all is simply amazing.

All the best Jan

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Beautiful photos, as always.

diane b said...

Beautiful photos and I love your enthusiasm for the coming Fall. Our seasons in the sub-tropics are not a lot different from each other but we are enjoying the Spring flowers at the moment. That bambi has huge ears.

Barb said...

What great photos, Pat. I hope you're enjoying fall on the Front Range. Here it is cool and heading toward winter. I really wouldn't mind if fall would hang on a bit longer!

DeniseinVA said...

Hi Pat, thank you for sharing this lovely post with Today's Flowers. Very much appreciate you doing that. Have a great week :)