Looking for color

[Gene Howe]

Yesterday, Sunday, the wife and I took a trip down the Coronado Trail, formerly SR 666, “The Devils Highway” along the eastern edge of AZ. In the past the aspens and oaks have added some fantastic colors to contrast with the pines.
Unfortunately, the forest has recovered hardly at all from the Bear Wallow fire. That one burned 840 sq. mi.
The devastation is awesomely gruesome and terribly sad. There was some evidence of new growth in a few areas, but very little overall. Mostly, new aspens. As you may know, aspens have the largest root systems in the world. A new tree is like growing a new appendage for them.
No pictures of the fire ravaged area. Too ugly. I did manage to get a few pictures out side of the damaged areas.
The first one is just outside our property. Elevation about 6000’.
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The next two are at about 8800’ and just before the fire area.
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We stopped at an old hunting lodge for lunch. This pic is the carving on the fireplace’s pine mantle. Done by a lady who lives nearby. Though it may look like just paint, the clouds and the tiny trees are all in relief.
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Not an exceptionally pretty trip, but we had a good meal and met some nice people.

[peterm]

Nice pictures Gene. That mantle is impressive!

Leaves have changed colour here in Nova Scotia, in fact I scraped the first morning frost off my car windows two days ago. We went for a walk in a local park called Shubie Park, an area conserved along an old canal built in the 1800s. The area was burnt over in the 1950s and has recovered pretty well. The canal connected several large lakes and the walkways allow walking along the canal and lake shores, as well as into adjacent woods. Some of it is reserved as a "dogs off leash" area, great for local pet owners. Here is a view looking down part of the canal:
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It is a nice place for a walk:
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I think this is a maple:
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[Gene Howe]

Nice pics, Peter.
Though we love living where we do, we do miss the fall colors we had in abundance in the midwest. ESPECIALLY, the maples!