Monday, November 14, 2005

Fall Colors

I took these pictures of fall colors standing on my patio. People from the East Coast will probably ask what fall colors and then point at their computer screens and start laughing. But hey, this is California and I did not even have to step out of my house to see these lovely colors!

This tree is located right across my patio. I can see it from the drawing room.


These trees line one side of the road when I look out northwest from my house:


When I was small, I read in my geography text books that there are four seasons in a year: spring, summer, autumn and winter. However, in Chennai, all I got to see was summer and what may be loosely referred to as winter. Of course, flowers bloomed and leaves fell in Chennai too - but there was never a very obvious distinction between the seasons. So I always used to wonder when this mysterious spring and autumn happened - till I came to the US.

Finally I understand that the a year is divided into different seasons because there are distinctions between them and not simply because some geographer thought that it would be good fun to name every group of three months differently! And I also understand that sometimes my Geography text books taught me stuff which was not really relevant to the place I was living in!

Of course, California has a short spring/fall as compared to other places. Still, I like seeing the transition between seasons (as I like doing the clothes-shopping which I feel is necessary to welcome each season ;-)).

7 comments:

BZ said...

sweet. :)
Totally true about Chennai :)

I thought Cal did not have as distinct seasons as other parts of US?

Midwest is much more beautiful and distinctive. The same place.. in each season, looks soooo different. Bright in summer, spring, barren in autumn, and all covered in snow in winter.

Yuo moved to a house? And not an apt? Nice pictures. :)

Ginkgo said...

right...I remember the same abt the houses here..
When u buy those Leo matel toys those construction sets and house building kits..You find it heard to figure outif thts how houses are built..
The moment u get to US and look around...voila..u figur eout everything..:-)

Archana said...

Saranya, I moved to an apartment not a house (Sigh, I wish it were a house though!). Since I live in it, its my "house" :-)! I wish I can make it to the midwest/east coast during at least one fall. I have heard that fall colors in some of the places are absolutely amazing!

Ginkgo, tell me about it! I have heard cases of people falling a bit too hard against a wall and breaking it!! I think the toy houses I built when I was a kid were stronger!

Ginkgo said...

oh yeah...remember going to one of those parks during tht fall colors season..

Guess I was in chicago then..and the place was supposedly the 6th best in the US as ranked by MSN then
was gorgeous....was thinking then..
if 6th best is so good..think abt the top 2...if I remember those places were in the east coast..boston..I guess..not sure..

But shd go there and visit once at the least

Shilpa said...

Ahh nice...tree in texas are finally changing colour....and i think we finally have winter !
Today is dropped to 40s !
( fyi till yday we had pleasant weather ... was in 70s)

Archana said...

I heard New Hampshire has very very beautiful fall colors. One of my friends said that that was how paradise must look like! I hope to go and see paradise sometime.

This year fall seems to be unseasonally late na? I remember last year this time, the leaves had already fallen off and the trees were looking gray and sad.

Ginkgo said...

yes...it sure is kinda late..

as it was 'early' last year..

The one thing that Im wanting to see this year, is if it snows like last time..
Even places to the very south tip of texas...snowed out during last christmas/ thanksgivin..

Amazing it was, esp as it did after like 40 yrs..
have to see wutz in store this year..:-)

I wud certainly love some surprises during summer , rather, in this desertland of mine