Autumn Begins

"Autumn Expectations" by Cole Scott Photography

The Autumnal Equinox is Sunday, September 22nd.  New Englanders are preparing for the onslaught of visitors from New England, the Mid-Atlantic states and Canada.  New Hampshire alone is projected to entertain over 7.8MM visitors spending $1.09B.  As I live in a resort area and my income is dependent upon advertising to tourists, I hope it's true.

Gun Club Pond

I call this "Gun Club Pond" for two reasons:

1. It's next to an outdoor gun club in Madison, NH
2. My husband can't remember the name of it and I'm too lazy to look up

New England Autumn #1

Taken by Cole Scott on a pond 15 minutes from our home.  

Best Time of the Year

About an hour from home is the largest lake in New Hampshire, Winnipesaukee.  This little corner of the lake is the "poor side" as opposed to the "rich side" distinguished by Meredith, Wolfeboro, Governor's Island.  Alton Bay is quaint and non-commercial and very much in the classic New England style.

By the way, ex-Gov. Romney's home is in Wolfeboro.  

Autumn Display

Autumn Comes to New Hampshire

My husband, photographer Cole Scott, has captured some fine autumnal images over the past few year.  

It's the most breath-taking season in New England.  I plan to post an image every other day.

Autumn on the Saco River

He has a new blog as well, Pictures for Words.  

Fun Stuff We Do in New England

Every year I post photographs of the wildly popular local attraction/contest/tourist draw, "The Pumpkin People" held throughout the Town of Bartlett in the burghs of Jackson, Glen, Bartlett and Harts Location.    Restaurants, lodging establishments, shops come up with original tableaux using something we have in abundance in the Fall:  pumpkins.    These photos are from years past.  The new ones will be on display between Oct1 -21st.  For more info go here.

                                                                                              Abbey Road

Addams Family

Pirates of the Port of  Pumpkin

Pumpkin People Salute the Military

Yellow Brick Road

New England Fall Photography

I'm posting photos my husband has taken Falls past.  I'm off to New Orleans tomorrow morning to spend four days with five girlfriends with whom I grew up.  We're celebrating our mutual 60th birthdays in The Big Easy.   

Side Tracked 

Backwater Pond

Bretton Woods

Autumnal Pond

Gourds

Autumnal Equinox 2011

"Forest Floor"  

According to The Old Farmer's Almanac, today is the first day of Fall.

September & October are the magic months in New England.  The first time you visit, it's probably to see Fall foliage.  You will not be disappointed.  In fact, having lived in Utah, Kentucky and Virginia, all of which have beautiful fall seasons, I was surprised by how much more vibrant the foliage is in New England.  It is unsurpassed.

In the beginning, there are hints of color here and there, in a low lying field where the cold settles in, on a stray branch no longer catching the sun's rays. 

"Autumn Barn" 

Color begins to spread.   As the weather turns chilly and the sun sets earlier, the leaves have no choice but to change.

"Reflections" 

The low growing tree below is widespread along the sides of the road with brilliant yellow and red leaves.

I'm told it's a variety of Sumac.

"Stripes" by Cole Scott

The rust on the iron trestle mimics the rust in the leaves.

"1st Iron Bridge" by Cole Scott

Finally, the colors are at their peak and you know you've witnessed Nature's last gift before the snow comes, before you get to freeze your ass off for another 5 months.

"Autumn Birches"  

This is the reason we fell in love with New England.  It's one of the reasons we're still here after 14 years.

"September in New Hampshire"

All photographs by Cole Scott Photography.  For more "Seasons of New England", go here.

Return of the Pumpkin People 2010

Every year, the quaint village of Jackson, N.H. distinguishes itself with the leaf peepers by displaying the "Pumpkin People".  As you can see, it's a creative venture designed for visitors and locals and we love it.  Photos taken by someone at the Jackson Chamber and I'm posting the best photos, not necessarily the best vignette.  Enjoy!



Nightmare Before Christmas

Cheshire Cat

Off to See the Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Where's Waldo?

Peanuts

Too Soon for Peak Foliage

After what felt like an endless summer, the warmest temps on record, according to Science Daily, New England is very much into Fall.  In fact, northern New Hampshire is peaking now which, seems much too early.  

Our first trip to New Hampshire was Fall 1986.  We took a ten day trip from Virginia, leaving on 9/25 and returning 10/4.  I remember because it took me several years in a row to book this driving trip through the places we wanted to see and stay.  It must have been a record year for foliage as we were bedazzled by every place we visited.  So bedazzled and happy and relaxed, we conceived our first child while in the New Hampshire portion of the trip.  No wonder I remember it so well! 

I have so many photos and they are all about the leaves.  Locals call Fall visitors "leaf peepers".  They represent the best and worst of the tourists; the best because they spend alot of money, the worst because they always drive SLOOOOWWWW.

Here's a sample of early local color to which we look forward all year.

Autumn on the Saco River

by Cole Scott

Autumnal Equinox or As the World Turns

Ruth of synch-ro-ni-zing inspired me with her nod to Fall today, so here's mine.



Lonely summer chair by the edge of a pond as Fall settles in.

Blue skies dramatize the changing colors of Fall leaves and the bleaching of the barn wood as it decomposes back into the earth.

Bright orange pumpkins, a sure sign Fall is here and Halloween is just around the corner.  After that, pumpkin pies!

Is anything more beautiful than the deepest reds of Autumn?  Those years when red is not plentiful lack the richness I've come to expect of this New England season.



Abandoned cars of an old railway grace the empty tracks bordering a stand of slowly yellowing trees.

Orange, my second favorite Autumn color.  Trees stand out when their colors change.  You can see their magnificent shapes as they reach to the sky.

View of a bridge, the 4th Iron Trestle, spanning the Saco River. 



Nature's first green is gold
Her hardest hue to hold
Her early leaf's a flower
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf
So Eden sank to grief
So dawn turns into day
Nothing gold can stay.

Robert Frost

               

All photos by Cole Scott Photography.