Past Peak

It’s late October and the leaves are mostly gone. A few oaks still hang on. The yellows, oranges, and even the browns stand out against the gray sky, but most of the color has already fallen.

There’s a lot of talk about peak foliage here in the fall. It’s a kind of mania. News outlets overlay color zones on maps of the state. People chase peak wherever the maps tell them to go, trying to catch autumn in its perfect moment.

Driving north on Route 1 this morning, the low sun hit the tops of the trees on the left side of the road. They glowed gold while everything else stayed in shadow.

We’re way past peak. The trees don’t seem to know it.