Fall in the Woods

We’re in the midst of fall color here in the woods. This photograph was shot from the house up in the loft through the window by our bed. This was in mid-October, just as leaves started to turn and the maples and hickories were golden. Now more than half the leaves have fallen and the colors range from bright red to dark brown, with a few trees still green.

Leaves hadn’t really started to carpet the forest floor (or our yard) in mid-October. In early November we’ve already raked and mowed the leaves around the house, shop and shack. We’re getting cold fronts passing through with a fair amount of rain for each, so this year the threat of forest fire hasn’t been so great. Once the leaves dry from the most recent rain we’ll begin raking and mowing again.

The raked leaves go into large compost piles, two next to the yard and one in the garden. Eventually the composted leaves go to the garden, either as mulch or “soil” to enrich the beds.

November 2, 2014