A few months ago Greg and I took a trip to Flagstaff, to see the Aspens. This trip was a long time coming since he had been promising me for two years. Each year, there was some conflict that kept us in our individual homes during the change of colors. We are both Arizona natives but only one of us (guess who) had never seen Autumn in action. That’s right, I had never seen the changing of the colors. Unless you count the desert turning from dark yellow/brown to bleached out yellow in the summer time… then yeah… I’ve seen.

So in October we escaped the still blistering heat of Summer (it still felt like Summer even though it was Autumn), and climbed the mountain.

It was breathtaking as always. I really do love Flagstaff. You know, for having grown up there, Greg isn’t much of a hippie. I find that odd.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I could see some of the colors from a distance but nothing prepared me for the raw beauty of seeing the Aspens up close. The way the leaves flutter in a breeze remind me of cottonwood trees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unlike cottonwood trees, the leaves don’t just turn brown and drop off, they turn all sorts of yellows and golds and oranges.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My son loves to ham it up for the camera.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was even a bit of snow on the ground from the last storm. Finally, it felt like Autumn. In fact, the snow reminded me that Winter was coming. I could picture Eddard Stark leaning against his longsword, Ice, exclaiming, “Winter is coming.” Only Winter no longer feels like it is coming. We are in December and the temps are still in the high 70s, low 80s. Way to go AZ. Way to go.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By the way, doesn’t it look like the Aspens have eyes? You know what else has eyes? The Weirwood in Game of Thrones. 😀