I've Said Goodbye to Autumn

Many of you have remarked how lucky we are that our autumn lasts so long.  You must understand, however, that fall colors don't start manifesting themselves in Eastern Texas until well into November.  Last year, according to the photos I took, our color peaked on December 17!  Here it is December 14 and ifall finally disappeared within the last couple of weeks.  This photo was taken on December 4th and it was the last picture of the autumn season.  I was on my way to Shreveport, Louisiana, and had just passed through a small town near the border when I spotted this brilliant yellow tree.  I had been looking all season for a tree whose leaves were just as beautiful underneath as they were on the branches.  I spotted this beauty out of the corner of my eye as I was zipping by and I  had one of those slam-on-the-brakes moments which is then followed by a U-turn!  Since we seldom get snow in these parts (and if we do it's just a dusting) that means our roadsides, outside of the pine forests, will be glum and dreary until springs peeks her lovely head through the woods sometime in March.