Fall Colors

The colors are pretty much gone now, but my goodness this year we had quite a show. Everything from the trees on the river bottom to the weeds along the roads were outstanding. 

The cottonwoods were such a pretty golden yellow this year. We never made it up the mountain but I understand the aspens were so bright that the air was completely charged with color. 

Yellow color on the mountain reminds me of the first fall we spent in western Montana. Having always lived on the eastern side of the Continental Divide, there were different trees than we were used to. Western Montana and on west to the west coast has a tree that is unlike anything we had ever seen. A deciduous conifer. A pine tree of sorts that produces its seeds in cones, but loses its needles every year. We were appalled when fall came and we could see a lot of the pine trees turning yellow and losing their needles. We were sure the forest was in real trouble. Imagine our embarrassment when we finally got the courage to ask some one what was wrong with all of the trees. We certainly got laughed at. After having it explained to us, we were then okay with it, and later learned that the Western Larch or Tamarack is some of the best firewood out there. 

But I digress…

I don’t think I have ever seen kochia weed turn such a magnificent fuschia color as it did this year. The sumac bushes were blood red, the Russian thistles sported green mixed with pink, purple and fuchsia. Our lilacs turned several shades of yellow and a rich mahogany color. It seemed everywhere we drove, everywhere we looked, there was amazing color. We have a weed that is like a fall aster; I think it is called blue lettuce. It blooms in the fall, grows on the ditch banks and this year it was huge and such a pretty blue. Blue isn’t a color most of us associate with fall, but there it is bright blue spot among all of the rusts, and browns, and yellows.  It is a rare fall indeed that we get that kind of show. 

There have been years a plenty that it didn’t bother to give us a frost and an Indian summer. It just froze hard the first of September and the leaves turned brown and wouldn’t even come off of the trees. Yes the leaves blowing around are a frustration, but it is so much fun to kick them down the sidewalk. 

Fall is over, even though autumn is not. We are moving quickly into the “holiday season.” And many have already put up their Christmas trees. That is pretty awesome. I am old fashioned and hold the line until the week before Christmas to set my tree up. In my small house there just isn’t enough room for a tree to be up for two months, but my Nativity sets are never put away. The have their own special cupboard and reside there year around. 

Our bees are gone now, off to California to spend the winter. In honor of their hard work this summer, here is a recipe for…

Honey Oatmeal Cookies

I cup honey

2/3 cup butter

2 eggs, well beaten

2 cups flour

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups rolled oats

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon soda, dissolved in 2 tablespoons sweet milk

Cream butter and honey together, add other ingredients, mix, drop by teaspoonful on greased pan. Bake in moderate oven (350º) for 10-12 minutes.