Fallen leaves near Lake Massabesic. Photograph by Kathi Webster.
Autumn is finally here, and so is the beginning of the Autumn foliage color season. This year, Wednesday 22 September 2021 is the autumnal equinox, marking the beginning of “Fall.” The Old Farmer’s Almanac waxes poetic on that topic, so I need not repeat it here.
Locals and tourists alike each year look forward to the brilliant and colorful dress that adorns our forests. When the colors start to appear, they do so with a rush that surprises you.
The official New Hampshire tourism web site includes an interesting “Fall Foliage Tracker” that allows you to select the “perfect time to see nature’s fireworks.” As I write this story, all of New Hampshire’s counties have “some” colorful foliage, which I can also attest to. Expect that to change on a daily basis.
Pine needles turns to gold, near Lake Massabesic. Photograph by Kathi Webster.
The “height” of the Autumn foliage color runs generally from late September until the middle of October. Reportedly due to our warm weather, it is possible that foliage season will begin a bit later this year.
The AP news web site reported that the New Hampshire’s Division of Travel and Tourism Development is emphasizing that visitors to the state this fall “Know Before You Go” online with regard to coronavirus-related requirements and restrictions.
“The mountains majestic, with evergreen spread,
Surpass, in their grandeur, the prairies in brown,
The hills, decked in autumn with yellow and red,
Enliven the city, the country and town.”
— A Home in the Granite State (p 429), by Amanda Jemima Smart
Amanda J. Dearborn was born in Thornton NH in 1830. In 1851 she married Lewis R. Smart. They lived a few years in Kansas, but preferring a home in their native state, they returned to live in Campton NH.
======ADDITIONAL READING=====
New Hampshire: Leaf Peeping Through Time
Poem: Monadnock in Autumn, by Edna Dean Proctor
New England Poetry: The Last Day of Summer
There is nothing like New England in the fall. I feel so fortunate to live in this region. All four seasons have their beauty.
Amy, I have to agree with you. I lived outside of New England for 10 years and the autumn felt rather bland without the wonderful colors of my home state. Thank you, as always, for reading and commenting.