Fall is just around the corner! A touch of autumn in the air

[ctyanky]

And it’s been feeling like that the entire past week in New England too!

Hello there Vermont foliage fanatics! It has been quite a while since I last posted on the foliage forum. Here in northern CT the leaves are just starting to dull with a patch here and there of color at the tops of the tallest trees and in the northern tiers of the state. Right on target with last year at this time, the beginning of August. It has been quite cool this past week with a touch of autumnal bliss in the mornings! It’s been a fantastic summer so far, gorgeous weekends, and wonderfully cool for the most part.

I’m sure folks are now getting excited for the start of fall in Vermont – just a mere month and a couple of weeks away. Although I have had a super summer so far, I am ready to get my mums and décor out right after Labor Day Weekend!
Unfortunately, I will not be able to enjoy my extended Vermont vacation this year, the first time in almost 10 years. Sad but true. I have had extensive home repairs and remodeling which have virtually obliterated my Vermont foliage funds for this season. On top of that, "fuel season" begins the end of September and oil is expensive here in the northeast. I have been struggling with not going on my yearly vacation but it is what it is. Houses can be quite consuming financially!

Anyways, I do expect to be up for a few day trips to southern Vermont and hope to see ixl (Charles) over Columbus Day Weekend. I am a hop, skip and jump away from the border so all is not lost. I will miss our various meet ups with Phil, bm, Carol, mmvt and Tim, our Scenes of Vermont administrator, for sure. The 2015 reunion is still a priority as it promises to be a big one indeed!

Off topic, I recently had a super time at the West Dover Blueberry Festival with their kooky parade, great craft fair, pancake breakfast at the Rotary Club and topped it off with the Blue Bird Express lift up Mt. Snow. Once again, the views of Somerset Reservoir dazzled the heck out of me. Had lunch at the top at the restaurant and the views off the deck of the reservoir were amazing!

I will be on the foliage forum during the season however, and I hope the forum picks up steam as we near the start of the autumn. Hello to all of you out there and especially to the foliage gang whom I will dearly miss.

Bring it on! CT

[minnesotaman]

Can anyone comment on whether summer rainfall in VT/NH is above average, below average or normal? After 12 autumns in VT I find aummer rainfall to be the most reliable preseason indicator of foliage quality.

[ctyanky]

Hi Minnesota: I can speak for southern New England only. It's been relatively dry here and cooler than average. The storms from the summer seemed to have migrated north to VT and NH and ME and they have seen their fair share of heavy rains from the storms. I'll defer to those in these areas for confirmation but it's only August and we have a solid four weeks of weather to come to make any sort of predictions in my opinion. I think things are looking good up there. One VT site had early leaf change photos and not from stressed trees. See you on the forum!

[autzig]

CT, it is good to see you that you are alive and well. I haven't heard from you in long time so I was glad to see your post.

Can't believe there is another Minnesotan here. I thought I was the only one. Hope he/she becomes a regular on the forum.

I've still got the the 2015 meet-up on my calendar. I think Andy does too. Hopefully Carol's arm will be all healed up and we'll get some of the others, like Charles, Dean and Janice, to join us too.

By the way, I've completely updated my website. If you are interested, you can see it at http://www.goldimagesphoto.com

Al

[ctyanky]

Al: I really enjoyed your portfolio and the way you have set it up. It is easy on the eye and the icons are very inviting and seem to say, "Come take a peek". I especially enjoyed New England of course, but Nature was my favorite! Thanks for sharing this. As I have said before, it is like looking at a National Geographic magazine online! Your photography is amazing! Great job!

Has anyone noticed the darkness creeping in an hour earlier now? It is getting dark around 8:00 here. Tonight is supposed to be very cool indeed with some areas dipping into the upper 40's!!! Very exciting!

Another gorgeous weekend on our doorsteps! What a great summer indeed!

[DCE Nebraska]

Oh my CT. Just read your item that you have to shorten your trip or time to Vermont but you do plan on spending a few days in southern Vermont. As much time that you spent in northern Vermont with some of the sights and sounds and your reactions to many scenes etc. you will not doubt miss much of it if you only take in southern Vermont. We are planning on going right now even though my wife suffered a badly broken leg after we returned from Vermont last fall. The final result is that she will have a cane the rest of her life and that does change a few things. Your comments about the lake views of Northern Vermont, Addison County, Waitsfield, and other areas up north was very good. I want to share another one with you and that is the restaurant at Marshfield. This older person has the old whipped cream desserts which are very good. He appears to be quite rude but that is part of his personality displayed toward others. So hopefully you can make it somehow and talk about your experiences again up in Northern Vermont. You might have to eliminate some chicken pot pies or other desserts to make it. Maybe sleep in a tent instead of the B and Bs. <grin> I did read a report that gas prices could be under $3.00 by that time. Hard to believe as for the New England States. Keep on writing CT and hope you can make a longer trip than what you are planning this time. Don

[Utah Baker]

A big hello to everyone! It is so nice to see things ramping up on the forum! CT, sad to hear you will not be making your regular trip this year, but at least you are close enough to make some weekend trips up to the southern part of the state, and for me that makes you a lucky girl! We will not be coming this year , in hopes that we can make the fabulous reunion the next. Instead I will be looking forward to a trip planned for mid Oct. with my eldest son and his family to Durango Col., going to ride the steam train between Durango and Silverton. hope to get some good photos of a differnt kind of Autumn! But I'll bet your house looks lovely, and that's something you'll enjoy year round.

Minnesotaman, we really need to hear from some of the locals, but I do have the weather channel app on my phone, and I have regularly checked the weather for Stowe. It appears that they have had a rather wet and cool summer, never seen a temp above the 80"s .

Al, love the new website, WOW! Love the New England photos, as well as your beautiful southern Utah ones (Big surprise! )


We here have enjoyed an absolutely lovely two weeks into Aug., with cooler temps and lots of rain, big thunderstorm last night just after we went to bed that really rocked and rolled, then awoke to a beautiful clear morning with a temp of 58! Not the 40's CT is enjoying, but it certainly a start in the right direction! Yippee!, bring on Autumn I am ready!

[ctyanky]

Hi Don! Nice to see you on the forum and glad you are going to Vermont this season! Sorry about the news with your wife's broken leg. That was probably quite an unexpected change of events! Was the restaurant you mentioned the Perfect Pie? Carol and I stayed at a farm in Marshfield for a weekend last fall and we ate here one night and found the food to be absolutely delicious. It was right on route 2 in Marshfield at a small side street. As far as me sleeping in a tent, I'm afraid I'm the worst candidate for camping out! No explanation needed for those who know me!

Hi there Janice! I can't wait to meet you in 2015 for the reunion. I'm not sure where I will be staying as I have decided to move my venue to the Woodstock area for a change of pace. It's time to try other areas of Vermont after all these years. I am very fortunate to live so close to the border, under two hours to get to Guilford and just two to Brattleboro. I have quite a few day trips planned. One that I am really looking forward to is the trek up Mt. Equinox in Manchester. The gang did this a couple of years ago and we hiked to the overlook of the Manchester Village. Mt. Equinox is surely the most extreme long view in Vermont in my opinion. It is something everyone should drive up and take in the most beautiful views I've ever experienced! There is a car charge but worth every penny! As I mentioned in a previous post, I was up in West Dover for the Blueberry Fest the last weekend in July and if I plan ahead, I can get quite a lot of fun activities accomplished before it is time to head back to CT. We also discovered some great new backroads off route 9 to get to Dover and a beautiful lake! Your trip this autumn sounds wonderful!

I'm exploring many areas in NW CT and Western MA in the Berkshires this fall besides VT day trips. A must do for anyone is Mt. Greylock in North Adams! Yowzah! The views and drive up rival Mt. Equinox for sure! I'm also planning a Quabbin Reservoir trip (Central MA) in the fall for the beauty I've heard so much about! I have a couple of horse shows around here and lots of craft and agricultural fairs on the calendar, and so far, I'm almost booked through October! Otherwise, I'd be in a state of meloncholy for not going to VT for the 10 days this year. To make matters worse, I just got my autumn issue of Vermont Life in the mail yesterday and the fall photography shots just about did me in!

Nonetheless, I'm enjoying another weekend of blissful weather here in New England! What a grand summer!

P.S. I forgot to add that the roads we took around Dover off route 9 that look nice for fall excursions was Higley Hill Road off Auger Road (from 9) around the Adams Farm. On the way back we took Lake Raponda Road past Lake Raponda (beautiful) back to 9 to 91. Really a great loop! Enjoy!

[ctyanky]

Hi Carol: I hope your weather improves for the weekend and the fair! I was going to go up to Bennington for the Bennington Battle Days Celebration weekend and drive up Mt. Equinox, but have decided to stay here for a country fair in the Litchfield hills. I'm suddenly craving fair food! I want to drive up the mountain on a perfectly clear day.

Looking forward to your photos of the fair!

[bvahjen]

Its probably a bit early for a prediction, but several factors are coming together. There is an el nino forming in the pacific, there has been adequate moisture in the northeast and we are supposed to get a mild polar vortex in late September. On top of that the prediction for mild hurricane season should leave us with a pretty good foliage season. I am seeing some stressed maples in CT turning right on time so thus far we are good.

[Utah Baker]

Hi mmvt! I don't know if you'll have any say in what kind of tree the city plants for you. But I'd look into an October Glory Maple. We planted one in our front yard about ten years ago and it is amazing! It's been developed to hold its leaves longer than other maples and the fall color will knock your socks off! I often have beautiful color into the second week of Nov.

Don, didn't mean to neglect, you but I got called away and didn't get to finish my thoughts. The thought of such a severe break leaves me weak in the knees! Hope your wife can still enjoy traveling with you for many years. Yikes, with your wife and Carols injury, everyone be careful out there!

[ctyanky]

hi mmvt! Two weeks of foliage bliss in Vermont! oh how I will miss it this year. I will think of you each and every day you are up there and will look forward to your wonderful daily reports of the foliage and your treks around the state! You must be getting so excited! I will miss our meet up at your house for the food extravaganza and playing with Cooper! Hope my day trips up there hold me over 'till next year.

Carol: I checked the weather for Barton for your four days for the fair and it now looks to be improving. Sunday will be the pick of the weekend and the other days just show a chance of showers now. Have a great time and I know this is a yearly gathering for your family up there so have fun! Another stellar weekend is on tap here in Southern New England and I can't wait to get out and have fun! Enjoy!