Sugar Maple's last glory

The autumn color show has been spotty, and, because of the ongoing drought, more than a little muted. Still, once the rain cleared out, we were given a brilliant, sparkling day—an afternoon perfect for exploring and capturing photographs. A fair number of trees are now completely bare, and that would include most of the maples. But a few members of the Acer clan, including this Sugar Maple, have saved their best for just about last. This is a youngster, and I wonder if it will be one of the trees that keep their foliage all winter. Younger trees, the beeches in particular, often refuse to abscise. I've often wondered why they do so, and I've speculated that, even though the leaves have no function, the beeches just can't quite believe that they'll go green the following spring. Oh trees of little faith! I don't know if this maple will hold on to its foliage, but it sure knows how to put on a spectacular show while it makes up its mind.