Fall classic, millpond

I'm something of a traditionalist, and, according to long-standing tradition, Columbus Day weekend is supposed to be the peak of leaf-peeping season. But around 20 years ago, many of us in the natural history business started noticing that, as global climate change began to manifest itself in our little corner of the world, what had been the peak was actually more like the beginning. The best color, of course, comes from the handiwork of decreases in the hours of daylight combined with the right temperature regime—warm days, cool nights—and though the photoperiod isn't affected by our proclivity to increase the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the same is not true for temperature. We now seem to get the right stuff, mercury-wise, a week or so later in October, so, from the leaf-peeping—and photographing—perspective, there no longer seems to be a sharp peak. Still, high point or not, this glowing Red Maple at the edge of the millpond has always been a reliable performer, and this afternoon, it began putting on a beautiful show... right on time.