The leaves are turning, but in some cases, such as these oaks, still very slowly.
On Sunday, I was wandering around under the oak trees in the woods for a while. It was a gloriously sunny morning and I found myself stuffing my pockets with acorns and oak leaves. For no particular reason – they just looked interesting.
Maybe I was channelling my inner squirrel. Back indoors, I thought I might try to arrange them a little bit artistically, but I’m not sure it has really worked. Never mind. I love the way that both the leaves and the acorns turn from green to brown, passing through many different pastel colours on the way, many of them ochres – the earth colours.
‘From tiny acorns mighty oaks do grow’ as the saying goes. This one has a little way to go yet, but as long as it doesn’t get broken or knocked down, its chances are good. There is a lot of light where it is growing, and currently little competition for light or space.
I felt a little menaced by a fallen branch, but all was well.
And despite it being mid-October, as I said at the beginning, there are still plenty of summery green leaves to be found.
Mick Canning 
I like your artistic composition with the twigs, leaves & acorns. A nice poster for a Druid gathering.
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Ah, that’s it! I’m on it!
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This is a lovely post for the autumn, Mick, and I love the photos you’ve included, too, although that piece of fallen branch looks somewhat scary. Glad you escaped its jaws! The trees on the bank at the back of my garden (you might remember the photos I posted about them back in July) are mostly still green with just a small amount of yellowing leaves, which are beginning to fall – nothing like the usual autumn amount, though. I love your artistic picture of the leaves, twigs and acorns. I used to love picking up all these bits from the ground, but it’s now out of reach from sitting on Alfie as I’m too high up. Nevertheless, I was doing some litter-picking over at the local park with a small group of XR people, and my friend picked some up for me. I didn’t realise that the inside of some acorns is quite a deep pink colour. I suppose it depends on how ripe they are. I love that you found a little oak tree growing in the woods – I hope it gets left alone to establish itself properly and eventually grow into a much-needed tree. We need all the trees we can get if we want to survive on this ever-changing planet.
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Yes, I hope that little tree makes it. As you say, we need all we can get. It’s growing at a point between two large oaks, just where their canopies touch, so I think it stands a good chance.
Like your trees, the oaks are still largely green, probably more so than any of the other trees in the woods at the moment. I’m expecting them to begin turning very soon, though.
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I’d say your acorn-and-leaf collage is interesting and artistic both; I really like it. Our live oaks stay green year round, although they do drop their old leaves as the new ones emerge in spring. We’re a little short on trees with autumn colors, but we do have huge acorn crops from time to time.
I laughed at you channeling your inner squirrel. When my pet squirrel still was alive, it was a fall ritual to collect freshly fallen acorns for him, and freeze them for use during the winter. I tried to provide him with as much natural food as I could, and the acorns filled the bill nicely. One of my favorite memories is the look my mother gave me the first time she came to visit, opened the freezer door, and found it filled with bags of acorns. Later, she said she was afraid they were for us.
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I can imagine your mum was a little uneasy about that! You mention you’re a little short on autumn colours – I can’t remember exactly where you are, was it California?
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I’m in southeast Texas, almost on the coast — halfway between Houston and Galveston. You want coastal grasses, we’ve got ’em. You want pretty fall trees? Not so much!
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Coastal grasses are rather under-rated, I reckon.
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Sure are.
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I love those sort of medieval forests – very magical. Mid October! Yikes, you’re right.
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Autumn is, and has always been, my favourite time of the year! Yes, I dread winter, but I do so enjoy autumn with crisp, cooler temperatures and the scents and flavours of the season. Happy Autumn, Mick!!!
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Thanks, Jill. You too!
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Amazing leaves here and nice captured pictures Mick. It feels like Autumn indeed👏🔥🔥
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Thanks, Mthobisi. Yes, just a couple of days later, now, and the leaves are changing colour rapidly.
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Our trees all turn very bright colours in autumn. Although our winter temperatures are not that low, they are a lot lower than our summer temperatures, and it usually suddenly turns cold.
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Still not cold here, Robbie, and no sign of it yet in the forecasts. The colours are becoming brighter, though.
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How interesting. Maybe our UK winter holiday this year won’t include snow. The last time we were in the UK during Dec/Jan was 2009 and that was the year the Eurostar got stuck because of the cold and snow. We were on the last train to get through the tunnel. I’ve never forgotten it.
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We’ve not had a lot in the last few years, Robbie. You may have to go to Scotland or North Wales for a decent snowfall.
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I’m not expecting much. It makes traveling difficult but it does look pretty.
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Your inner squirrel has an organized, artistic bent…
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I don’t think my inner anything is organised, Dave.
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I like your oak tree composition – the acorns and leaves – very much. No reason for collecting acorns is necessary, though you did make something nice from them. I like seeing a few gnawed-upon acorns in there!
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Plenty of gnawed acorns around – the majority, probably!
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