I grew up in the tropics, and as anyone who has actually lived there can tell you, we do have seasons there. What we don’t have is the spectacular display of fall colors that New England has, and which I still marvel at, even after witnessing this transformation of the landscape every year for the past 35 years.

Botany, or the biology of plants, can explain why leaves turn color and fall off the trees, but meteorology, or the science of weather, has a lot to do with the phenomenon as well. The current consensus is that a warm and wet spring, typical summer conditions, and mild, sunny autumn days with cool evenings are conducive to the best foliage. This did not bode well for 2007, but the march of time is relentless, and autumn has finally arrived in Central and Western Massachusetts.

I took these photos with my old HP215 over the past few weeks.

View from my deck, looking east toward Worcester

Looking north along my street in western Worcester County

Some trees turned brilliant red-orange.

Other trees turned dazzling yellow-gold.

These trees tower over one of the older cemeteries in my town.