More October in Monte, 2018 Edition

I’d meant to fill this space with reflections on where I am regarding my various writing projects. Those are indeed forthcoming, but meanwhile these photo essays are just too easy to do when you’ve,  a) got a lot of great photos, and, b) got a lot of great photos.

It’s not the same pattern as 2017 or 2016, but it is a pattern to itself, with distinguishing glitches.

The dawn was already colored by the heavy cloud cover as it broke with the slow passing of the front, but the cold-burned leaves certainly added their hue here.

In A.D. 2018, the autumn pattern in our patch of the San Luis Valley is broken cloud cover, with wind in the afternoon. It’s yet to get bitterly cold (below 20°F/-6.6°C), although it has gotten cold enough to turn the gold leaves on our aspen to deep red and black, while also rusting the leaves of the tall Lombardy poplars. 

After a while, the gold does come through to catch virtual fire with the rising sun.

From one of the more spectacular sunsets this month. You usually don’t catch this kind of bronze-to-orange light anytime other than August. 

Although the cold nights have the luster of the changed leaves, it could be worse. Last year, we had a heavy, wet snow of the kind that we’re already overdue for in the Colorado high country. The snow melted, then refroze on the leaves and branches, effectively bringing an end to leaf-viewing season before Halloween.

To add insult to injury, that was the only snow we had all season long. With luck, the end of the current La Niña cycle should help break this drought.

Every season of every year has its own personality. Some are more agreeable than others. I got some nice pictures from this one, and some trees have yet to fully change. 

Snow would be good, though. Any day now....

Ice crystals in the upper troposphere create this prisming effect commonly know as a “sun dog.” The moisture is up there. We just need to get it down here.

All photographs Copyright © 2018 by Lawrence Roy Aiken. All rights reserved. Virtual coffee and doughnuts gratefully accepted via PayPal.