Colors of fall

We are in the middle of autumn here in the Swan Valley. The leaf trees are just getting past their peak color and the larch needles are just starting to turn yellow.

Thinking about the process of leaves (and needles) changing colors, it is a bit ironic that the process that brings out the beauty, is also the one that leads to their ultimate demise. The color change happens as the life-giving green chlorophyll breaks down and disappears. This reveals other often brilliant colors that are in the leaves as well. However, inevitably, the leaves fall off and eventually decay.

The analogy is not a p...