Fabulous Fall Foliage and Colorful Autumn Trees

 

In autumn, when I see the glorious burnt oranges, golden yellows, scarlet reds, dusty browns, and additional earth tones of the season, I thank Mother Nature for the changing colors of fall leaves.

Post updated 9/4/2022

See a review of some basic science principles below to explain why leaves of deciduous trees including aspen, oak, maple, and river birch put on a colorful show in the autumn.

Part of the tree's natural growth process in spring and summer, is to bring chlorophyll to its leaves. This gives them a green appearance. 

In autumn, weather cools and the hours of daily sunlight decreases in many areas of the U.S. That's a signal for certain plants to gradually stop production of chlorophyll—a necessary component of photosynthesis. 

Photosynthesis only occurs in the presence of warmth and sunshine, which of course become increasingly scarce starting in late September. 

As chlorophyll production stops, the green leaf color fades. Colorful flavonoids and carotenoids in the natural pigment of various leaf species sport yellow, orange, red, and purple coloration. 

For in-depth science details for school age children or grandchildren, and for those with a curious mind, see more about how plants prepare for winter. Also check out Why do Leaves Change Color in Fall?

I am fascinated by autumn leaf COLORS, and offer content and pictures below to show you why ... These colors are

GLORIOUS

WONDORUS

SPLENDID

STATELY

AMAZING

LIVELY

INVIGORATING

MAGNIFICENT

SPECTACULAR

STUNNING

AWESOME

GRAND

DELIGHTFUL

BREATHTAKING

Do you relish seeing russet (brownish red), amber (pale yellow or brownish yellow), copper (shiny yellow metallic color), and bright ruby and scarlet reds of fall? 

See the Merriam Webster Website for ideas about additional names for colorful autumn leaf hues.

Fabulous Fall Foliage and Colorful Autumn Trees

Here's some related posts to enjoy

Favorite Fall Fruit and Vegetables

Awesome Home and Garden Ideas for Fall

How to Use Fall Colors to Awaken Your Senses

Can you relate to my autumn rhapsody? Please let me know by commenting below.

Do you plan to drive to autumn leaf country or do you live in an area where autumn leaves are prevalent around you? Please explain. 

Perhaps you'd be good enough to relay a favorite autumn tree, autumn color, or autumn activity story.

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This autumn get outdoors to enjoy crisper weather, take part in fall fun, and delight in splendid colors of this wonderful time of year. 

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Use Color Ideas to Cultivate Happiness

Research shows when we see certain colors, our brains release feel-good chemicals that impact us on a physical and emotional level. A study published in the October 2019 issue of  Journal of Environmental Psychology indicates YELLOW is usually the color of happy, joyful emotions. 

Happiness improves our sense of well-being. However, the study also revealed not all people associate yellow with good vibes. 

Those who live close to the equator and in climates with a scarcity of rain, find yellow less attractive than people who live in cooler, rainier climes.

To illustrate, look at the color wheel below. It is a visual representation of the broad range of hues in the visible light spectrum. 

RED, ORANGE, and YELLOW are three colors that appear next to each other on the color wheel. For additional details about the origin of the color wheel and its creator, Sir Isaac Newton, look here. 

Warm colors often evoke feelings of happiness, optimism, and energy. Warm hues make rooms and objects appear smaller, because they make them look closer and create a cozy feel. 

Warm hued paint colors, carpeting, or furniture makes spaces look more intimate. A word of caution. A big concentration of warm color can be overwhelming, and may even stimulate aggressive emotions. To offset this, pair warm tones with neutral ones.

ORANGE is a bright warm-toned color. It's the color of many healthful, tasty fruits and vegetable.

Orange energy supplies a dose of emotional support. Its power helps us feel creative, enthusiastic, and perky.

RED is an energizing warm-hued color. It speeds up metabolism and inspires excitement, passion, and love. Red reminds us of heart health. For heart disease prevention tips see this. 

PINK is next to red on the warm hued area of the color wheel. It evokes feelings of gratitude and admiration. The color pink carries with it the meaning of elegance and grace. It reminds us of sweetness and tender loving care.

Dark pink is the variation of pink that is often used as a symbol of gratitude and appreciation, and is a color I love to wear.

Another factor that influences our color preferences is unique to each individual. Colors work at the cellular level and bypass thinking. Color likes and dislikes are subjective, and often are affected by our life experiences, mindset, and feelings.

When we interact with someone (a loved one or even stranger) or participate in something that is meaningful to us, we are likely to remember and associate it with the colors we saw. 

Colors can make our surroundings, peoples' body language, and sounds, smells, textures, and moments vivid, and our memory of them long lasting. 

A quote that appears on the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institute of Health (NIH) Website follows. 

"Colour is believed to be the most important visual experience to human beings (2). It functions as a powerful information channel to the human cognitive system and has been found to play a significant role in enhancing memory performance (3)."

How many of the warm hued colors mentioned above bring you pleasure? 

When I wear bright pink I feel optimistic and lovable. Red reminds me of romance and I associate it with the sweet aroma of fresh roses just picked from my garden. Orange lifts my spirit as I envision a gorgeous southwestern sunrise or sunset. Yellow makes me think of fun times and sunflowers and popcorn. 

Cool colors are often more subdued than warm ones. Cool colors recede and appear to be farther away from the observer than warm ones. Cool colors include green, blue, and purple, and variations of those three colors. 

BLUE is a favorite color for a large segment of the world population, and is slightly more popular with men than women. Blue is the only primary color within the cool spectrum.

Blue is a great stress buster, and letting go of tension helps us feel happier.

Use Blue for Self-compassion

GREEN is a cool-hued color that helps us establish a pathway for renewal, expansion, and flexibility. It promotes growth, balance, good health, and abundance. 

For colorful ideas about ways to enhance your lifestyle with green see this. Some shades of green take on elements of yellow, and uplift our spirit.

PURPLE possesses some of the attributes of red, so it's a less subdued cool color than the others. 

Wear a light shade of purple (lavender) to calm hyperactivity. 

Connect with Crown Chakra Energy and its corresponding color of purple to Integrate Mind, Body, and Spirit and feel centered and peaceful.

Warm and cool toned colors can help us feel greater happiness. Let's cultivate those that appeal to us. 

There are so many ways to use colors to attract goodness into our lives. Decorate, don, and envision colors. To spice up our day, let's visualize happy kids in colorful hues dancing (see first illustration above). 

Cultivate colors to feel content, nurtured, and increase happiness!

 Before you go, don't forget to comment below. 

Which colors help you feel happy? Please explain.

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Positive Quotes to Inspire Us

I’ve been struggling with pain from a flare up of a rotator cuff injury, and am sad about not being able to met with friends and get and give hugs. 

I'm anxious about the well-being of a family member, and find it difficult to concentrate on the work at hand.

Post updated 7/24/2023

I know from past experience, if I worry or hold on to negative thoughts about a physical, emotional, or even political or planetary situations, it doesn't make me feel optimistic or change anything or anyone else.

When I realize I'm obsessing about things that are beyond my control, I’m able to let go by saying "this too shall pass." 

For those who are curious about this quotation read “3 Origins of "This Too Shall Pass.” 

Even when I’m feeling stressed and filled with self-doubt, I have choices about how to handle myself. I know it's time to increase my focus on self-care. 

I may choose to journal write, do a color energy visualization, and/or converse with my buddies to process troubling emotions and rebuild self-confidence.

One of the most effective ways I use to shift my perspective is to ponder the wise words (quotations) of people I respect, and consider how it applies to my situation. 

The power and truth of each quotation provided below inspires me.

Notice which ones resonate with you. Then feel free to use them to support, motivate, and inspire you! 

Two additional elements that can help us cope better are practicing self-compassion and reciting positive affirmations to validate our efforts.

The world situation is such that many seem stressed about what comes next, but contemplating positive quotes can motivate us to persevere and feel relief.

Which quotations inspire you? Which quotes help sustain you as you take steps to move forward? Which ones encourage you to accept yourself just the way you are? 

Please comment below in the space provided. No links in your comments please, as they won't be published that way. 

If you'd like to see more of what I'm up to, visit my WEBSITE . I offer wellness ideas, health information, and color tips to help you feel more vitally alive. 

While you're there, discover several ways you may enjoy working with me.

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Wonders of Monsoon Season in Southern Arizona

Monsoon in southern Arizona is a colorful, exciting natural wonder. In previous years, winds have revved up suddenly and carried much needed moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and the Gulf of California to drench much of southern Arizona. 

Post updated 6/22/2024

See the National Weather Service for more on monsoons. 

Monsoon can be wondrous with its lightening displays and torrential downpours. It is sometimes terrifying as well, especially if there’s a flash flood and people, cars, and property are in the path of the storm.

See the bolt of lightning pictured above and a tree uprooted in a micro-burst below.

A severe monsoon may cause winds of more than 100 mph and significant damage.

So far this year, from my vantage point in Tucson, temps have been above 100 degrees Fahrenheit daily, but monsoon rain, blinding dust, damaging winds, and breathtaking lightning shows are few and far between.

I'm grateful for the rain we've had, enough to make flowers on a Texas Ranger bloom. This shrub that grows well in our clime, is also called Texas sage, Texas rain sage, or purple sage. 

Flowers  emerge during monsoon season in shades of lavender, purple, and magenta and one variety is shown in the picture below. To learn ways purple can enhance your life read this.

Red/Orange Bird of Paradise (pictured in first photo above) is a plant with a bright blend of orange, red, or yellow flowers. 

Check out Orange to Your Emotional Rescue and Ways to Use Colors to Improve Work Life Balance. They offer ideas and tips to use color energies to help you thrive.

The Saguaro, a majestic cactus, flowers with a white and yellow bloom that is the Arizona state flower. An illustration right above is a close-up of the flower portion of this plant.  

See details about what's in bloom in Tucson with a virtual visit to Tohono Chul Garden. 

There are advantages and disadvantages to monsoon season. This is what the National Geographic Website acknowledges.

“The North American monsoon can be a natural aid to firefighters. Summer temperatures in Arizona regularly reach more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit, making wildfires difficult to contain. 

The North American monsoon is also the primary water source for most desert ecosystems in the region. 

However, it can also confuse and interrupt daily life for people and businesses not used to dealing with heavy rain.”

I'm thankful for monsoon rains as they add humidity that can help cool the desert. 

Summer storms make vegetation turn green and supply water for summer crops and flowering plants. 

Monsoon is a special time that produces fabulous evening lightning shows. 

Cloud filled skies are a welcome change from a mostly continually blue sky year round. 

During monsoon season, the sky can be filled with storm clouds and/or dust storms. That's one of the main reasons monsoon season has spectacular sunrises and sunsets. 

Sunrise Tucson AZ (Aug.) 

Sunset on the Desert with Ocotillo silhouette

Have you ever been in a monsoon storm and which part of the world was it in? 

Do you think you'd like to visit the American southwest in the summer and why or why not?

Have you noticed climate changes in your neck of the woods? I certainly have as I describe above.

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