I was wondering what a ‘Leaf Peeper’ was. A woodland frog? A rare migratory bird? No, it turns out Leaf Peepers are people who visit to view the fall foliage in the Hudson Valley.
This bridge over the Esopus Creek in the village of Saugerties was recently painted red (green was the previous color). I like the new color, it’s a traditional color used for barns and seems to blend nicely with the surroundings. The Catskill Mountains are in the distance.
On the banks of the Esopus Creek the shrubs and small trees have rooted among the rocks.
I was visiting a friend who lives opposite this ’empty’ plot of land. Not so empty, she has seen baby foxes romping here in the summer, their den is at the back on the left. White tailed deer browse in this field until the start of hunting season when they disappear. The wild grasses turn red in the fall.
The Sassafras is a medium sized tree that grows about 65 feet tall and is native to the U.S. It has curious mitten shaped leaves that turn yellow in late summer. It’s roots were used to make the drink ‘Sassafras’ and it is a host for the caterpillar of the Spice Bush Swallowtail butterfly.
The Hudson Valley is famous for the fall foliage of the maple trees. In this picture, the grey tree trunks are Hickory trees with lichen growing on the bark. Gustav Klimt painted some beautiful pictures of trees such as Beech Grove 1.
Why not celebrate fall with a Leaf Peeper Martini from Day Dreamer Desserts ?
Excellent post.
Thank you!
Great post, love the photos and the link to Klimt. The East Coast of the US in the rural areas looks really beautiful this time of year. Well researched information.
Thank you! Some of the paintings of trees by Klimt look just like the Hudson Valley in the fall.
If you accept I would like to nominate you for the Versatile Blogger Award.
Thank you for the nomination, I’d be happy to participate.