early autumn colors

i love autumn. it is my favorite season.
(shocker, right?)
i love the crisp air, wearing sweaters and the smell of cinnamon and campfires. but most of all, i love the colorful leaves.  the leaves are especially great in the early fall...when there are still plenty of bright green leaves to contrast with the newly emerging oranges and yellows.


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one of the things that i love about living in a place with mountains, is that the trees at higher elevations start to change 3-4 weeks earlier than the leaves in the valley. it is so amazing to watch the color slowly move down the side of the mountain...plus, it means that i get to enjoy the color a few weeks longer!