What A Difference A Day Makes!…

by Lynnette

autumn photos, wildlife

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The road less traveled ...with freshly fallen leaves.This year, I can definitely say: “I saw Tennessee’s peak colors!”

As evidenced by the pictures I took of Fall colors along the Natchez Trace last weekend, I was one of the lucky ones to see firsthand Tennessee’s natural beauty …at its peak!

But what a difference a day makes. Just check out this photo of a tree I photographed last Saturday, then again the very next day:

This rapid loss of foliage was due to a very windy night — one which stripped many of Tennessee’s trees of their colorful leaves in a matter of hours.

So, I decided to hop in my Jeep…with my dog in tow.

I wanted to see how the colorful landscapes had changed along the Natchez Trace…overnight!

Destin the dog who loves Jeeping in the Fall.
Jeeping in the Fall.

   

The colors were still quite vivid — on the trees which managed to hold onto their leaves.

But, for the most part, the damage had been done.

There were lots of gaping holes in the color palette, showing the bright blue skies through the branches:

Another comparison… Saturday photo vs Sunday morning photo:

Fortunately, I happened upon a few colorful spots along the Natchez Trace which yielded some more great photographs…

Dogs and fall colors. I decided to go back to that spot where I saw the “professional” photographers taking pictures of their dogs the day before. They had quite an eye for backgrounds… this definitely seemed like the best place to photograph a dog amidst the colorful trees.

Dog in front of tree with bright orange colored leaves... he spotted a deer in the distance. For some reason, there were also a TON of deer on the Natchez Trace this time. The funniest part was the number of bucks I saw in my photos AFTER the fact — without even knowing that there was a deer in my shot… they blended into the foliage so well.

The best thing about being out on the Natchez Trace Parkway on this particular morning???

It literally SMELLED like autumn!

Jeep parked along the Natchez Trace, surrounded by fallen leaves. You know… that smell of damp, freshly fallen leaves on wet roads from the light showers the night before, and heaping piles of wet leaves which lined the entire roadway. There’s nothing like it.

Freshly fallen leaves underneath the tires of my Jeep. For me, it’s similar to the smell of freshly lit charcoal on the grill, and recently mowed grass… distinct smells that trigger the senses and cause you to flashback on nothing but good memories, year after year.

Let this be a lesson to us all… don’t forget to stop and smell Autumn!