FALLING LEAVES 2026, Week 6: We start this week with a view from our 'reading room' -- the loft's (mostly cat) lounge area. Because the wind here is generally westerly, the trees don't lose their leaves early, and this year they're spectacularly yellow and holding on for dear life.

Here are the usual pond/fire pit views:

The pictures have rather dramatically changed over the week. The trees, which were mostly green with tinges of brown, have now turned mostly brown and leaves are dropping faster.

The back yard, looking back toward the fire pit and house, is completely covered with leaves -- no bare ground whatever. I'm hoping it will remain deep enough to discourage the underbrush when spring returns. (There's a squirrel running back and forth along the retaining wall fence outside my window -- very distracting. I think it's moving acorns to winter storage in its nest in the trees.)

Here's a closer view of the yard, taken roughly from the fire pit. The grass is mostly gone, except for a few freshly seeded areas. The elephant ears and other bushes/flowers that line the walkway are finally giving up with the more consistent colder temperatures.

Finally this week I leave you with this view of a bright red tree I took during one of my regular walks at the county park. It, unfortunately, has dropped many of the leaves from its crown since I was last there.

Until next week, then....