~ Fall, 1999 ~
At Ailea's Place
Fall, 1999, was by far one of the most
glorious autumns we've seen in all the years we have been here. Trees offered
brilliant colors, and the skies were crisp and clear, that very special Carolina
blue so famous around here.
Unlike most autumns in Carolina 1999 was
unbelievably brilliant for color, all the way around.
For
once, the right amount of rainfall mixed with the right amount of chilly weather
to produce the most fantastic colors in the woods - colors we have rarely seen
in all the years we've lived here. The first picture is the house, so young and
new, and the next two are taken off the deck, looking onto the back yard.
This
kind of color here is so uncommon. Generally, we have too much rain or not
enough rain for good color; it grows cold so that some trees change, and then
turns warm again to stop the process, then grows cold again and by the time fall
is at its peak the leaves are all somewhere between golden brown and brown- ugh.
It does seem like any one of a number of things keeps us from being able to
enjoy sights like those seen here. I was VERY grateful for this fall season, and
for having the foresight to snap a few photos. Such
brilliance is a very good
way to wind down the year!
Even the shelties seemed to enjoy the fall weather, playing hard with each other in the yard. I think the relief after summer's hot temperatures gets them going. I think the relief after summer's hot temperatures gets us ALL going! Pictured here are, from left to right, Ailea's Heather Winona "Dawn" (you cannot see her head), Willows Shadow Dresed in Blu "Mama Rookie", Ailea Stardust of Ishmael "Willie" and St. Magnus Ailea Moonstruck "Sookie" on the far right.