photo essay – Roadkill Crossing

A residential street in Rochester, New York. Photo by Bruce Stambaugh

My wife and I finally visited our grandson Teddy and his parents over the Halloween weekend. The trees in and around Rochester, New York, where our son and his family live, were at peak color.

While four-year-old Teddy attended preschool in the morning or napped at home in the afternoon, I explored streets and parks for any colorful trees I could find.

I didn’t have to go far. A walk around their neighborhood provided plenty of autumn splendor.

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I also headed to Irondequoit Bay to do some birding. I spotted a few birds, but the colorful trees became my priority. So, I snapped away.

My wife and I easily found the famous Katsura Tree in Highland Park. This native Japanese giant is a 100-year-old specimen and the largest in New York State. Go at the right time, and the tree smells like cotton candy. No wonder it’s a favorite of visitors.

The 100-year-old Katsura Tree in Rochester, NY. Photos by Bruce Stambaugh

From Highland Park, we drove to Mt. Hope Cemetery in Rochester, where Susan B. Anthony and Fredrick Douglass are buried. There, too, the afternoon light played through the trees, highlighting their magnificent colors.

We also enjoyed watching Teddy march around in his preschool’s Halloween parade. Teddy dressed as a magician, and even pulled a rabbit out of his top hat.

Teddy and his father. Photo by Bruce Stambaugh

Spring’s colors brighten our days. Photo by Bruce Stambaugh

Just in time for Earth Day, spring’s vibrant colors are at their peak here in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. Ornamental shrubs, trees, and domestic and wildflowers are putting on a show for our pleasure and their propagation.

This annual phenomenon has a caveat. Conditions change quickly, and weather conditions play a significant role in these rapid transformations. A windstorm or hard frost can instantly paint the landscape much differently.

The tender and pastel leaf buds unfold quickly, exposing their infant beauty. The fresh foliage of red maples shows the reason for the tree’s name. So, too, do their fleshy seeds, which critters like squirrels devour.

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Soon, however, the leaves fully unfurl, sometimes overnight, and the russets transform into luscious greens. Through transpiration and photosynthesis, we all can breathe easier. One large tree can produce up to a day’s oxygen supply for four people.

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Redbuds can be fickle. Some years, the buds last weeks. This year, the emerging leaves of our backyard Rising Sun Redbud tree have already overtaken the beautiful buds. The young tree went from lavender to bright pink to lime green and pale pink in a few days. Pink polka dots already cover the ground below.

April 10.
April 13.
April 15.
April 16.
April 21.

Given this rapid transformation from bud to bloom, we need to be vigilant in the quest to enjoy nature’s springtime. Doing so has multiple benefits. Exploring the lovely blooms of trees, shrubs, and flowers renews our appreciation for life itself. Enjoying nature’s beauty and birdsong serenades invigorates our spirits. Walking or hiking through it all provides needed exercise.

Nature offers another bonus if we are observant. She has lessons for all of us to learn, no matter our age. Do you know redbud blossoms, viewed at the correct angle, resemble hummingbirds feeding?