A Non-Event Event

We promised ourselves that this year we would catch the Aspen groves in their full golden splendor.

And this year....

Rats! Foiled again by a windy storm while I was in San Diego.

But look closely at the picture above.

See a consolation prize amidst the trees?

When you are driving around looking for fall color and suddenly see a whole bunch of cars parked...hit the brakes and grab your camera!

There he was: A bull moose noshing a late afternoon snack down about 5o feet from the two lane road. Boy oh boy did I wish I had a camera with a better zoom feature! Some folks had flown in from Washington State intent on photographing golden aspen, but as the photographer girl in the early picture pointed out....even though the leaves are spent, seeing a moose is a pretty good too.

As we headed down the mountain, there were still a few lingering golden leaves.

The deer were out-and-about, as were hunters.

This time of year I try to remember to have an orange vest with me at all times just to be safe; and hope that the hunters will not mistake me for a deer instead of a "dear".

Yes...a stretch or two of gold was still to be found.

The white trunks that seem to sway and lean towards one another, with dark eye-like forms against the white bark made me feel like I had entered into some enchanted forest tree gathering.

When you add patches of snow...

Another party seems to be occurring.

Next year...for sure...next year we will visit these scenes and dance through showers of gold.

Next year, God willing, I will not stray from Utah in October, and will drive the Aspen Groves/watch the leaf peeper websites/take off work/camp out/whatever it takes/ so I can once again experience and photograph the aspen.

(I have experienced aspen gold in groves but once, years ago in Colorado Springs while visiting BGF Gail the first week in October, on her birthday. Call me greedy...it was too wonderful of an experience to experience but once. Like bluebonnets and tide pools, snorkeling in tropical waters, and England...I want such an experience again and again.)