Autumn - Changing Colors dlogan@alaska.net

Green Blue Green Line

Autumn - Changing Colors

Green Blue Green Line

Our Autumn is short but oh, so beautiful. The birch and aspen trees glow golden yellow, and the wild rose leaves turn brilliant shades of red and orange. The hills are beautiful, vibrantly colored with all shades of yellow, orange, red, brown and the dark green of the evergreens. The only sad part is that it is such a short season! It might last about 2 weeks or so in September, and then the leaves drop and everything turns gray and brown.

It gets darker by a few minutes every day. At Autumn equinox in September, the sun rises at about 6 a.m. and sets at about 6 p.m. The Northern Lights are visible on many clear nights now. They are there all year round, but can't be seen during the long daylight hours of summer.

Autumn Leaves Pic

(photo � 1996 Barbara Logan)
Wild Rose leaves, September 1996

The migratory birds that arrived in April and May start to head south to warmer climates. Arctic terns travel up to 22,000 miles on their round trip each year to Antarctica. Other birds head to South America, the South Pacific islands and Asia. It is common to see the skies filled with noisy Canadian geese.

The bears are eating ravenously this time of year, as they will soon be going into 6 months of hibernation. They go into their dens fat and round and emerge in the spring hungry and thin.

Moose, normally alone most of the year, are gathering for mating. The bull moose's antlers are full grown and ready for battle, if necessary, to keep challengers from his "harem" of cow moose.

Autumn colors in Denali Park Pic

(photo � 1999 Barbara Logan)
Autumn paints a tapestry of colors in Denali National Park, September 6, 1999.

Autumn colors in Denali Park Pic

(photo � 1999 Barbara Logan)
More autumn colors in Denali National Park, September 6, 1999.

Green Blue Green Line

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This page was last updated 25 January 2004 � Barbara Logan
URL is http://freepages.family.rootsweb.com/~soakbear/autumn.htm