Debbie Croft: What to do as autumn lingers
So often I hear people talk about the joys of autumn and why it’s their favorite season.
Corn mazes, pumpkin patches, apple orchards and a harvest of nature’s produce lures us outdoors and sends us to our cookbooks – or Pinterest boards – to pull out recipes for fragrant and comforting soups, stews and breads; giving us plenty of reasons to enjoy the season in a new way.
Artists and photographers head outside to find inspiration at every turn. Their works fill galleries, studios, books and websites – all celebrating nature’s dazzling display before the cold sets in.
This time of year is definitely the most flavorful and colorful. Leaves of all shapes turn from green to orange and red before dropping to the ground.
Summer’s heat is past, and winter’s chill is still a month or two away. As I open my windows to let in the breeze and inhale the fragrance of fall, I realize this window of opportunity to play outdoors will not be open for long.
THE COLORS OF FALL – In partnership with Mammoth Lakes Tourism and Inyo County, Lora Lashbrook with East River Public Relations told me Mono County Tourism has produced an Eastern Sierra Fall Color Guide and Map to make planning fall-color trips easier.
Highland Lakes, Rainbow Falls, Ebbetts Pass National Scenic Byway (Highway 4), Lundy Canyon and South Warner Wilderness Area are only a few of northeastern California’s jewels waiting to be rediscovered.
Lashbrook also said, “The Eastern Sierra region was listed among the Top 10 U.S. destinations by Lonely Planet, and its major thoroughfare, U.S. Highway 395, has been named among the country’s best five road trips by USA Weekend.”
For more information about fall events, to track fall color progression or to receive the free Eastern Sierra Fall Color Guide and Map, go to www.MonoCounty.org/fall-colors, check out www.facebook.com/VisitEasternSierra or call 800-845-7922.
EYES TO THE SKIES – Bird migration occurs this time of year, and the Yosemite Area Audubon Society is in the middle of its Point Blue 38th Annual Rich Stallcup Bird-A-Thon. This event has been extended to Oct. 31.
Bird-watchers are invited to participate in sighting and counting native birds of the Sierra foothills’ region. Of course, the more participants on the routes, the greater chance for more birds to be spotted.
Contact Lowell Young at yosemite.birder@gmail.com or 209-966-2547, or Cheryl Johnson at cdjohnson@biotacalifornia.com or 209-742-5181. Please register soon to be included on the team and receive instructions and materials.
It’s a great way to view the wonders of fall migration and to support climate-smart conservation. Go to www.yosemiteaudubon.org or www.pointblue.org for details.
Debbie Croft writes about life in the foothill communities. Follow her on Twitter @ghostowngal or email her at composed@tds.net.
This story was originally published October 22, 2015 at 2:50 PM with the headline "Debbie Croft: What to do as autumn lingers."