Happy Tuesday, and Happy Birthday to my beautiful daughter, Julia, who is 23 years old today.  I wish you were here with me.  May God be with you all year long and bless you in all that you do.

 One of the biggest surprises I received when I returned to Maine were leaves on the ground !  Yikes!!  This  is getting serious....could Fall really come that much earlier here in Maine?  I will admit I was truly hoping it was some kind of special tree in my yard that was doing this, but as we walked our dogs yesterday I saw our backyard was not the only one who had leaves that had fallen.  As Fall seems to come later and later each year in Philly, I decided to check out the facts!  

Here's what I found out:

Where and when can I see PEAK color in Maine? (this is peak, not the beginning!)

• Northern Maine: last week in September
• Central and Western Maine: first week in October
• Coastal and Southern Maine: second and the third week in October

What colors do Maine trees display in the fall?

Here's a guide to the species of trees and the color they produce during autumn:
Yellow:
Green and black ash, basswood, beech, birches, butternut, and elm. In the maple species - boxelder, mountain, silver, striped and sugar. And don't forget mountain ash, poplar, serviceberry, willow, and witch hazel.
Red and Scarlet:
Red, mountain, and sugar maples; black, red, scarlet and white oak; hornbeam, sumac and tupelo.
Brown:
White and black oak
Purple:
White ash and witch hazel.

 Maine has a large variety of trees, which counts for the  many beautiful colors in the Fall.

Hope you will come and visit!