The leaves have fallen and it’s time to get the rakes out, creating piles of muted color leaves around your home, perfect for “leaf jumping” and then, more raking.

Perhaps, because you were busy at work or preparing your children for football season or doing homework, you missed the stunning array of color that covered every mountainside and maybe even your own backyard.

Perhaps, you thought, “I’ll see it next year” or “I can look at photos of the foliage” or maybe you simply forgot – forgot to enjoy what is beautiful.

Remember, when you look at photos from Florida of beaches filled with white sand or Caribbean islands with palm trees or cruise ships overlooking an expanse of ocean, the beauty of those scenes can only hope to compare with the color that has made it through our region during this season.

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The various activities of tropical resorts can only hope to compare with the opportunity to skip through leaves, into a pile of leaves which smells like heaven.

What cannot be compared is the opportunity to spend time with family as they “hit those leaves,” drink the season’s first cup of hot chocolate, gather in the living room to watch football.

No matter what the weather’s like, define your own condition. Smile in the rain. Cuddle as temperatures drop. Look forward to snowmen and igloos carefully created on upcoming snow days.

No matter what the weather, this is our season to enjoy what is beautiful and to create warmth with those we encounter.

John Badman/The Telegraph
Wet leaves changing for the season glissen with rainfall this week on a tree on Brown Street in Alton. Chlorophyll, the substance that gives trees and plants their green color, is fading away as the trees halt their photosynthesis for the winter. As the green fades away the reds and yellows become obvious to the eye. Some of the colors were there all along but were masked by the green of the chlorophyll. All of the rain and the cooler temperatures should make for a good fall color viewing season.
http://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_WetFall.jpg.optimal.jpgJohn Badman/The Telegraph
Wet leaves changing for the season glissen with rainfall this week on a tree on Brown Street in Alton. Chlorophyll, the substance that gives trees and plants their green color, is fading away as the trees halt their photosynthesis for the winter. As the green fades away the reds and yellows become obvious to the eye. Some of the colors were there all along but were masked by the green of the chlorophyll. All of the rain and the cooler temperatures should make for a good fall color viewing season.

By Geri Gibbons

ggibbons@timesleader.com

Reach Geri Gibbons at 570-991-6117 or on Twitter @TLGGibbons