October 6

Maples too are increasingly brilliant. Several of the younger sugars down by the library are almost a cardinal red, and when the direct sun hits the leaves it is nearly overwhelming. Many yards throughout town have maples that curiously tend to two tone, with the periphery of the crown turning to color while the lower portions remain a late summer green. I suppose the botanist would explain it on account of lowered sugar production (or pressure) to the outside, or perhaps the effect of slightly lower temperature on the exposed areas. It looks simply as if these majestic trees were secretly removed and their top dunked in red paint, like an ice cream scoop that is given a dressing of hot chocolate that cools hard on the top.

Our big sugar maple next to the sunroom is holding out, still mostly green but certainly tired looking all the same. It tends to yellow uniformly and somewhat late, then drop its leaves nearly as a whole when the first wind-driven rainy day comes.