The Blue Season

Fall is the most underrated season. The Summer heat has finally peaked out, and the weather becomes dynamic. Clouds and robust thunderheads gather like premonitions. The wind is both hot and cool, full of woody smells, and brisk enough to make a jacket feel cozy.

It’s time to reflect and perhaps tie up some lose ends. There’s a sense of letting go with the year winding down, but with the holidays still ahead.

Compared to the east, California Falls are not much of a season: more like a damp slide into winter. I live in Alameda, which is technically an island a few hundreds yards off the coast of Oakland. It’s one of the oldest communities in the bay area and until recently had resisted development for many years. As a result, the houses are old and the trees are big. In fact, they’re among the largest urban trees anywhere.

This Fall there was a window of about two weeks that had a very east of the Rockies feel to it. The leaves had turned in clusters, and we had a few days of bright sun and cool air. It was about as fall as it was going to get. With coffee and camera, I took to the trees.