Colors of late Summer

There are less than two weeks before summer ends on September 22.

It has been a relatively mild summer in north Mississippi, with very few days that temperatures climbed above the mid 90s. Our entire section of the state is awash with color.

There has been plenty of rain, and the colors of late summer are especially vivid this year.

All of these photos were taken within a 30-minute period Monday afternoon, Sept. 7, 2020, within a 200-yard radius, just east of downtown New Albany.

The red maple leaves are on a single tree, which we have been observing since it was planted about ten years ago. Toward the end of August of each year, a small patch of leaves on this particular tree turn bright red, while the rest of the leaves stay green until late in September.

The patch of red leaves is probably no more than 25 square feet and always in the same spot on the tree: close to due south (170 degrees) from the midline of the main trunk.

A lot of color: some going, some coming: