Giving Up

The big leaf maple tree that I have been tracking over the last month for signs of autumn seem to have decided that the extreme heat events and lack of moisture over the summer was simply too much to handle.

As the leaves changed from solid green to yellow without the hint of the brighter oranges and reds, the tree stood solidly assessing if it had enough ooomph left to celebrate.

The battle seems to be playing out in a quiet loss of the platter sized leaves as the top of the tree thins more and more each day.

This big leaf is giving over to the season without so much as a whimper, the leaves that float to the ground are feather-light and barely able to make a rustling sound as I walk through. Before long the tree with be barren as it awaits the winter and the season to bring much needed water to its parched roots.