Fall Foliage on Fire, Part 2

Fall foliage colors in hilly Nashville, Tennessee are a tad different than those in the northern Virginia and DC area. Here, the yellows stand out as the dominant color, with some red and orange accents. It is still stunning- just different.

I moved to Nashville from DC in January, 2012. This is my first autumn in Tennessee, and I have not been disappointed in the slightest.

This past weekend, Alan and I spent two days hiking in both Edwin Warner Park and Percy Warner Park, which is a mere 5 miles from where we live in Nashville. We brought our nephew Jager. He likes to hike too.

Alan and Jager

We hiked a leisurely 2.5 miles on Saturday in Edwin Warner Park and followed that with a similar 2.5 mile hike in neighboring Percy Warner Park on Sunday.

Leaves cover the ground like “yellow snow,” as Alan called it.

I gathered outstanding specimens throughout the day. This yellow-orange dappled leaf was one of my favorites.

Yellow leaves abound, but when I saw hints of orange or red, I snapped away. I think I prefer the deeper colors of the oranges and reds to the lighter yellows. Deep reds are my absolute favorite.

Look at this fiery orange-red beauty! (wooh wooh!) I love the contrast against the dark brown bark!

Alan invented a game. Have you ever tried to catch a snowflake on your tongue? In a similar vein, you have to catch a falling leaf before it hits the ground. Believe me, it sounds easier than it actually is.

Final score? Alan 5, Lindsay 2. I had the camera in one hand….

He crushed the leaf. It still counts.

Before walking back to our car, I made a little fall arrangement with the lovely specimens I collected on our walk. I did have a rare green and yellow speckled leaf (my favorite). It blew away (I guess the wind is necessary for the “fall”).

Alan attempted to gather some yellow and green specimens to round out my arrangement’s color scheme.

A walk in the park isn’t complete without some Jager tricks. That’s one fine dog!!

So, five years later, Alan and I still enjoy hiking in the hills, especially during a crisp and colorful fall day. I find that it is the little things in life that bring me the most joy. Spending quality time with my loving husband in the great outdoors during my favorite season (Jager is a bonus) is my idea of a perfect day.

Visit the blog tomorrow for the final post in the fall foliage series.