TrulyGrace

Autumn in Pittsburgh

I can't believe that it's the end of October (Hallowe'en!) and the leaves on most of the trees are still green. Maybe it's these spells of warm weather interspersed with light rain that are keeping the trees green. For example, take a peek at a nearby state park, Ohiopyle, on the live webcam. It's currently showing lots of trees with green foliage. Schenley Park, which can be viewed from the Cathedral of Learning live webcam, shows some red and gold foliage among the green. Schenley Park is more of a patchwork quilt of greens, golds, and reds. Try looking at the camera preset of "Fall Foliage" or "Phipps (Conservatory)."

I am so accustomed to the late October change in seasons of the Mid-Ohio Valley (which displays dramatic colors), and of New England (the Boston/western suburbs and the White Mountains of New Hampshire). I remember what it was like living in the San Francisco Bay Area, where the climate was Mediterranean and the trees had very few cues as to when to drop their leaves, save a slight change in the length of days. I remember seeing various trees on the UC Berkeley campus drop leaves at diverse times of year--the sycamores in front of Sproul Hall dropping brownish leaves in the middle of summer, etc. I felt that a lot of the plants were somewhat confused as to when to shed their foliage, given so few clues other than length of days.

I'm glad to be in an area of the country where there is a change in seasons. My friend (since childhood), Charles, who has also transplanted to Pittsburgh, says that autumn is his favorite season. He also says Pittsburgh is a big "small town," because everyone knows each other. I know what he is talking about, as we both grew up in a relatively small town in Ohio. He also says that it is a small world we live in, which I agree with, but I would rephrase it to say, "As my world gets larger, it gets smaller."

Let me explain--as my world expands to include more people from a wider variety of geographic locations and fields of interest, I realize how my new world is interconnected to my existing ties. When we decided to go to college, many of us decided to go a distance from where we grew up. Charles and I were tour guides on our respective college campuses. When prospective students would make the East Coast run to visit the Ivy League and Seven Sister campuses, they would eventually visit Yale and Wellesley. Tour guides often say their hometown when introducing themselves. So, how many people giving tours anywhere in the world are from Marietta, Ohio? I was asked numerous times, "Do you know a tour guide, Charles, at Yale?" So, of course, the connection between us was established. It is truly a small world after all.

ADDENDUM, 2 November 2005
So, yesterday's front page headlines for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette were for fall colors' late appearance this season. "Fall Colors Finally Showing Up." I suppose that I'm not the only one who noticed the later color change. Here are some photos from the top of the Cathedral of Learning, 3 November 2005.

posted by Grace @ 10/31/2005 03:37:00 PM