It is almost time for the Autumn Equinox. Depending on which part of the world you live in, you will have equal number of hours of daylight and darkness on September 22 – 23. It marks the beginning of the autumn season in the northern hemisphere and spring in the southern hemisphere.
For us in North America it marks the official beginning of autumn as we head into cooler temperatures and shorter hours of daylight.
The trees and shrubs notice the change to cooler temperatures and the leaves begin to die, but as they “leave” us, as “leaves” do, they put on a magnificent show of colour on their way out.
This picture was taken in Montana, in October of 2016. It is one of my favourite photos because of the natural colour display.
“Oh, look at me, all dressed in gold,”
The quaking aspen trembles,
“Although I’m told I’m far too bold,
No other tree resembles
My shivery whispering leafy talk
When breezes tease my branches,
Admirers smile when on a walk
Around Montana ranches.”
Turn on your sound. In the following very short clip, you can hear the black cottonwoods, whispering. Ignore the whistle blowing in the middle of the clip. The captain is calling his dog.

September 20, 2026 at 12:19 pm
A wonderful post, Anneli. ❤️ The winter cometh!
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September 20, 2026 at 12:32 pm
Yes, it’s coming, and in a way it’s a relief from the drought and heat.
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September 20, 2026 at 1:17 pm
I love aspens and your photo Anneli. Quite showy indeed!
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September 20, 2026 at 2:38 pm
Thanks, Brad. It was a great time to be in Montana.
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September 20, 2026 at 7:03 pm
Yes, great timing!
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September 20, 2026 at 1:18 pm
Autumn aspens awaken awesome adventures.
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September 20, 2026 at 2:40 pm
Absolutely amazing atmosphere.
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September 20, 2026 at 3:05 pm
It’s happening, beautiful though it is.
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September 20, 2026 at 3:40 pm
It has a few good things about it.
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September 20, 2026 at 4:26 pm
That photo is gorgeous, Anneli. Very representative of the beautiful colours of autumn.
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September 20, 2026 at 5:32 pm
Reminds me of a painting by one of those Canadian painters like A.Y. Jackson or Tom Thomson. They used a lot of those fall colours.
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September 20, 2026 at 8:09 pm
A beautiful poem and beautiful photos. Here in north Texas autumn does not seem to be at hand. Still almost 100 degrees and no autumn colors.
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September 20, 2026 at 8:38 pm
But will it cool down eventually? Or is it hot all the time?
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September 20, 2026 at 9:25 pm
North Texas has a climate with winter and summer. It is far away from the equator. So it should cool down eventually. It is just going a bit slower than usual.
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September 20, 2026 at 9:31 pm
Okay. Thanks.
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September 20, 2026 at 10:16 pm
Lovely.
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September 21, 2026 at 8:51 am
Thanks, Cindy.
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September 21, 2026 at 7:34 am
It’s a lovely photo and poem. Here’s hoping for a nice long fall season.
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September 21, 2026 at 9:09 am
That would be really nice. I don’t like the extreme heat of summer but I’m not ready for the monsoons yet either. Fall can be a beautiful time of the year.
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