Each year, the brilliant fall colors of New England, and our town of Concord, draw people from around the world. Concordians have an advantage in knowing just where to find the most spectacular vistas, such as an open hilltop with the most colorful trees below or most any place along our waterways.

Some trees, like the maples, provide wonderful red and orange foliage. But there are also the yellows of birches and willows added to the mix of these, and it is the blends of these many colors that create the splendor. The brilliant red of the tupelo tree found on the eastern shore of the Sudbury River along the Wright Woods, really stands out. In the picture below, the deep red is that of the tupelo.

It is not just the foliage that makes fall special. The plant, insect, animal life, and even the fungi are changing to interesting stages. The chicken of the woods mushroom is stunning with its patterned orange form.

Many of the flowers save the best blooming time for fall, and the asters are one of those. The purple-stemmed asters have an appropriate name.

This evening primrose is sharing nectar with the bee and, in return, getting pollinated. Both are happy.

Of course, many things in nature go on as they have during the nice summer months, such as the great blue heron fishing for its lunch.

In the end, though, it is the splendor of fall foliage that really catches our eyes.