"The manager in Cornplanter State Forest District (Warren, Erie, Crawford counties) reported that peak color has passed in most of the area," the report stated.

It continued by stating that "most of the hillsides in northwestern Pennsylvania have transitioned to the deeper fall colors of gold, brown, and chestnut. Recent rains have caused some leaves to fall but there is still much color to be seen throughout the region."

The post stated that the service forester for Venango and Clarion counties reported that recent heavy rains and dropping temperatures kicked fall color into “full gear.”

"The best time to view fall color is now and may only last through the early part of the forecast period.

Oaks are showing nicely with deep burgundies, rich browns, and dark golds.

​Maples, birches, hickories, and sassafras are either at their peak or have already dropped leaves."

As I traveled back and forth to work, I saw what the foresters were talking about.

On the one sunny day we had, I took my camera with me on the way to work. (We probably had more than one sunny day, but it seemed as though we didn't have many.)

I had viewed the colorful scenery as I rushed to my job. I resolved that I wasn't going to pass them by anymore. I left early and was able to capture the beauty of the moment.

Along Old State and Tippery roads there were lovely collages of farms, field and trees.

A burning bush or rather a really colorful maple was really outstanding in a cornfield along Tippery Road.

However back around my stomping grounds, I am just stomping on a lot of fallen leaves.

In the report the DCNR said that Mercer County service forester reported peak color this past week. "Maples are vibrant yellow and orange, with some red mixing in.  ...  With the coming rain, great color is not expected to last much longer," it stated.  

I agreed with that statement. I definitely felt that this was certainly fall's finale. That's just the nature of things 'round here.

I checked the calendar and was pretty sure it was October. However, the lilacs in the yard were blooming.

I posted a photo on Facebook and some fellow friends also stated that their lilacs were flowering too.

Apparently, this reblooming was due to stress.
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"We occasionally see spring flowering trees and shrubs display a flower or two after a stressful summer is followed by milder weather," stated a post titled "Garden Questions: Can lilacs bloom in fall?", a special to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, by Melinda Myers on www.jsonline.com
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"These plants set their flower buds in the summer before their normal spring bloom time. Unusual or stressful weather conditions can cause some of the flower buds to open in fall," Myers wrote.

According to an article titled "Why Is My Lilac Bush Blooming in the Fall? (Explained)" by Goi Lita on gardensuperior.com  stressful weather can cause the plants to go into a dormant state.  

"When they come back to life from a dormant state they often bloom, even though freezing weather may just be around the corner," Lita posted. "It’s not fully understood why this happens but some experts believe that when the lilac revives from its dormant state, it fears that it’s dying and wants one last chance to reproduce."
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Regardless of what caused the stress, both authors and other websites said the late blooming isn't terrible for the lilacs. It will just result in fewer blooms in the spring.

While the lilacs were flowering in the yard, mushrooms provided some color and texture on the forest floors.
I'm not a mushroom expert, but a coworker opened my eyes to some "fowl" fungus.

"One can easily spot the chicken of the woods mushroom by its impressive size and vibrant yellow-orange colors. This large polypore has surprised many a nature lover the first time they found it!," said a post about the mushroom on www.mushroom-appreciation.com.
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The post said that the mushrooms are edible and sought after by some foragers.

"This mushroom has a lemony, meaty taste.

​Some think it tastes like its chicken namesake; others describe the flavor as being more like crab or lobster. Whatever your opinion, the chicken fungus makes a great substitute for meat in almost any dish," the post said.

I will take their word on that. I am not a mushroom connoisseur. My grandfather ate mushrooms. We would scour the woods and yards to find the specific kinds he at. However, my grandfather's mushrooms were fried in an extraordinary amount of real butter. I would wager his dishes were 75 percent butter and 25 percent mushrooms.

"Theseaethalia are small, pink to brown cushion-like globs. They may excrete a pink paste if the outer wall is broken before maturity," the post continued.

I wondered how I had missed these little pink globes before. The revelation came to me as the next day the pink was gone and little gray globes remained in their place.

According to a post on www.first-nature.com, "Lycoperdon perlatum, the Common Puffball, is an edible fungus. Only young specimens should be collected, as once the spore mass begins turning yellow the fungi are unsuitable for eating."
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Wikipedia listed other names for the fungus as warted puffball, gem-studded puffball, wolf farts or the devil's snuff-box.

The mushrooms and lilacs were thriving in the warmer weather. The toasty temps brought out some garter snakes as well. There were as many four gathered together. At first I thought I may have photographed a private moment between the snakes, a post on www.science.org titled "Garter snakes are surprisingly social" by Elizabeth Pennisi suggested that the gathering may be something different.
"Researchers have discovered that garter snakes not only prefer to hang out together, but also seem to have 'friends' with whom they spend much of their time," Pennisi wrote.

"There are benefits to being social, particularly for younger snakes ... For instance, a group retains heat and moisture better than an individual," the article continued.

While as the snakes grouped together, some maple leaves were singled out for their perfect balance.

It amazed me how they made some unique landings. The leaves made me think a little deeper.

Perhaps they were symbols of times when we were hanging on when we shouldn't have been. Maybe it was more of a depiction of how others helped us on our way down.

Others caught us and slowed our descent. The fall might have been inevitable, but the ride down didn't have to be so rough.

​That's just the nature of things 'round here.

"Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all." - Stanley Horowitz

"Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale." - Lauren Destefano

"How beautifully leaves grow old. How full of light and color are their last days." - John Burroughs

"The trees are about to show us how lovely it is to let the dead things go." - Unknown

"As long as autumn lasts, I shall not have hands, canvas and colors enough to paint the beautiful things I see." - Vincent Van Gogh

"Everyone must take time to sit still and watch the leaves turn." -Elizabeth Lawrence

"Wild is the music of the autumnal winds amongst the faded woods." - William Wordsworth

"Dancing of the autumn leaves on a surface of a lake is a dream we see when we are awake." - Mehmet Murat Ildan

I, like those quoted above, am particularity smitten with the kaleidoscope of colors that autumn offers.

Some recent rains have downed a lot of leaves already.

My yellow maple in the front yard has dropped leaves. I'm not sure if it will have a grand display this year.

That will be for Mother Nature and her handle on the weather to decide. She doesn't listen to my suggestions.

That's just the nature of things 'round here.

Our annual pilgrimage to Elk Country didn't turn out as planned.
A broken zoom lens contributed to the loss of focus in all my photos.

I had dropped my camera a day earlier and assumed that all was well. When I couldn't seem to bring any photos into focus, I noticed that the lens had sustained some damage.

However, the focus of the day trip wasn't just about the photos. They would have just been the icing on the cake.

The real focus was enjoying beautiful autumn day outside and viewing the wildlife from a few counties over.

My husband and my parents' joined me on this excursion.
We saw a decent number of elks.

They were in a hollow behind the area known as Woodring Farm. They were far away, but could be heard across the valleys.

I marveled at all the sounds the males make while courting the females. The landscape echoed with their bugles.

One bull made all kinds of noises trying to get on one female's good side, but she wasn't having it.

After watching the elk, we decided to move on. At the top of the hill at Woodring Farm, I chased a monarch down for yet another blurry series of photos.

After the sun, set we followed the long line of traffic heading out of Benezette.
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However several miles down the road, my dad pointed out a large bull elk standing right on the berm of the busy road.