An Autumn Kaleidoscope

I travel the Natchez Trace whenever I can, especially when traveling from Vicksburg to Ridgeland, Mississippi, which I do at least once a week, if not more.

The Trace is always pretty and the speed limit is 50, so it's a nice, tranquil drive and you can take time to enjoy the scenery.

Yesterday, I had an appointment in Jackson, and decided to take my cameras with me to capture some pictures of the beautiful foliage along the Trace. The Chinese Tallow trees were ablaze with color as the morning sun filtered through their leaves of red and gold.

As I looked at the trees through my zoom lens, it was as if I was looking through a kaleidoscope (you can click on the pictures to enlarge them, if you'd like).

The colors were so vivid they all ran together, like pieces of stained glass hanging from the trees.

I have no words to describe the glorious colors of God's autumn palette, but perhaps you can get a glimpse of their magnificence reflected through my pictures.

I'm so glad I was able to get these pictures of the Tallow trees (also called "Popcorn trees") when they were at their peak. They'll soon lose all those glorious leaves, but then their branches will be "decorated" for the winter months with clusters of white, wax-coated seeds resembling popcorn. The branches are elegant when used in arrangements for Christmas and winter decorating projects.

[Internet photo]

I'll have to go back and get some pictures of the seed pods after the leaves fall. Hmmmm .... perhaps I can find a tree that "needs some trimming" and capture some branches, as well as some pictures.