By James T. Hyde

Normally at summer’s end it takes a couple of weeks before leaves give us a hint as to what colors they’ll be when fall foliage really begins to blossom and yielding a crisp contrast to the otherwise green background.

Not so this year. Colors actually began to change during the third week of September, making those of us who cover New England fall foliage scramble to catch up to an arbitrary and capricious Mother Nature. She never ceases to keep us scratching our heads as the seasons change.

And when they started to change this year, colors began to show quickly. Except for an odd, stubborn green swath through west-central Maine, which seems to hold back every year like the grand finale at a fireworks display, leaves have changed region-wide. While none of the states have reached peak by any means, Mother Nature was a bit over-anxious to start this year, so if you do have plans to come now, you’ll enjoy the scenery.

To keep track of the color progression, the Fall Foliage Tracker Map on NewEnglandTimes.Com will give you a visual report about where the colors are changing and to what degree.

Foliage Tracker is but one aspect of an in-depth section devoted entirely to New England fall foliage on NewEnglandTimes.Com. Complete with attractions and tours in each of the six New England states, it also explores the science of this gorgeous phenomenon and explains how trees conspire each year to regale us with a cacophony of vibrant red, orange, yellow and gold leaves. The links to the section and its components appear below. If you’re coming up soon, I strongly suggest a visit to the site help you plan.

But first is an absolute mus visit to one of the very best and truly spectacular New England fall foliage resources on the Web. It’s the Fall Foliage lens at Squidoo, where you’ll find a great deal of outstanding information, great video and beautiful photographs of the season. The video here isn’t your run-of-the-mill stuff. It’s been carefully created just for fall lovers

Links:
Fall Foliage Home Page
How to Plan Your Fall Foliage Trip
Why and How Colors Change
Fall Foliage Photo Gallery
How to Preserve Leaves

Related posts:

1. Exploring New England Releases Fall 2009 Edition
2. Are You Ready For Fall Foliage Yet?
3. Announcing New England Fall Foliage Video
4. Fall Foliage Networks in New England…
5. This New England Fall – Is It a Wash Out!