MendoMoments: Fall Colors in Ukiah’s Downtown

This summer was long, hot, and, dry. The color spectrum seemed to stagnate and present to this reporter a small array of crackly browns, meek greens of thirsty foliage, and the mirthless blue of a cloudless sky.

My wife and I met friends for dinner in Ukiah’s downtown recently and I was struck by the vividness before me.

The scarlet to bronze to purple to russet-red to maroon to orange to yellow to bright red. My mind balked at the kaleidoscope of colors compared to the months of predicability I had grown accustomed to.

A father and son walked together in the distance, the sun’s glow emanated through the autumn foliage and cast a warm light on the stone of the Mendocino County Court House.

I knew that change was afoot.

And for a moment, a savage offering of Emily Dickinson’s poem The name—of it—is “Autumn” (656) which she never gave a title to. In true human fashion, the untitled must be titled by someone later who cannot fathom a poem without a title. The poem highlights the beauty autumn brings juxtaposed to the temporary death that awaits during the long, cold winter:

MendoMoments, is dedicated to showcasing the land, animals, and people that make up Mendocino County. All Mendocino County residents and visitors are invited to participate. Send photographs to matthewplafever@gmail.com including a description of what your photograph depicts, where it was taken, and any other important details.

Earlier Chapters

• ‘Let Time Be On Our Side’: Mendocino County Sheriff Matt Kendall Talks Tactics Used to Apprehend the Redbearded Burglar During his Nine Months on the Lam
• MendoMoments: A Roosevelt Elk at Sinkyone Wilderness
• MendoMoments: A Caspar Shack with the Patina of Time
• MendoMoments: The Nearness of Autumn Comes Into Focus on the Mendocino Bluffs
• MendoMoments: The Long and Winding Philo-Greenwood Road
• MendoMoments: Surfer Rides a Wave Under the Blood Red Sun of Smoky Skies
• MendoMoments: A Gray Whale Emerges from the Pacific
• MendoMoments: A Wake of Vultures Feast on a Carcass
• MendoMoments: A Glass Beach Squirrel Gets Ornery When It Does Not Get a Snack
• MendoMoments: A Barn Owl in the Backyard
• MendoMoments: Lost in the Maze of Brooktrails
• MendoMoments: Noyo Harbor’s Baby Ospreys Emerge
• MendoMoments: Memorial Day at Russian River Cemetery
• MendoMoments: Soaking Feet in a Cool Creek
• MendoMoments: The Super Flower Blood Moon Descends Behind Duncan Peak
• MendoMoments: A Little Library in the Hamlet of Hearst
• MendoMoments: Thunderheads Gather Above the Mayacama Mountains
• MendoMoments: Lake Mendocino Through the Lens of a Newcomer