Monday, October 27, 2008

Fall Color "Treat"

As young "trick or treaters" fine tune their costumes, Mother Nature is already displaying her best garb. It's my favorite time of year in Manton, and as anyone who heads up in the hills now will discover, a visual treat is in store. The apple trees of Bonnie's Orchard at the corner of Forward and Graham Roads are a flurry of green and gold. The black oaks are yellowing and the roadside western redbud along Rock Creek Road are fabulous shades of red, orange, copper and maroon. Down in the cool creek bottoms the large leaf maples are lemon bright and the elusive dogwood is crimson. There's more to come. Japanese maples in my yard are deepening in color, but the flowering pear is still mostly green... just a few renegade reds showing up here and there. For the most part the vineyards are still green as well, which means the show will go on from now until Thanksgiving. It's a great time to visit Manton and tour a few of the local wine tasting rooms such as those at the Alger Vineyards or Indian Peak, both on Forward Road just uphill from the Manton School. For those who might be interested in a tour of properties available for purchase, Manton Realty is available to guide you. Contact Tom to set up an appointment at mantonland@frontiernet.net. Happy Halloween!