The Colors of Fall
The following letter was submitted to local newspapers and is shared with us here by the author Michael Chambers
We are fortunate to have one of the most beautiful color displays this fall in Charlestown and the North East. Yesterday, as I drove south on Rte. 1, before the Kings Factory Road intersection, I had a view of the Moraine Preserve along the road that looked like someone had placed a tapestry over the green-leafed oaks. It was striking and breath-taking. The view seemed to comfort me as I drove home. How beautiful this season is!
If you haven’t had the chance or the inclination or the opportunity to see this colorful panorama, take the next opportunity to do so. This can be fulfilling and calming. The pessimists may complain that the colors are a precursor to leaf raking, but we can enjoy what we have and worry about raking later. Besides, who really needs to rake their leaves? Isn’t this something we choose to do?
Just enjoy the reds, yellows, gold, and russets, and even the greens. Some people have charged that if those trees on Rte. 1 are cleared, I would have something to lose, and the converse, if these trees are protected, I have something to gain. They are partially right. Citizens of Charlestown have something to lose. We all would have the beautiful foliage to lose from development. We can keep the colors alive through perseverance and preservation.
Michael Chambers
* The image above is a photo taken by Dan Slattery of fall foliage on Watchaug Pond. To see the colorful fall display that Mike writes about at the Moraine Preserve, you’ll need to take a ride on Rt. 1 between Kings Factory Road and Prosser Trail.