One Fell Swoop

A sign of the season - leaves falling. Usually you'll see them drop one at a time, twisting and turning in the air as until they fall to the ground. On especially windy days, it can look like snow with all the leaves swirling about. But once in awhile, a tree responds differently to fall's call. Once in awhile - all the leaves drop in fell swoop. Just like the tree in the picture.

In the morning, the tree had most of its leaves. But when I saw it in the afternoon, the ground was covered with branches. They all must have dropped in a very short amount of time. And without waiting to change color.

Fall is like this - sometimes it is long and lingering, mild weather for days on end. And then - abruptly - cold winds and cloudy skies take over. A sign that winter is not far off. But then, neither is spring!