Autumnal photo gallery

Today, I took a short walk in my neighborhood, with the goal of photographing images of autumn. The colors have shifted with the seasons. They are now warm colors: reds, oranges, and yellows. No more springtime pastels. No more vivid summertime colors.

Pumpkins are a symbol of autumn. They are a type of squash and they are native to North America. They widely vary in size. I’ve been told that smaller pumpkins are better for cooking than really large ones.

There are many recipes for pumpkins: pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin soup, and more. The seeds can be toasted and eaten, as well.

Pumpkins are highly nutritious and are full of vitamin A and beta carotene, as well as a fairly decent amount of vitamin C.

Pumpkins make for good stories. In Cinderella, a giant pumpkin turns into a carriage. At midnight, the carriage reverts to its original form. In Peanuts, Linus strongly believes in the Great Pumpkin. The Headless Horseman, in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, by Washington Irving, throws a pumpkin.

Purchasing the pumpkins or the other produce (see below) is on the honor system.

More of the harvest! Harvest is what autumn is all about! The hot peppers are colorful and pretty.

More hot peppers!

Here is a boxful of winter squash.

In the autumn, after the equinox, there is less sunlight, and photosynthesis stops. It is time for the trees to go dormant and live off of the stored energy. Once photosynthesis stops, the leaves turn color. Maples generally turn red. Other trees will produce yellow or brown leaves.