[Christine]'s photostream  

We got about four inches of snow in Virginia today. It was beautiful and unusual and (unfortunately) destructive. So many trees in the Shenandoah Valley still have leaves, so there were lots of split trees, branches down and powerlines taken out. We lost power for a while, but all is well now.

My most excellent husband drove me around this morning (even though he has a cold) so I could take a few photos of the fall foliage covered with snow. My most excellent husband also invented something to help me get out into the snow despite a defective foot. You see, last Sunday we went hiking and I somehow obtained the mother of all blisters on my left heel. On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, I wore dress shoes and did my normal workouts. By Thursday, I could no longer walk and ended up at the doctor's office - for a flipping blister. Anyhow... to make a long story short, I can't wear any shoes that put pressure on my heel for a few more days. Ever try walking in the snow in open shoes? It's not fun. So Adam invented 'Ghetto Gaiters'. Basically, they're socks with plastic grocery bags over them shoved inside the neon green crocs that I (typically) only wear as 'camp shoes' when we're backpacking. They weren't pretty. They weren't particularly warm. But my feet stayed dry and my blister continues to heal... and I got the shots I wanted.

I wish the snow hadn't been falling so hard when I was shooting, but oh well...

I was in the park Monday evening, and fall color is officially at (or maybe a little past) peak! The rain and wind we had last week took a lot of leaves down. I'm guessing today's wet and blustery weather will pull even more of the foliage down. Probably the best bet for color is going to be at the southern end of the park. Enjoy a few additional shots from Monday, October 17th below!

Yesterday, I was asked to photograph a marriage proposal on the James Madison University quad. And although it was already dusk and pouring down rain, I was pretty happy with the photos. You have no idea how hard it is to hide in the bushes, with an umbrella in one hand and a 5D fitted with a telephoto in the other. I posted a couple other shots in comments below.

Since I live right outside the park, I've been getting lots of emails asking for foliage reports. As of this morning (October 9th), foliage in the park is probably still only 25-30% peak. I'm guessing we have another week to ten days before color in the Central District is at its best.

There are spots of brilliant color, but overall there is still more green than anything.

This shot is of the South River tree, which always turns early and is famously colorful. I put a few other photos in comments so you can see color elsewhere in the park.

Happy Fall everyone! Sorry I'm such a rotten and sporadic Flickr friend... I just haven't had the time to keep up with commenting.

Well... fall is underway! We're still a week or two from peak color, but spots of brilliant color are already starting to develop. Adam, Wookie and I hiked from Ivy Creek Spring to Brown Gap along the Appalachian Trail on this very windy morning. It was a glorious day in the high 40s - perfect for a fun walk in the mountains.