The crisp autumn (otoño) air has finally arrived in the Land of Enchantment. I'm glad to report that I survived my annual bout of self-diagnosed Summer Seasonal Affective Disorder, a malady described in this 2021 NY Times article. I'm one of the seemingly rare people who dislikes summer and feels emotionally drained from the intense summer heat and far-too-many hours of relentless daylight. As the days shorten and the temps cool down, however, my spirits lift, my energy returns, and my excitement for fall and winter takes over.
As soon as I heard that the aspen were beginning to change color in the mountains outside of Santa Fe in late September, I ventured out for some hiking and photography. My friend Troy and his dog Luna joined me on a lovely four-mile trek up the Little Tesuque trail. Luckily, we went on a Monday, so we avoided the weekend crowds. The temps were definitely coolish, but we warmed up quickly once we started trekking, and the light rain and sleet later in the hike also kept us cool. Below are a few pics of our outing. It was definitely in the very early stages of fall color, but lovely, nonetheless.
BEAUTIFUL, AND IN OUR BACKYARD.