Happy Friday, peeps. We made it even if Mother Nature wasn’t very hospitable getting here. As always, we are joining our fur-iends and Nature Friday hosts, Rosy and her brothers from LLB in Our Backyard. As I mentioned earlier this week, Mother Nature decided to have her evil twin from the Arctic drop a dime on the Mile High with some snow and record-setting cold temperatures. While snow in October is not uncommon (we normally receive a storm or two in October), to have such a cold front come through was out of Ma Nature’s usual MO.
The morning thermometer worked hard to reach 20 F degrees when the pups and I went out to make our early morning pitstop. Brrrrr…even the wooly mammoth pup also known as the Ninja, made a quick dash in the dog run, peed like a racehorse and ran back as quick as a bunny. She looked at me like I was some kind of monster but then when I asked her if she’d like breakfast, her expression changed. Dramatically. You’ve have thought she’d won the Lottery.
Changing leaf colors have been slow to develop in the city with the trees on my street are still mostly green. It should be interesting to see how (or if) the storm affects the color of leaves. Speaking of changing colors, do you know why and how this happens?
One word. Photosynthesis.
What is photosynthesis, you ask? It the way nature let’s trees operate. Growing during the summer, they begin their metamorphosis into winter through the transitional season of autumn (in the northern hemisphere). As daylights wanes, trees use the shorter days as the signal by which to begin to prepare for winter. Because there isn’t enough light or water for photosynthesis in winter, trees will rest, and live off the food stored during the summer. They begin to shut down their food-making abilities. Green chlorophyll in their cells will begin to disappear from their leaves and as that green fades, yellow and orange colors seem to magically appear. Although small amounts of those colors have been in the leaves all along, they cannot been seen in the summer, because they are covered up by the green chlorophyll.
The bright reds and purples we see in leaves are made mostly in the fall. In some trees, like maples, glucose is trapped in the leaves after photosynthesis stops. Sunlight and the cool nights of autumn cause the leaves turn this glucose into a red color.
The brown color of trees like oaks is made from wastes left in the leaves. It is the combination of all these things that make the beautiful fall foliage colors we enjoy each year.
So there you have it. Any way you look at it, it’s beautiful. Here’s wishing you a great weekend. We’re planning on returning to pre-Arctic temps (the forecast is for mid- to upper 60’s this weekend) and enjoying a return to sanity. Otherwise known as autumn.
Live, love, bark! 🐾
The second photo was far more enjoyable than the first. LOL.
🤣
*shakes head* Still not ready for it…MOL 😀 Pawkisses for a Happy Sunday🐾😽💞
Me neither but today is sunny and 70F.
you got a bit more snow than we did. we set records for cold temps
hugs
Mabel & Hilda
I think our temps were record breaking as well. Way to early in the season to be in the mid-teens. Brrrrr 🥶
That’s pawsitively dog gone crazy!
And I’m a Canadian 🇨🇦
Have a wagnificent weekend 🐾
💜nose nudges 💜
You too, Olivia! It’s all good today. 😇
OMC!!!!!!!!! Look it all THE snow youss’ gotted! EEEKKK!!
Mee sure hopes Mothur Nature not ‘drop any dimess’ on us here…..it ISS furry chilley out today….
Pleese SkyCatGod NO snow here…
***purrsss*** BellaDharma
It was wild, for sure. Yet 99.9% of the white stuff is already melted and it should be 70F today! Such crazy weather.
Mee doggie frend Mani an his ‘guy’ live inn same State as you an had same weather!! Their snow iss gone now too an iss nice again! WEERD weather Miss Monika….furry weerd……
Mother Nature could use some hormone replacement medication. 😂
Mew mew mew wee agree Miss Monika! Last week was sunny an lovelee; so far this week has bin rainy, windy an not nice at all 🙁
20 to 60? 70 to 30? There is no sanity in that! LOL.
But I loved the post, which just goes to show what a truly mad scientist Mother Nature is. 🙂
She is indeed. Can you say whacked out h.o.r.m.o.n.e.s.?
LOL
I figured those brown colors in the oak leaves were made by wastes left behind by squirrels…
LOL depends on the neighborhood. Mine, prolly. Yours, probably not so much. 🐿🐿🐿
Red leaves and snow are in the cards for us, but not yet! Yikes!
Love and licks,
Cupcake
Stay warm Cupcake. The cold was brutal.
🐬🐬🐬🛷
OMD, you got a LOT of snow! And how interesting about the leaves. Tell the Ninja that we’re right there with her.
The Ninja appreciates the support. 😉
You froze – we sweltered, but like you our temps. have returned to reasonable spring temperatures – mid to high 20s – today being a nice 27c ( around the 80F mark)
Let’s just both enjoy the weekend, ‘kay? 😊
Heh. Chilly dogs for breakfast.
We had chilly dogs all day long! 🌭🌭🌭
That’s one of the many wonderful things about Denver, 20 today………upper 60s tomorrow 🙂
And 70 by Sunday. Woot, woot!
Our leaf color doesn’t peak until the end of October so we are still raking at Thanksgiving. Still moderate (upper 60s) here in the east. It needs to stay that way. Winterizing the pond this weekend and I have to go in the cold water to do that! Brrrr! I don’t know how it got away from me this year. I normally have it done by the end of September.
With the gigantic Silver Maple tree in my yard, there are leaves dropping till December. 😲#nothappyaboutthat
We keep our snow in the mountains where it belongs. Yes, we are hot house flowers and we admit it.
The snow isn’t for everyone that’s for sure. 😌
Drew said it was about 15 when he and Milo got up… oy vey! Lots of snow around here to slowly melt today… hopefully melt and not leave more ice since it started with sleet. I too hope the gorgeous colors I was seeing emerge will continue on trees. So much prettier than last year… the only thing constant is change, right? LeeAnna
A good deal of the snow is already gone here and it’s mostly off all the trees. I’m ready to go back to the 60’s and 70’s.
Holy cow, too early for snow. Very pretty though.
The good news is it’ll be gone by this afternoon and 70 by Sunday 😊
Sorry about the snow and cold. Good recap of what is going on with the leaves. Thank you for the cocktail discussion topic. “That’s a great story about your kid winning the science fair, but do you know about photosynthesis?”
Bwahaha! Oh I wish I could encounter some know-it-all neighborhood millennial and do a photosynthesis dump on them. 😈
That would be great. Lean close and whisper “glucose.”
You’re cracking me up. {whisper, whisper}
Hahaha