Fall in the Fens

Fall has arrived in earnest. The mornings are colder and the evenings darker; scarves and sweaters are donned as the leaves begin to fall in the crisp autumn air, and Bostonians stop where they did not stop before, to take note of the colorful world around them. Here are weekend photographs of the Fens, as I made my way to a coffeehouse this past Sunday morning. The weather was appropriately overcast, so that no clouds could compete with the splendor of the trees. The Back Bay Fens are a perfect place to pause and observe the magic of New England's favorite season.

The Ivy World of Beacon Hill

This is the Beacon Hill of two weeks ago-it's stately buildings draped in magical ivy, preparing for the annual exchange from green to red. Now, fourteen days later, that exchange is well underway for the ivy and leaves of Boston, not only in Beacon Hill, but in each neighborhood. The sun rises later and later on our changing world and sets early enough for me to use my candles once more. So goes October in New England,  a time of balancing where we wave goodbye to summer with one hand and hello to winter with the other.