7724: Too late or Too early

A few friends have sent me pictures of their autumn season this year and a couple like Mai and Sean have blogged about theirs. I envy them this because I have never experienced the turning of the season and have never seen the leaves turn colors.

It was too early too see any of the Fall colors when I visited Atlanta in August. There were some colors in the trees that caught my eyes here and there and made me excited thinking that I am catching a glimpse. But no- it was just too early.

It is pretty clear from this Maple tree that it was too early.

Even this Japanese Maple said the same thing. There is a hint of color.
Or is that just me seeing things?

These young sycamore fruits caught my eyes though! Close, but no.

Then, there was this dying branch that turned its leaves all red! Pretty exciting huh?

I saw some color in these trees. I believe they were crab apple trees and the few people I asked didn’t seem to know whether these colors are “normal” for that time of the year. These were at the parking lot of the DeKalb Farmers Market.

Not sure what's going on here with these colors,
but I was pretty excited to see them, none the less.

The market is a huge 140,000-square-foot building that boasts foods from all over the world. It began humbly as a produce stand in 1977 and the market expanded in 1986 to its current dimensions.
One of the things I listed in my “2009 To Do List” was to eat a Georgia peach. They had fruits from all over the world but to my dismay- No Georgia peaches! It was too late in the season! I did eat some from Oregon and sampled a few kinds of plums and nectarines. I also tried some exotics from Latin America like guineps, mameys and pluots. Of course, who from Saipan can resist strawberries that's less than $4.00?

This is a Mamey sapote (Pouteria sapota) and it is related to our local chiko or Sapodilla (Manilkara achras). Too bad it wasn’t ripe enough for me to eat.

It is more aromatic than the chiko; the flesh more orange than brown.

Check out the huge seed. Doesn’t it look like a beetle?

I also had "Smell a Magnolia flower" in my 2009 To Do List, but again, I was too late. I only saw full blooms on route to the airport and I couldn't get to them without lugging my luggage with me. Oh, well. Maybe next year. Here is a Magnolia bud I saw unopened.
Enjoy Autumn, wherever you are.

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber