One moment all the leaves were green and then seemingly, at the blink of an eye, they started to turn. I think this photograph so perfectly captures the essence of early fall. I was at The New York Botanical Gardens with the children on Saturday and we were strolling through paths, over rivers and streams, down hills, up hills ... my eye caught sight of a tree just ahead. There was something about the way the sun hit the leaves. There was something about the way the leaves caught the sun and how the light magically revealed bursts of yellows and reds just starting to form. The sun renders these leaves practically transparent and we can see how thin and fragile they really are. Soon they will let go of the branches and begin their descent where they will rest, together in large groups and form the most vibrant of blanket covering the green grass below. A bright, colorful New England fall may very well rival the beauty of any of the 7 wonders of the world. To see a world turn from emerald green to yellow to fiery orange and red is akin to watching a most wonderful fireworks display - for it is nearly impossible to not gasp at the beauty all around, the colors bursting in the sky. Fall is my favorite season. And I often think to myself how so very worth it it is to endure the frozen temperatures of winter and the oppressive heat of summer... for afterwards you have this... the reward of it all - the grand prize. There is nothing so magical as the wonder and beauty of fall.