So why do leaves change color? Changes in leaves’ plants have three primary pigments that are important for the color changes we see during autumn: chlorophyll, carotenoids and anthocyanins.
Chlorophyll, the pigment that gives plants their green color, is necessary for photosynthesizing light and creating sugars that feed the plant. Carotenoids assist in photosynthesis and are responsible for the oranges and yellows color. Anthocyanins, acts as a protective “sunscreen” for leaves; they produce the red colors we see in leaves. Anthocyanins are produced only during the fall when chlorophyll levels start to drop.
During the growing season, chlorophyll takes center stage as it’s repeatedly produced and broken down again, making the leaves appear green. As the days become shorter, there is less available sunlight for photosynthesis. This slows chlorophyll production until none remains. The carotenoids and the anthocyanins are then left allowing the leaves to bare their brilliant colors.
Temperature and moisture are the main drivers of the amount and brilliance of the colors. Warm, sunny days with cool (but not freezing) nights allow for lots of sugars to be produced during the day, which are then trapped in the leaves as the cool nights close the leaves’ veins. This extra sugar leads to the production of more anthocyanins, boosting the reds, crimsons and purples in the leaves.
In most parts of the temperate world, 15% of tree species will turn yellow and only 10% will turn red. In certain regions, however, like New England, 30% of the woody species will turn yellow and an incredible 70% will turn red. You’ll find some of the most brilliant color changes in trees such as maple, dogwood, sumac, oak, poplars, birch and elm.
My friend Julia took this picture of the marina right after we left…thanks for the wonderful picture.
These pictures were taken by a local photographer in upstate New York. His name is John Kucko. Just out his Facebook page.
Fall isn’t all about the foliage…there are plenty of pumpkins, Indian corn, mums and gourds too.
Our first stop in the San Juan archipelago is Stuart Island. We find Reid Harbor busy, but the spacious bay accommodates many boats so finding a spot is no problem. Stuart Island is one of our favorite spots. We enjoy several days of hiking on this remote island. It is always good to get off the boat […]
The beautiful full moon from the stern of The Pearl.
S’mores and the fire pit are some of the best parts of summer.
The final dock party on pier 3…days are getting shorter and the nights are getting cooler…fall has arrived.
We said good-bye to summer the same way we welcomed it in…a picnic at Sheldrake Winery and dinner at the Boatyard Grill.
Here’s to the end of another wonderful summer and the start to more adventures this fall.
Our little runabout.
Dirty Harry’s Balcony offers great views of the western Cascade Mountains on a relatively short hike that is closer to Seattle than most. The 4.2-mile (6.8 km) return trail ascends 1,354 ft (412 m) through healthy, second-growth forest from a trailhead that is only a 45-minute drive from our apartment. The trail is named not…
Waiting for the train to take us home.
Our last look at the Cirque from the train platform.
We’ve always favored full-bodied reds, such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel, over lighter choices such as Merlot and Pinot Noir. But after attending a couple of Winemaker’s Dinners at the Butcher’s Table restaurant, arranged by Merlot-enthusiast Jason Sanneman, we began to appreciate that varietal more. We’d also become interested in visiting Walla Walla in eastern…
Homemade cinnamon rolls are baked each morning at the Blind Channel store. They are so popular that the marina limits boaters to two per boat. We secure our pair of tasty pastries as soon as the store opens as they sell out quickly. We have a short travel day of 31 miles to our next anchorage of […]
Fortunately, we do not suffer from “Triskaidekaphobia” otherwise we might of skipped this year. The cruise was without mishaps and relaxing. We changed our fishing strategy by moving the salmon fishing the until the southbound BC portion of the trip. That freed up days which we spent on additional port days or days at anchor while reducing engine hours and miles traveled.
The cruise was 139 days/138 nights long from Saturday, April 29 until Thursday, September 14. We spent 84 nights at anchor (61%) and 54 nights at a dock. Of the nights at anchor, for 46 nights we were the only boat in the anchorage (55%). During the cruise, we traveled 3023.6 nautical miles and put 510.4 hours on our engine. We ran our generator 22 times totaling 36 hours.
By coincidence, last year’s cruise, 2022, was also 139 days/138 nights. Compared to 2022, in 2023 we spent 7 more nights at the dock, 103.2 fewer hours operating the engine, traveled 560 fewer miles and operated the generator 18 additional hours. These numbers document our slower pace and more time spent on docks or multiple days at anchor.The additional expense from days on the dock is offset by the reduced amount of fuel burned.
We still manage to find new (to us) places to visit and anchor. In 2023 we used 14 new places to anchor (alphabetically – Baker Cove, Chichagof Village, Dorothy Cove, Fancy Cove, Forit Bay, Kah Shakes Cove, Kinahan Islands, Lake Anna, Luck Dragon Cove, Otter Cove, Russell Island Passage, Sundew Cove, Sunny Bay, and Waterfall Cove). We also visited one new marina, Mill Bay Marina on Vancouver Island.
Below is a map of our stops in the 2023 cruising season. Clicking on one of the “dropped pins” will pull up some information about the stop. At the top right of the map is an icon which will open a separate window that may be easier to navigate.
