Editor’s note: Parts of this column originally appeared in the Kane County Chronicle in October 2008.

Wahoo! Fall color is at its peak here in the Tri-Cities.

The leaves changed a few weeks earlier this year, no doubt a sign of the stressful conditions our trees and shrubs endured during the 2012 drought. But, cause aside, vibrant hues of crimson, gold and luscious brown greet us each day as local trees surrender their last green bits of chlorophyll and begin their preparations for winter. A light wind brings these colors fluttering downward, a flurry of autumnal tones that disappear far too fast.