In the spring, Mother Nature made it easy to imagine pulling just one aptly named crayon out of the box to color the leaves on the tree outside the window by my desk.
But things are different now.
Mac-n-cheese (When did Crayola start stocking that one in the box?) somewhat mimics the prettiest color in her fall clothes.
But one Crayola crayon doesn’t cut it.
Time to call for reinforcements from the full box of 64.
Mac-n-cheese plus burnt orange, chestnut, forest green, raw sienna, yellow orange, tumbleweed….
There simply are not enough colors in a box of 64.
Coming even close to the autumnal splendor of nature requires arming yourself tenfold.
Surely all the shades of leaves in this tree can be found in a fan of Pantone’s 644 colors.
Yet every single leaf will take on a slightly different tinge tomorrow.
And soon, nature will strip my tree of her fashionable fall frock, forcing her to face any winter freezes shivering in nothing but her birthday suit.
Postcards from Barton Springs 