Enjoy the colors of fall
Have you felt the coolness in the air the last few mornings? You can tell fall is coming. If you are an outdoor enthusiast, fall can mean lots of things. It means the hunting seasons are here. It means that you need to switch to bigger baits because fish are changing into their fall feeding cycle. They know leaner times are coming, so they want the biggest meal they can get for the energy they expend.
Fall is also a wonderful time for family camping. It is much easier to sleep when it is cool at night. Campfires on a cool evening are great for cooking and sharing the outdoors with friends, if there is not a fire ban. Fall is also the time for leaves changing colors.
Unless you have been working the night shift or haven't left the house in the last couple of weeks, you have probably noticed that leaves have begun to turn color and drop. Fall is one of nature's most amazing visual spectacles, the change of colors in leaves. The vibrant colors are probably one of the things that makes fall my favorite season.
We all know that leaves are usually various shades of green in color. They get their green color from chlorophyll, a pigment found in plant leaves. Chlorophyll is a biomolecule and an important component that allows the leaves to process sunlight and create simple sugars to feed the plant via a process known as photosynthesis. Due to fall's shorter days and less sun light, combined with cooler temperatures, it starts a natural process where chlorophyll transfers from the leaves to the branches, trunk, and roots. This allows the natural colors of the leaves; the yellowish and red/orange pigments that are always present, to become visible to the naked eye.
Separate chemical processes produce the brilliant reds, purples and bronzes of fall foliage. On warm days, sugar is produced in the leaves of trees and then trapped by the chill of night. As sugar accumulates, the leaves turn brighter red. The sugar maple is an excellent example of this trait of nature. Other factors that influence the amount of fall color the leaves are rainfall, the amount of sugar in the leaves, wind, and temperatures.
Color within a leaf also depends on how much iron, magnesium, phosphorus or sodium is in the tree. There are a number of natural chemicals that similarly contribute to the color we see in leaves. For example, yellow is due to a chemical called xanthophyl. Some common trees we see in the fall with yellow leaves are ash, aspen, birch, beech, cottonwood, elm, hickory, poplar. The chemical anthocyanin is responsible for red and purple colors in leaves. Oaks, some maples, and sumac are common trees with this trait. Orange is caused by the chemical carotene, the same chemical that makes carrots orange. You'll see orange colors in some oaks and maples, too.
Because of our hardwoods on the eastern side of the state, some of the most vibrant displays of leaf colors you will see anywhere in the country! I believe it rivals the fall colors touted by tourism groups in the New England region of the country. My favorite way to see fall colors is by taking a boat ride on the Missouri River. The array of colors this time of the year is awesome. There is an area, a bend on the river between Brownville and Indian Cave State Park, known as Aspen Wall, that is one of my favorite spots to visit. If you can't get on the river, Indian Cave State Park is a great place to see fall colors.
Fall is also a time that many creative individuals like to gather things for fall decorations. Keep in mind that poison ivy is still out there, and it may not look the same to you this time of year. In the fall, poison ivy can turn a gorgeous red, orange or a mixture of both with lighter greens fading to yellow and into reds. It has a fall look to it!
My grandmother always liked to have a nice centerpiece, generally a cornucopia full of vegetables and fruit, surrounded by vines with autumn colors. I'm sure one could envision the colors of fall poison ivy being a perfect addition to a centerpiece. Unfortunately, she did not know she was picking poison ivy and paid the price for it.
Whether it is spring or fall, poison ivy is still potent and can be spread by coming in contact with oil produced by the plant. The oil is called urushiol (u-ROO-she-ol). This oily resin is in the leaves, stems and roots of the plant.
Think about minimizing the transfer of the urushiol to any other surfaces you come in contact with! Potentially contaminated clothing should be removed as soon as possible and washed in warm water. A good detergent like Dawn Soap is a good choice. It breaks down the oil very well.
If you didn't realize that you came in contact with poison ivy, you can treat mild cases of poison ivy rash with over-the-counter products like Calamine Lotion. It is an anti-itch cream that works on contact to protect the skin from further irritation and helps heal affected areas. Other over-the-counter allergy medications such as Benadryl or Zyrtec can help with your allergic reaction to urushiol.
One of the quickest means of relief is a simple cold compress. Wet paper towels placed on the rash will make things feel better. A paste made from cucumbers said to be a simple poison ivy treatment. Aloe Vera is another plant-based way to get some relief.
Apple cider vinegar has many medicinal qualities, so it's no surprise that apple cider vinegar has also been shown to be an effective poison ivy treatment. One interesting remedy I discovered is soaking a brown paper bag in apple cider vinegar, and then placing the paper on the rash, can draw out toxins.
If topical treatments fail to give you any relief, you'll need to see your doctor and maybe get some prescription strength oral antihistamines. Enjoy the fall but be careful out there!
