Fall Foliage Tour

Each year when our kids were young, in addition to dragging them through the livestock barn at the fair, consort and I took them on what we fondly called our Fall Foliage Tour.  

One day towards the end of October was set aside as a family day for touring Tulsa and viewing the beautiful colors -- despite the vociferous complaints put forth by the children.  Before taking off, I would make a kettle of soup and leave it to simmer while we were out.  There's nothing better than a hot bowl of soup and a biscuit after spending the day out of doors in the crisp fall air.  (The two pictures above and below were taken in the historic downtown area of Broken Arrow.)

On our last day in Broken Arrow before taking off for south Texas, and at our daughter's request, we loaded up the family and headed out to continue the tradition of the Keeling Fall Foliage Tour.  Contrary to years past, we started our tour in the historic downtown area of Broken Arrow.  While the foliage and houses in the downtown area are beautiful, the main reason for stopping in downtown is a trip to the grandsons' favorite store, Rocket Fizz.  There is one truth I've learned in my life that never varies:  Treat the kiddos first; they'll be much happier and more compliant the remainder of the day.

After a short walking tour of Broken Arrow, we loaded up the family and headed to Woodward Park.  Woodward Park is a 45-acre park, arboretum, and botanical garden just outside of downtown Tulsa.  In the spring, a large portion of the park is covered in blooming azaleas; in the fall, the entire park is ablaze in fall colors.  

The day we chose for touring was overcast, and conditions in NE Oklahoma have been dry this year, so the dazzling display of colorful leaves was not all that it could be.  

Fall is my favorite season and October, in particular, is my favorite month.  Last year we missed seeing any fall color. and this year we left New England before the leaves really began to change.  So despite the fact that there was not an abundance of leaves changing colors, we enjoyed each and every one that we saw.

Consort and I have been strolling through Woodward Park since before we were married.  We've always considered it our park.  This beautiful Magnolia tree has been in the park forever and remains unchanged.  Consort and I would climb the low branches whenever we visited the park.  Years later when we brought our kids to the park, they also climbed up into this epic tree.  And here we are, decades later, watching our grandsons climb up into the very same tree.  

A tree's beauty lies in its branches, but its strength lies in its roots. ~Matshona Dhliwayo