Red Maple Leaf and Fern Frond in Grass, Autumn, Hocking Hills, Ohio
A recently fallen red maple leaf lies in the dead grass, its palette of autumn colors glowing in a final blaze of glory among the dull tans and browns surrounding it. Having landed next to a dead and shriveled fern, it appears to be standing on edge, having fallen into a slot between parallel wind-blown grass stalks. Showing the scars left by its brief life of a single growing season, the leaf is beginning its return to the soil, where decay will release its nutrients and organic matter.
This photo was made near the Ash Cave fire lookout tower in the Hocking Hills of southeast Ohio.
Photo location: Hocking County, Ohio.
