A Warm Autumn Day In Yosemite

The territorial "tuke, tuke, tuke" of a gray squirrel reverberates throughout the oak woodlands in Yosemite as the afternoon light slants through the trees. It's near the end of October, and this busy little squirrel works tirelessly collecting and storing acorns for the approaching winter. The black oak has turned mostly orange-yellow, and many of its leaves have fallen. By contrast, the black cottonwoods still sport their brilliant yellow leaves.

Stellar’s Jays squawk in the distance, and I hear the occasional click, clack, or thump of falling acorns hitting various surfaces.

Although a few flakes of snow landed on the gray squirrel's nose during a storm a couple of weeks ago, it's warm and cloudless today. Like the squirrels, the bright weather encourages people to get out and enjoy the warmth. Dozens of hikers stream quietly by on the trail.

Until now, the falls have been silent since late August. But now they call from the cliffs, not with their boisterous springtime bass, but with the quiet hiss of their treble song. I love Yosemite in the fall.