not Peake yet, Dawn

Fall color arriving early
By Dawn Peake
The Forum - 09/10/2004
A red maple leaf sways back and forth in the wind, eventually settling at the bottom of a yellow ash tree among the forest greens. A walk along the winding trails at Maplewood State Park in Pelican Rapids, Minn., signals fall has arrived. Mother Nature broke out her color palette early, making next week the best time for fall color viewing. Wildflowers and grasses already have reached their peak, dressing the area's prairie with blue asters, yellow coneflowers and red blazing stars. Leaves are turning at least a week ahead of normal at Maplewood State Park, said Robert Hanson, park manager.