Before Sandy, Late Fall Bliss in Vermont

Last week, as all eyes turned toward Hurricane Sandy menacing the eastern U.S., including Vermont, we had a spell of blissful late autumn weather, the calm before the storm.

Autumn colored ivy on a brick
house brightens a neighborhood
in Winoosk, Vermont

Late, lingering autumn color adorned a few spots especially in urban areas where the air is a little warmer and trees cling to their leaves a while longer.

Yesterday and the day before, most of the remaining leaves fell off the trees in a light northerly breeze, which was the first hint that Sandy was lurking off the coast.

It's mostly winter grey now. But here are some photos I took last week, as fall let loose with some last minute color.

People enjoy a canopy and carpet
of yellow leaves on Burlington,
Vermont's waterfront.

People linger under golden trees on Burlington, Vermont's
Church Street Marketplace.