Cycle RAT

Hmm, Where Might this Colorful Tree Be? Annie SAID Bikes had to be Involved!

Back in the day, Rantwick held an annual "Rantwick Autumn Throwdown;" RAT for short. It started when he looked for challengers to "The King of Autumn." The King was a spectacular tree. After a few years, seems it was the third or fourth RAT, Anniebikes took up the responsibility, and now it's just a fond memory. JUST IN CASE, however, at top is my own mysterious RAT entry for this year. It was shot somewhere north of Texas and east of Washington. For those still mystified, the photo at bottom clears up the "cycle" part of this title and also the particular locale.

Tending to the Bikes on an Autumn Tour

More Fall Color Candidates

It has been no real secret that I've been on the lookout for some fall color. Starting way back last December, I shot some trees after the last Rantwick Deadline, shown here. While one tree was pretty good, it isn't clear it would be eligible this year and it will definitely peak too late for this year's deadline. Then, in September, I shot some of the local Texas color, posting it here. People sneered. THEN, I looked for color in the great, soon-to-be frozen wilds of Quebec, posting them here. No lone trees. The colorful Canadian trees stood together in great herds.

After missing out in Texas and in Quebec, I sought fall color elsewhere. In Saint Louis, I wrote of a small, but colorful (brown IS a color!) example here. Then, I went on to Salt Lake City, where I found a colorful tree that seems to have been blessed by the hand of God, or at least a decorator at the Mormon Tabernacle. THAT example was shown here. What I did NOT show, at least not then, were some of the lesser examples, such as the poor little Saint Louis tree below, and one in SLC, that I refer to as "the Match Tree."

Returning back to Texas, I adopted the strategy Rantwick used with "the King." He cleverly watched a single tree and waited for it to reach its peak. Alas, my selected candidate never really got very spectacular. The "before" and "at" peak colors are both shown below.

And so, I think, I should consider sticking with the tree whose color never fades, the tree sung to by voices that might have come down from Heaven. A unique tree for Rantwick's contest. The ONLY tree residing indoors, and endorsed in the program of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

This Saint Louis Tree was Past its Color Peak

Utah, Home of the "Colorful Match Tree"

Colleyville Candidate Tree, Colorful, but Getting More So

Colleyville Tree, Two Weeks Later, Leaves Starting to Drop Fast

Even the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Sings of THIS Colorful Little Tree!
Under Divine Favor (Favour for our Canadian Friends), Its Color (Colour) is Everlasting, Eh?

Saintly Salt Lake SARATS

Perhaps, a rival to Rantwick's "King of Autumn" exists in the West. Salt Lake City, to be exact. You see, quite unexpectedly, across the walkway that passes the Salt Lake Temple, shown below, it turned out to be a possibly divine entry.

Salt Lake Temple

No, it wasn't the nice Nishiki.

Nishiki Bike, Parked Across from Salt Lake's Temple Square

Nor was it the Assembly Hall, shown below, nor even the Tabernacle.

Salt Lake Assembly Center

It WAS inside the Tabernacle. I think this might be a divine SARATS sign.

Divinely Inspired Fall Color Change, Unexpectedly Found inside the Salt Lake City Tabernacle; Also Home to a Choir

St Louis SARAT Sadness

Sadly, while in St Louis, land of Texas Ranger opponents, I saw few trees worthy of SARAT consideration. I saw a nice group, but a piece of stainless steel intruded and the light was fading fast.

Sigh, I suppose I shall simply have to enjoy Rantwick's fine blog and SARATS contest from the sidelines. Still, perhaps a new King is waiting for me in Salt Lake City. BTW, this post is from an iPhone. It is hard to judge those tiny pictures!