Maple trees at Birch Ridge Inn's Covered Carriageway hinting of things to come.

Maple trees at Birch Ridge Inn's Covered Carriageway hinting of things to come.

Labor Day weekend is upon us. Where did the summer go???

While they are imperceptible if one is not paying attention, the signs that the seasons in Killington are changing are all around us.

The days in Killington are still warm and beautiful, "Bermuda Shorts Compatible". The nights are chilling off quite quickly. The heating furnaces at the inn have fired up around midnight every night this week, indicating that the outside temperature is reaching the high 50's in the pre-dawn early morning hours. Pretty soon talking about temperatures in the 50's will be but a fond distant memory.

Winter deliveries have started at many of the ski shops in Killington. UPS and Fedex have started to make regular deliveries of 2015-2016 merchandise to most of the shops on the Killington road.

The wine merchants who distribute wine in the state of Vermont have scheduled thier fall wine shows. All summer long at Birch Ridge we sell through our wine list to create open slots in our wine cellar for new wines. By early November, Mary and I will have tasted upwards of 400 wines. We usually move in about 20 new items as we head into winter. It is a tough job, but somebody has to do it.

Fall Foliage Season guests have begun the process of booking rooms for their fall visits. There is no doubt that the prettiest fall foliage in the world graces the Green Mountains of Vermont in late September and October each year.

Speaking of fall foliage, while we are still weeks away from the appearance of wide spread color changes in the tree canopy, the forest primeval has started to speak. Some maple trees have begun to take on a slight coloration in their leaves. The "Signal" trees, the earliest trees each year to change colors, have started to show their fall beauty. Behind the inn, where the forest canopy is still exposed to the late summer sun, the change in not noticable en-mass, but you can see it on individual trees upon close inspection.

Starting today on killingtonblog.com, you will see the first in our annual series of the "Fall Foliage Picture of the Day". Every day from now through the arrival of twig season, I will be taking a picture of the inn to journal the progress of fall around the area. While you are looking at the picture gallery, you can also look at galleries from prior years. Each year is unique, but it is an interesting excercise to compare this years fall progress to past years, so you can plan your trip to hunt down peak color.

In the mean time....Wherever you may be... hit them straight... keep it in the fairway... hopefully enjoy family and friends over the Labor Day Weekend, and don't forget your sunscreen.