Labor Day has come and gone marking the unofficial end of summer fun. We can't really declare that summer is over until it's official end on September 23. The signs, however, are there. On my way to work this morning, I noticed a number of these signs. My lawn has yellow leaves on the grass. The blueberry picking farm down the street is closed for the season and the apple picking farm is open. One of the local farm stands has a line of chrysanthemums and pumpkins edging the parking lot.

There are a few redeeming events in the fall. The best of these is the turning of the leaves. I am what is referred to apparently as a "leaf peeper", or at least a would-be "leaf peeper". Every year my husband promises me that we will go up north and look at the autumn leaves. Every year by the time we get there, the leaves have all turned brown and dropped off. Turning leaves are a tricky thing. It seems to take them a long time to reach their prime, but once they do - blink and they're gone!

The state of New Hampshire fills up with "leaf peepers" every fall, and information is in place to be sure that each and every one has a peak experience. One of the websites that the state of New Hampshire has provided is called the New Hampshire Foliage Report If you have ever wondered why the leaves change color, the answer is here. This website will also help you to decide when and where to go to see the best quality fall foliage. Just drag the cute little fall leaf across the color bar, and you will see where in the state the foliage is at its peak and when. White Mountain Foliage.com will answer almost any question that you might think of in regard to fall foliage including what effect weather has, and where else in the country you can go to see fall colors.

If you like fall foliage and you like trains, this is the website for you. Foliage trains.com describes a number of different train trips in the Lakes Region and the Lincoln area which provide excellent fall foliage viewing. If you would rather do your viewing on foot, the Appalachian Mountain Club has some family-friendly foliage hikes in the White Mountains and the Lakes Region. There is even fall foliage for those who can't bear to leave their computers. Weirs online.com has a beautiful collection of fall foliage photos which can be emailed as a postcard to a friend. Or as a coworker pointed out, could even be used as a desktop background!

Happy "leaf peeping"!