Living in the South for decades, I had always heard abut the spectacular fall foliage displays in Vermont and New Hampshire and elsewhere around New England. Every fall for decades I thought about how lovely the photographs are and wouldn’t it be delightful to see it first-hand. But instead — every fall I resigned myself to enjoying the leaf colors in the South, watching the gradual procession from green to orange, yellow and red. It was unfailingly pretty, whether in the North Georgia mountains or the high hills of Upper South Carolina or often in the lowlands, where the colors sometimes didn’t begin to showcase themselves until close to Thanksgiving.

And then we moved to New England. To New Hampshire, specifically, just across the Connecticut River from Vermont. In other words, right smack in the middle of the long=heralded fall foliage displays. And you know what I discovered? They were right. Everyone who ever said that New England in the fall is stunningly beautiful got it absolutely, totally, completely, unequivocally right.

It has been a season of astonishing discovery for us, my wife and I. Moments of breathtaking sights, revelations of color inevitably followed by cries of “look over there” and enough finger-pointing to characterize us as leaf peepers of the most intense sort. We drove up to New Hampshire’s North Country, above Mount Washington, several weeks ago to see one of nature’s most gorgeous, colorful places. We did see wonderful things, but unfortunately because the television weatherman’s forecast was off, the day proved sun-less, and many of the brightest colors were muted. It was nonetheless an amazing trip. And we’ve made several since, though the sun has proven only an occasional companion.

Recently, we haven’t had to drive anywhere — the colors are all around us, just by stepping into the yard. What continues to surprise and delight us are the various hues just one tree can produce: green turning to yellow, or gold, and then to brown, and then to varying shades of brown, every change as refreshing and as different as the first. It’s something we can now never take for granted. Or require photographs to appreciate. Nope, no more. We’ve seen the New England foliage for the first time, and it has been an energizing, even life-giving experience. We are no longer among the envious.

And yes, we know winter is coming. There will be some very, very different things to cope with. Somehow, though, I think we’re just about ready.