Oh, Nicole...that is amazing!

I just adore fall!
I'm glad we are in MN until fall is mostly over.

This is fall (or autumn) in central Illinois. The majority of the trees were removed for building houses 150 years ago as the economy was beginning to be based on agriculture.

Cloudy dark days, but the color is there.

The trees haven't changed colors as much here yet.

Here's some cotton.

First time I've ever seen cotton fields. They look like tough, prickly branches. Are they mature, ripe for picking?

Hi Jasdip! Yes, this cotton is ready to be picked. Where the cotton bolls are pulled from is very hard and will stick you like a thorn.

Trying to find a close-up for you.

Thanks Charlee!
In my mind I thought they were much taller plants. Picking cotton must be definitely back-breaking and painful!

Charlee, you know I love the cotton plants!!! LOL I was so amazed when I saw them for the first time when we visited with Linda. Hard to believe I could live this long and have never seen cotton fields before. Love them.

Hi MM! And I just happened to have a few cotton bolls in my truck console~lol!

Jasdip, I never had to pick cotton or chop cotton. You don't chop the cotton-just the weeds. :)

There are huge cotton pickers now that can pick at least 16 rows maybe more, at one time.

LOL, yeah the days of picking by hand is long gone! Hey, I didn't say anything about "chopping" cotton, Charlee!

MM, it looks like there's a bird's head or something in amongst your leaves.

I know, I did. :)

MM, is that a critter in your leaves?

I'd love to see cotton growing up close and personal,and bring a few pieces home with me.I did some cross stitch pictures of cotton pickers a while ago,then found what looks like a satchel at a thrift store,so brought it.It hangs next to the stitching,and one of my nieces sent me some cotton pieces a while ago,that I need to replace,as they have gotten really Dusty over the years
Kathi

Great photos, everyone! :)

charlee, I love your cotton photos!!! I stopped at a cotton field the last time I was in Williamsburg. Found this close-up:

murraysmom, I love that photo and now it's making me nuts wondering whether we're looking at a mouse or a piece of wood. lol!

This post was edited by party_music50 on Sun, Oct 19, 14 at 9:28

Party, Charlee, Jasdip, wow, I never noticed that before but I see what you mean. No, no critter. Nothing moved when I took that picture. LOL I think it is just another leaf, but definitely no critter.

Cool pictures everybody.

Chiming in a day late. Friends had a large party on their farm this weekend. The weather was perfect for it.

The Band:

Beautiful! Those mums are huge!

Bet it was a great party, too.

Here is a cotton field in June, just before it started blooming. That's an eagles nest in the tall cypress tree in the background. Jasdip, a bit more cotton trivia. Before harvest after the bolls are full and open, the plants are defoliated before picking. I'll try to post a picture of a cotton picker. Those machines can cost upwards of $600,000 new -- for a piece of machinery that sits idle 11 months a year!

Cotton Picker

Nicole:

You make wonderful photos.

As I understand it, central Illinois was not heavily forested, but was a deeply sodded prairie. If lightening did not burn off the prairie, the native Americans would burn it periodically to encourage new growth prairie grass to attract and feed bison. This practice promoted a prairie without many trees.

Where I live, there is/was a Big Grove that covered more than 20 square miles. There are a few small groups of trees left in town and there is Brownfield Woods not too far from my house. That spot now has less than 100 acres of woods. It is a research area for the University of Illinois.

However, prairies were the norm. There is a non-profit that is attempting to reconstruct those prairies, but it takes at least 10 years to eliminate the introduced plants and their seeds.

Joan_mn & Jemdandy...thanks!