According to an old Indian legend, back in the early days, when plants and animals were created, they were instructed to fast and stay awake for 7 days in order to gain spirit power. Most stayed awake the first night, but on the second day many began to fall asleep. By the 7th night, only a few of the plants were still awake. Among these were the cedar, spruce, pine, holly and laurel. As a reward for this, these trees were allowed to keep their green leaves all year while the others must lose their leaves in the fall. As interesting and fun as this story is to believe, it's probably not why the leaves change colors.
Today I spent a few moments gazing through my office window and noticed trees in the distance beginning to change color and even a few leaves floating softly to the ground. Earlier this morning before leaving my house, I looked into the back yard and saw one tree already bare and another tree ringed by already fallen leaves. It's so hard to believe that summer is over, that the harvest is almost ripened and ready for gathering, that squirrels are busy scampering about and hiding their treasures and that ..... brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Maybe we should believe the old legends then, maybe the trees really do have to go without sleep for a week and maybe Jack Frost really does pinch the stems of maple leaves with his icy fingers. As I look out the window, and let my mind wander (or wonder), it's hard not to believe the magic of old stories.