looduskalender.ee

No yellow on birches, just brownish, and some have dropped nearly all leaves, as did some of the ashes today, 50 km N of Stockholm (but a local cold spot).
The ash - last to come, first to go - is the World Tree Yggdrasil in Nordic mythology. Does anyone have any idea why, a not very remarkable tree ?

Ash
Fraxinus excelsior
Family: Oleaceae
Ash is a large deciduous tree. It can reach a height of 45m and live for over 200 years. Ash is the Scandinavian tree of universal magic. It was referred to in the Eddas as the species of Yggdrasil - the ~World Tree.~ It is said that the first man, named Ask, was created from the branches and flesh of the Ash tree. According to the scared book of the north men, Edda, the great ash tree, under whose shade the gods held their court, represented the universe. The Ancient Greeks thought that at the beginning of time cloud-ash produced spawning small melia which came together and resulted in man being created.

Ash is used in spells. Celts used Ash for making spears which had greater magical powers, than the Wand. It was a symbol of the Shamans willpower.

In North America, strips of black ash were split to make splints for baskets and hoops. It was used in weaver's beams and women would weave cloth.
http://www.angelfire.com/journal2/flowers/pcd39.html
In firefox the layout is terrible and barely readable, which makes me question the information but...

I think of it in staves and as the tool used to beat unruly wives (not sure this came to mind).

More on the Ash:
http://www.treesforlife.org.uk/forest/mythfolk/ash.html

Thank you, Alice!
Using ash to beat unruly wives, and the shaman connection were new to me.
Autumn colour a pale lime green, if there isn't frost before that.
BTW, the squirrel Ratatosk runs up and down in Yggdrasil with gossip and news, pre-Internet communication line.
There seems to be a theory that Yggdrasil in the Nordic myths was actually a yew tree, the word "askr" in the Icelandic Edda may be read as that, too.
Many European ashes are at present dying from a fungal disease, similar to or worse than the elm disease.
The ash is not particularly long-lived (oldest known in Sweden ca 600 years), not a spectacular tree, rather light-dependant so it often grows near shores, at forest edges, open locations, doesn't stand being crowded by other trees. As said, late to bud, frost-sensitive in autumn. No spectacular or useful fruit. Doen't go very far up North (so I wonder, about shamanism - a mix-up with rowan, possibly? Leaves are quite similar).
EDIT: The wood is a beautiful, cool, whitish colour. I do like ashes; just wonder how it got that life tree role?

I lost my elm about 6 years ago and I still miss it ;-(
My house got about 10 degrees f warmer in summer (from 26C to 32C or something like that) makes a huge difference on a hot day.

I think of rowan as shamanistic -- magical, but I may have been influenced by J. R. R. Tolkien, but then he was a medievalist.

Rowans are/were highly respected here in Estonia too,they were considered the most powerful magic trees, rowan trees at farm gates was for good luck!
Hmm, now it is very wise to have a small rowan branch in your car
works like magic

Maybe also google for: Ask and Embla (Askr and Embla) ...

about an hour ago... it soon looks more like winter not autumn in Tallinn

Goodness.. you had better get your potted plants inside quickly....
Was that a hailstorm Kuremari ?

it was a hailstorm, but luckily a very short one
today was absolutely beautiful day, quite warm and sunny...the trees are mostly green still,
some brownish and some yellow and red - let`s see what tomorrow brings, pretty cold night ahead

some birches are totally naked already


only the Virginia creepers/five-leaved ivies are in full flame

Thank you so much, Jo - and whoever else helped - for setting up this topic!
It has made the autumn so much more interesting: to compare and to look more closely and carefully at one's own area.
And beautiful pics, everybody.

I have been thinking that we can continue Seasons indefinitely - but how shall we decide when to change from Autumn to Winter, or Winter to Spring?
I suppose that decision is best left to members in their own areas. Pat and I can argue about the beginning of winter in UK, and other areas can make their own decisions about when to change the topic title, or rather, start a new one.

The answer to "How shall we decide" came from Harald. There is an old calender in Norway, the Primstav (thankyou for finding that, Liis)
When Harald sent the last autumn photographs he mentioned that, according to the old calendar, October 14 is the first day of Winter. So Liis investigated and sent this link about it.
http://www.digitalkunst.com/NewFiles/primstav.html

Now we have some Winter pictures from Harald, so we can start the first "Winter in ---" topic.

Please say when you think autumn has ended and it's time to start a Winter topic for your area.

It has been very interesting and educational to see how the season has progressed around the countries represented here. We can't stop now!

Olga, I can guess that Finland will be the next country in our Seasons forum to declare Winter.

About October 14, and winter and autumn
In Estonia too October 14 has been a turning-point, Kolletamis(e)päev, Yellowing day, marking the darker half of autumn if not winter as in the Primstav calendar of Norway.
If trees were yellow this day, then the winter would be short - but very cold! - and spring early, and if rowans still kept their berries this day, then next year would be a good one for berries. (YES to both, from Sweden - if Kolletamispäev powers are in force here ?)
But if trees were still green, then winter would be long, with deep snow, and spring late. (Well, some certainly are - not a cold and long winter, please ...)

Jo, here in Vancouver our weather forecasters always make a big deal of December 21 being the first official day of Winter! I think it is something to do with the winter equinox in this hemisphere.

Helen, they do the same here. If they would just stick to saying Winter Solstice, it would be more accurate. Winter starts when winter arrives, whatever the date!

This weeks frontpage picture ("This week in pictures") - brrrr.
For our cars in Sweden winter begins Dec 1st, and lasts until March 31. Your car must by law have winter tyres if roads are "in a winter condition" during that period.

EDIT, Nov 7, morning: Snow in Tallinn as in nearly every view on the ilm.ee weather map. Otepää (Small birds feeding cam) all white ...

Winter has arrived to North Estonia too...
some season pictures from today Dec.13 in Tallinn
Christmas market in Townhall square


ice rink in old town


my Hydrangea arborescens

Ghee, this looks wintry! Thank you, Kuremari, for showing!

Kuremari, thank you for the Christmas in Tallinn pictures - it looks so pretty! What time of day did you take the photographs?