Fall has arrived on the Pajarito plateau. Aspens on the higher elevations of the Jemez mountains to the west and north are gracing the hills with brilliant spots of color. The grasses in the Valles Caldera are fading from greens to a variety of bronze and brown. Here in the canyon, where the walls provide shelter and hold a bit of heat from the sun, colors are just beginning to turn. The tops of the cottonwoods along Frijoles creek are burnished with a touch of yellow-orange. The aspen outside my casita are shifting from summer green to autumn gold. Nights are cool enough for a cozy fire. Though I can’t light one in my fireplace, smoke from the campground drifts down, bringing with it the distinctive spice of pinyon, a hallmark of cooler weather. This is a lovely time to be in New Mexico.