I love fall but not for the changing foliage which I find gaudy and even ostentatious, really.  It’s as if the trees, having been perfectly content to remain a tasteful green for almost half the year suddenly turn into the arboreal equivalent of middle aged Miami trophy wives competing for attention.   Only the Evergreens keep their dignity, though I did see a youngish Juniperus virginiana trying to accessorize with a magentaParthenocissus quinquefolia, or Virginia Creeper.    .  I was embarrassed for it.   There is a German word for that feeling of embarrassment for others.  It’s called  Fremdschämen

Even though one of my best friends is German, she, Ina Kleinsimlinghaus, did not teach it to me.  I had to learn it from a post on Facebook.  All Ina ever taught me to say is “Has Du Einen grossen doodle?”. I’m sure I’m not spelling it correctly but doodle is a term for a penis. .  As you can imagine, Cheez Doodles, or cheese dicks are not a popular item in Germany.   They are even brighter orange than Parthenocissus quinquefolia or California Creepers.