Color All Around Us

Fall color experts say that the changing colors on Michigan trees may hang around a little longer this season. The fact that we had plenty of rain in the summer apparently helps the trees to keep their leaves for a longer time, making Michigan blaze in color for an extended period.

This may not seem particularly newsworthy, nor in keeping with what purports to be a conservative political column. But hear us out: with the state still fighting the economic doldrums we need all the help we can get. If the weather pattern does that, if we receive some benefit from things we can't control, well, we need all the help we can get.

Extended fall colors may lead to extended tourism. Even if it's simply the locals taking day or weekend trips to check them out, it helps those who rely on tourism. Tourism after all is one of Michigan's major industries, if the term applies. If the reds and oranges and yellows of fall help spread the green, it's all good.

We cannot forget that the environment plays a role in what we are able to do. It can be bad, such as with the Okies in the Dust Bowl, or good, such as with a rainbow of foliage attracting tourists. With all the bad economic news we've dealt with in recent times, we need to take what we can get. So take a day trip and help your fellow Michiganders, and enjoy the beauty which nature's God has given us. You can help your fellows and help your soul too.