On the eastern side of the Sierra, ribbons of brilliant gold flow down the mountainside. The color can be seen from miles away. Meadows spread wide covered with vivid yellow-leafed aspen quaking in a fall breeze. It's the height of the fall foliage season in this part of California.

As I fished a small stream in Lassen County for trout, I found it challenging to determine which was more beautiful — the fall colors of the aspen tree-lined stream or the trout that lie in its waters.

Walking around my neighborhood, I see neon-red fall foliage at every turn. Japanese maples covered with vivid red, bright orange or yellow leaves steal the scene wherever they grow. Surrounded by greenery, Canadian redbuds are popping with burgundy and yellow color. Flowering dogwoods look like they’re on fire.