It’s time of year when blue skies and fall colors beckon us outdoors

There may be other good times during the year to be outside in Georgia, but I can think of none better than late October and early November. Here’s why:

■ The weather is near perfect — not too hot, not too cold and with a crispness in the air that lifts our spirit and boosts our energy. The sky seems bluer than any other time of year, and there’s a scientific explanation for that. It has to do with the sun being lower in the sky in autumn and cooler temperatures decreasing the amount of moisture the air can hold.

■ It’s peak time for one of the greatest annual shows of nature, the autumn leaf color spectacle. When the brilliant reds, oranges and yellows of fall foliage are contrasted with the sky’s deep blue, the leaf colors look even more vibrant. North Georgia gets nearly all the glory (and rightly so) when it comes to fall leaf color, but South Georgia has some pretty color as well.

By the way, some of my favorite driving routes to

see fall color in the mountains include Ga. 60, the Richard Russell Scenic Highway (Ga. 348) and Ga. 136.

■ Ruby-throated hummingbirds and more than 50 Neotropical songbird species, which nested here during summer, have migrated to winter grounds in Central and South America. However, you can enjoy another group of birds now arriving in the state to take their place. They are Georgia’s “winter birds,” short-distance migrants that nest up north during the summer and spend the winter in the Peach State.

They include yellow-bellied sapsuckers, cedar waxwings, golden and ruby crowned kinglets, yellow-rumped warblers, several sparrow species, several duck species and others. They will join our year-round birds — cardinals,

bluebirds, mockingbirds, titmice, chickadees, wrens and others — for the winter.

■ One other reason to get outside: It’s good for you. Numerous studies show that strolling in the outdoors can reduce the risk of depression, heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, obesity, back pain, osteoporosis and other ills.

■ IN THE SKY: From David Dundee, Tellus Science Museum astronomer: The moon will be full Saturday evening. Venus rises in the east a few hours before sunrise. Jupiter rises in the east just after dark and will appear near the moon Saturday night. Saturn is in the east after sunset. Mercury and Mars are not easily seen right now.

CHARLES SEABROOK FOR THE AJC The deep blue skies in early November contrast with the fall leaves, making the colors even more vibrant. This photo was taken along the Richard Russell Scenic Highway (Ga. 348).

Wild Georgia