TO OUR READERS

Football games, sweaters, the scent of chile roasting — along with cooler nights and shorter days, fall also brings a hotly anticipated pageant of color.

No, not the Balloon Fiesta, although that’s also right around the corner. This colorful spectacle is courtesy of Mother Nature — the golds, reds and oranges of turning leaves. In our cover story, Features writer Elaine D. Briseño searches out a few leaf-peeping destinations, some practically in town, some an easy road trip. Don’t procrastinate, the leaves should peak in the next few weeks.

Columnist Donna Skeels Cygan brings us financial strategies and advice for the different stages of life. The first part takes us from age 3 to 49. She’ll finish out to age 103 next month.

Arts Editor Adrian Gomez brings us a preview of documentary filmmaker Ken Burns’ latest series, “The Vietnam War: A Landmark Documentary Event.” The 10-part series begins tonight on PBS.

And getting back to chile, “Curanderismo, The Art of Traditional Medicine Without Borders” by Albuquerque author Eliseo “Cheo” Torres, reviewed this week by David Steinberg, includes mention of the hot pepper as an herbal medicine by Native people of the Southwest.

Not to be outdone, in Travel we visit Pueblo, Colo., which is hyping its own pepper with an upcoming three-day festival that showcases the city.

I guess it’s just that time of year. Until next week,

Helen Taylor

Editor