Remember that moment in the movie version of “The Wizard of Oz” when director Victor Fleming said, “Wait! We just got some of that new fangled color film in! Don’t use the black and white junk anymore!”

Fortuitously, in the narrative, the film-change happens just as Dorothy leaves plain ol’ Kansas and arrives in the day-glo environs of Oz. Fantastic visual!

Well, that’s what it was like when we moved from Texas to Connecticut in mid-October. Foliage-wise, back in Dallas, there’s always that point just before Halloween when one red and one yellow leaf appear in North Texas ― then they fall off and die.

Not up here! At least not when the leaves indeed turn.

We learned early on to enjoy an autumn drive through the Quiet Corner. Much bright foliage and gorgeous landscape!

Blast up 395 to 169 north and meander through Brooklyn, Pomfret and Woodstock all the way to the Massachusetts border. Or you can shoot east out of Pomfret on 44 till it winds around to route 21, turn south through Putnam and on down to 12, which will in turn bring you back to Groton.

It’s like an acid trip with no chemicals.