we have a japanese maple tree outside the kitchen window, planted by the previous owners of this house over twenty years ago. it's a funny one. green all year, way into the fall, then finally in december, the leaves suddenly turn yellow, orange, red. two weeks later, they fall, and in three days, it's over. what to make of this?? a friend of mine suggested on thursday i take a picture, the tree glowing against the bluest sky. i didn't. today, saturday, the leaves are all scattered, and the tree is bare.