Fall is extra beautiful and extra long this year, warm weather having promoted both the brilliance and the persistence of the bright reds and oranges and yellows. But now it is time for the last act.

The maples, which have brought us the striking scarlet, orange and yellow, are fading fast. Their leaves are beginning to fall and some of their branches have already gone bare. As the weather turns colder, trees close down their growth mechanisms, relax their grip on the leaf stems and prepare for winter. Among the first to go are the maples.

In their place, the oaks are taking over, and the colors are changing to shades of brown. The brightest are the northern red oaks, with their shiny, pointed leaves that are turning almost red but mostly a lovely copper or bronze. Foresters expect their leaves to hang on for several weeks.

Still, there remain bright red accents provided by low-lying sumac bushes and plantings of euonymus or burning bush. Beeches and birches still show flashes of yellow. And Maine’s spruces and especially pines, with their upswooping branches, stand out in their deep green as a contrast and a promise that they will stay with us through the winter.

Put them all together, and they make for a new phase of fall that some may find more satisfying than the flashy colors when the foliage was at its peak. There is plenty of mild weather left for hikes and drives and bicycle rides before winter closes in.

But watch out for deer. The smell of the apples that have fallen to the ground tempt them out of the woods and onto streets and highways. Slow down when you see one, since a collision can wreck your car and endanger your life as well as the life of the animal. And keep in mind that when you see one deer, one or two others are likely following along behind.

One piece of unfinished business remains in many areas: those pesky black spots that have disfigured maple leaves. The “tar spot” fungus has been worse this year than last, sometimes causing 10 or 15 of the unsightly spots on a single leaf.

The Maine State Forester’s Office says that the blight seems to run in cycles and thus may be somewhat self-limiting. But raking up the fallen leaves and either burning or composting them can limit the disease next year.

In past years, a common fall chore was raking and burning leaves. But that practice seems to be going the way of using brush or lath and plastic sheeting to bank the foundations of a house. Why the change? It’s partly because many folks think they have better things to do.

Like enjoying the waning colorful days of autumn.