This is a beautiful blue-sky-day shot of a lot of evergreens with some maples, oaks and other deciduous trees sprinkled around, adding some nice colour. I was shooting too much into the sun, resulting in the washed out sky. I'm guessing there's an easy fix for that for someone who knows what they're doing. ;-) Just out of view are the waterlilies I posted a couple of days ago.
The spread of trees just goes on and on! This is really beautiful. I see what you mean about the trees in your area. Lots of evergreens, which I love. I think their dark green makes the vibrant fall colors even better because they provide such nice contrast.
I'm more of a Google expert: http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-shoot-in-direct-sunlight
I would like to have a circular polarizer and ND filte for shooting water shots; but then you have to be planning ahead I think.