We’ve been enjoying one of the longest fall seasons and one of the warmest, resulting in some of the most beautiful fall colors I’ve seen since moving to Minnesota. The bright colors that are characteristic of the beginning of fall are now gone and we’re enjoying the more subtle shades of gold and rust. Perhaps it’s all part of Mother Nature’s plan to nudge us more gently into winter. But with colors like these leaves that I found earlier in the week, I’ll gladly relish in the beauty of this fall.
Como Park
The fog comes
Yesterday I awoke to a rare treat — a cool, foggy morning. For me, there is a special stillness and quietness that settles over the landscape when everything is shrouded with a soft blanket of fog . I found myself walking quietly so as not to disturb the air and the peacefulness that surrounded me. And because it was an early Saturday morning, the usual hustle and bustle of work routines were non-existent with few people out and about. Since moving to Minnesota I’ve realized that fog is one of the atmospheric conditions of the Pacific Northwest that I miss. As I was photographing this scene, I was reminded of the beginning of Carl Sandburg’s poem “Fog” where he writes “The fog comes on little cat feet.” It moves in quietly, settles, and then travels on. And as was the case yesterday, the sun and heat of summer eventually broke through the fog and we returned to blue sky and bright sunshine.
Spring color in bloom
It’s winter outside — the ground is covered in white, the temperature is in the teens. But this morning I walked into a breath of spring when I visited the McNeely Conservatory in Como Park. The Winter Flower Show is now on display in the Sunken Garden, and it’s colors and sights are a treat to the eyes as much as its smells and scents are wonderful to experience. The pinks of the azaleas and the pale whites and yellows of the pansies were a beautiful combination of color — soft and delicate as only spring can be. In order to create a “softer” feel to this photograph, I placed a piece of plastic wrap over my lens. It had a wonderful effect of softening the lines and making the image more about the colors and the “feel” of the colors than of the lines of the flowers. As we deal with the snow storm that’s moving through over the next three days, I’ll easily return to my photos and my memories of the smells and colors of the conservatory garden.
Winter at Como Park
Snow has continued to fall this past week. We haven’t received the dumping that the East Coast is dealing with, but rather we have a beautiful coating that’s put everyone in the holiday spirit. The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory is located in Como Park in Saint Paul, and is a wonderful gem in the city. No matter how cold and wintry it is outside, it’s warm and tropical inside. It’s presently filled with poinsettias, begonias, and hibiscus — a wonderful burst of color during this season of white. As Christmas is fast approaching this week, I wish everyone a season of joy and wonder, family and friends.
Winter’s arrival
Winter has arrived this week, and with it so many changes. For the past six days, our temperatures have stayed below freezing. We’ve had some blowing snow, although not enough to cover the grass. But the cold weather is now allowing Mother Nature to ice over our lakes and ponds. Many of the Canada geese are flying high in the sky, heading south to warmer climes. Whereas before we heard their calls in the early morning and before sunset, now they are continuous throughout the day as they journey away in large flocks before the winter becomes harder and colder. What waterfowl remain, find it slippery going on the once-liquid lakes. Soon the transition to winter will be complete and we will revel in her white and shimmering beauty.
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