We have some wonderful friends near Wabasha, Minnesota that have a vineyard on the bluff above the Mississippi River. Each year we journey south to help with the harvest, and today the grapes were calling us. We left the Twin Cities with a clear sunrise, but as we headed towards the river the fog became thicker and thicker. Even when we got to Lake Pepin, where the Mississippi is so wide it’s called a lake, there was no lake to see. I love to photograph in the fog because it can create a clean palette to work with designs and lines, and we stopped along our trip so I could do just that. But as we headed up the bluff, away from the river to the vineyard, we broke out into the sunshine once again. Some of the trees in the area are just starting to show some yellows and golds for fall colors. From the top of the bluff I was amazed to see the layers in this photograph: the grape vines are loaded with grapes, the trees are showing some color, the Mississippi River is socked in with fog, and the Wisconsin bluffs are visible on the other side with blue sky above. It was a beautiful day to be outside picking grapes, visiting our friends and the others that were gathered to help with the harvest.
fall
Red apples on a blue sky day
Yesterday was the epitome of an early fall day – cloudy and cool in the morning, but clearing skies and warm sun. We took advantage of the day and left the Cities early, heading west to Howard Lake, Minnesota. Our first stop was Swenson Gardens, the essential place for peonies. We had visited there a year ago, but this time we were getting advice on dividing and planting peonies. Keith and Becky offered they personal help and guidance and we left with plenty of information and three new peony plants for our home garden. As the sun was breaking through the clouds, we wandered south a few miles to Carlson’s Orchard. The bakery and restaurant were doing a bustling business, and a wait was required but certainly worth every minute. We had a delicious lunch, followed by fresh apple pie a la mode. The orchard was filled with apples, and the beautiful red Haralsons stood out against the blue and white sky and green of the trees and grass. One more stop at a winery for some tasting and a glass of wine in the sun made for a full and relaxing day.
Moving to winter
Thanksgiving morning we awoke to steel-gray skies and bare grass – on the late end of autumn. As the morning progressed, the first snow began to fall. In sheets of white, it settled on the grass and the trees, the shrubs and the plants. It’s coating was magical and beautiful, as if saying that autumn was past, and winter was moving in. I realized that I was looking forward to winter’s first snowfall, and I felt like a child — I marveled at the whiteness and how it seemed to make everything clean. As I headed out with my camera, the world seemed new to me. The lines between open water and ice were forming. The outline of trees became more noticeable as they were coated in white and stood stark in the landscape. The geese were high overhead, winging their way to open water, fields for food, or further south. And the gray skies overhead kept the sky close in — the time of winter and quiet, the time to reflect and recharge.
Mid-November Minnesota fishing
Climate change, global warming, el nino – for whatever reason, today had the promise of sunshine and temperatures in the 50’s – almost unheard of for mid-November in Minnesota. Last year at this time we had a layer of snow and highs near 30 degrees. So when a day comes like today, it warrants savoring. We drove north to Mille Lacs Lake and set out for some end of the season fishing. On the south side of the lake we were protected from the wind that was blowing across the cooling lake. Although we came up short for our fishing luck, we considered ourselves enormously fortunate for being able to enjoy a beautiful day on a big lake. As we were pulling off the lake, the sun was starting to set and painting the sky with beautiful shades of blue and pink. The bare trees, the blue water, and the rocks along the shore all seemed to be celebrating this unusual day for mid-November in Minnesota.
Fall colors in the Ordway Japanese Garden
There are so many lovely “hidden gems” in the Twin Cities, and one just happens to be in my neighborhood. Como Park, which includes a conservatory, zoo, carousel, golf course, lake, swimming pool, picnic areas, and many trails, also holds a lovely Japanese garden tucked away down a winding path. In the early morning hours with the colors of autumn on display, I found myself humbled and amazed at the quiet and the beauty in the garden. The fallen leaves seemed to have a purpose in their random display, as if saying that all is right in this changing landscape. The colors spoke to me, begging to be remembered as they will be quickly replaced with the white of snow. This year’s change of seasons has been hurried, yet here in the Japanese garden there was a stillness and quiet reminding me that each season holds its own purpose and to trust in the changes of fall prior to the long nights of winter.
