After a week or more with below freezing temperatures, we reveled in a day of 40 degrees and sunshine. I took advantage of our “heat wave” and went for a long walk that took me through Como Park. As I went past the lake it was wonderful to see the snow and ice patterns. The dark areas in the photograph are clear ice, interrupted by the white snow that had been blown across the lake. There were lots of big cracks going through the surface too. Once we get back to our cold temperatures, the ice will continue to form….all a part of winter in Minnesota.
landscapes
Raindrops amidst the fading colors
The bright colors of fall have come to an end. The oaks have turned to their deeper rust color and the ground is now littered with faded colors. As I was out raking leaves, a light rain started. On the still lake it provided its punctuation in the water surface. The reflection was beautiful and a reminder to me that even though the bright colors of fall are gone and many of the trees are without their vibrant leaves, there is still an amazing beauty in the world around us.
The golden road
Our fall is changing rapidly. What is lovely and colorful on one day is completely different two days later after heavy winds have caused the leaves to fall. I was fortunate to find this lovely golden road one late afternoon. The autumn colors were plentiful, and the road was littered with beautiful yellow leaves. The next day was followed with heavy winds, and when I returned the trees had lost all their color and many of the leaves on the road had been scattered into the forest. I was reminded of how important it is to stop and make the image when you see it because it is never the same the next time.
A glorious fall morning
The brilliance of a fall morning! There is a deepening of yellows and oranges now, and the reds are sprinkled throughout the landscape. This particular morning dawned cool but the sun still had warmth to provide. The lake was calm, the geese were calling overhead, and fall was celebrating all its glory.
First hints of fall
We’re quickly slipping from late summer into fall in the upper Midwest, and sometimes it seems like it’s changing overnight. We knew it was coming, but we’re never quite ready for the drop from temperatures in the 80’s to the 50’s all in the same week. Last week I was exploring some new Wisconsin hiking trails with a dear friend. We encountered forests of green, trails covered with colored leaves already fallen, rain, more rain, and some spots of lovely fall colors. This scene along the Brule River was one of the areas that was further along with the change in colors. The next few weeks will probably bring our peak fall colors — a wonderful time to be out in nature!
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