The end of 2019 brought a beautiful fresh snowfall to Minnesota and Wisconsin. What started out as sleet and rain ended as three to four inches of snow that clung to the wet branches and leaves. Our surroundings became a true winter wonderland. Without a strong wind and with temperatures below freezing, we celebrated the start of a new year surrounded by this beauty. The setting sun through the winter forest brought a stream of golden light onto the frozen pond in front of me. I stood here for awhile, marveling at the light blue tinted snow and the golden sun piercing through the trees. Quickly the sun moved further below the horizon and the moment was over, replaced with the dark of night and a canopy of bright stars overhead.
Minnesota
A quiet repose in winter
The snow of winter has a way of draping its white over everything. The trees become lined emphasizing their structure and branches. The ground becomes white showing the curves and hips of hills. At the University of Minnesota Saint Paul campus is a wonderful sculpture setting of cows. These bigger than life animals are resting peacefully in their urban setting. The snow has draped over them also, quietly emphasizing their repose and seeming indifference to the weather. They’re a great reminder to me to accept the weather, accept the snow, and appreciate its beauty.
Dahlias on a cool fall day
It was a cool fall day as I drove past the last farmer’s market of the season and I couldn’t pass it up. There was plenty of squash, apples, and all the cold-weather veggies available, but my eyes went straight for some colorful dahlias – probably the last ones of the season. Their burst of color was a welcome sight and I knew there wouldn’t be anything else flowering until next spring. They have brightened the house and caught my eye as I passed through the room they were in, each time being thankful for this one last bouquet of the fall.
Fall in its glory
Fall is here in all its glory! The yellows, golds, oranges, and reds, all aglow against a dark stormy sky but lit up by a short-lived stream of sunlight, and reflected in the quiet and still waters of the lake. This is the beauty we look forward to every year in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
The beauty and contrasts of fall
Oh, the beauty of fall! On what might have been one of the last truly warm days of fall – blue sky, a warm breeze, and 70 degrees – I walked through Como Park. I was not alone, as there were people walking, biking, running, meandering – anything to soak up the glorious day. The sunshine brought out the colors of the sky and grass and the flaming red of this tree by the Frog Pond. Now we hunker down for a cold front and snow flurries, thankful for the recent memory of a beautiful day.
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