In this morning’s bright light, I stood under our magnolia tree to take in the colors, smells, and sounds. The leaves have turned a beautiful shade of gold, mixed in with some rusts and browns. The tree and the ground below it have that distinct smell of fall – old, musty, and dry. And as I photographed, the leaves were coming down all around me. The wind would rise, a rustle would develop, and I could hear the sound of leaves floating in the air, touching other leaves as they made their way to the ground. By the end of the day the area under the magnolia was a sea of leaves, yet there are still some holding tight until the next windy day.
Minnesota
Flash of fall color
It’s the time of year when the landscape changes daily. The flashes of brilliant fall color are dwindling as the leaves are falling. Our neighborhood block is filled with maple trees and they are in various stages of colors. I set out today to do some raking of leaves in the yard. They were scattered around, and were in multiple shades of yellow, orange, brown, and red. But the best part of today’s chore was knowing that I didn’t need to rake up each and every leaf. As colorful as the ground was, I looked above me and saw that many trees still have their leaves and their time will be coming soon to drop all those leaves in our yard. And I will be raking again. And again. And again. For now the task is enjoyable, but it will take on a more urgent call when snow and ice are in our forecast.
The beauty of an autumn dawn
Our fall temperatures have continued, and last Friday dawned with a noticeable crispness in the air. The wind was still at this early hour, and the sun was just starting to reflect off the clouds above as it made its way over the horizon. At Como Park I was able to find a perfect spot to take in the sunrise. A small pond on the golf course captured the reflection of the clouds above, and the silhouettes of the trees. Some trees still have their leaves while others have lost them to the autumn winds, and the grasses are in full bloom – their swan song before winter moves in. This season seems to be the shortest one, no matter how hard we try to hold onto the fall colors.
More than a reflection of fall colors
I was up early yesterday morning hoping for a beautiful sunrise to compliment the fall colors that we’re enjoying in Minnesota. But as luck would have it, the cloud cover was too thick and there was no sunshine. However, it was unusually warm and the colors were still wonderful. There was enough wind to throw ripples across the lake and there was a shoreline that was mostly protected from the wind. Looking through the camera lens I was mesmerized by the color reflection in the water. The slight movement created a blur of colors and the more I looked at it the more I was reminded of the Northern Lights, only here they were playing out as reflections in a northern lake.
Fall colors in the North Woods of Minnesota
If you’re lucky enough to be in the North Woods of Minnesota at the peak of fall color, you can’t help but be amazed. It may be fleeting, and its peak appearance can’t be written onto the calendar months in advance, but this year we had the great fortune of being in the right place at the right time. We spent a few days in central Itasca County, near Jack the Horse Lake. The area is part of the Chippewa National Forest and is filled with county and forest roads that meander through the hills, the trees, and around the numerous lakes. We caught ourselves pointing out beautiful vistas around almost every turn. The colors were brilliant, whether the sun was shining and the sky was blue, or the skies were overcast. While we were there, the temperatures plummeted to below freezing and we even encountered some early-season sleet and snow showers, but it was worth the extra layers of clothing to be filled with awe and appreciation at the landscape and colors around us.
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