The seasons change quickly, and so it was this past week. Overnight we went from autumn to winter, with snow and ice and January-like temperatures. Usually we have a teaser of a snowfall that quickly melts, but this week has had Minnesotans reaching for their dead-of-winter hats, coats, gloves, and snow shovels. Many of the autumn chores were rushed or left undone, including these clothespins that became decorated with snow. They clung desperately to the line as the wind rocked them back and forth, waiting patiently for someone to collect and store them until spring’s arrival next year.
Minnesota
Early morning at Gull Lake
I was lucky to have a great friend visit this past weekend. No matter that our beautiful autumn has passed and the colors are gone, we went exploring and hiking and got caught up on each others lives. We headed north to the central lakes region of Minnesota and stayed at the historic Grand View Lodge on Gull Lake. Two days before our arrival they had a couple of inches of snow, and although it was chilly the weather was fine for us. In the morning we walked along the lake, and this scene truly seemed to represent a lovely late summer’s day (although in reality the temperature was 34 degrees and the wind was blowing). I feel fortunate to have wonderful friends in my life, and this long weekend reminded me of a quote I read recently: “You can always tell when two people are best friends because they are having more fun than it makes sense for them to be having (author unknown).” And so it was for us!
The right place at the right light
Sometimes everything comes together wonderfully, and so it was last weekend. About seven miles away is a regional park right in the city, but to walk along the trails is like being miles away from the cacophony and bustle of urban life. I drove to the park before dawn and enjoyed the sunrise accompanied by the ducks, geese, and even some trumpeter swans. The sky was a brilliant blue, and the warmth of the early morning light washed across the shoreline of Sucker Lake. Protected from the wind, the reflection of the colors glowed in the lake’s surface, only to ripple when the ducks flew in. It was the perfect beginning to a fall day.
Autumn treeline
Last week was peak fall color in many areas of central and southern Minnesota. This year’s color has been much more vibrant – perhaps due to our copious amounts of rain in June, the lack of extreme heat in the summer months, and the delay of a killing frost. I spent the morning at William O’Brien State Park, nestled beside the St. Croix River. The park has a riverside trail that meanders alongside the St. Croix, and it also has an “upper” section with a prairie, an oak savanna, meadows and forests. This area was brilliant in color; the treeline was ablaze and the prairie grasses were golden. The sure signs of fall were the empty bluebird houses. These will remain vacant now throughout the winter with its snow yet to come, until we pass into spring and its burst of green.
A change in the seasons and in life
We are in the glorious midst of fall – the change of seasons from summer to winter. One day we have bright sunshine and the next day is cool and cloudy, and throughout them all the colors of our landscape continue to change. So too I’m reminded of the changes in our lives. It was a year ago that my father passed away and that was a change I was not prepared for. But I’ve come to realize that change is the one constant in life. With three deaths in the family, a change in jobs, a kitchen remodel, and a different car, I sometimes wonder if I recognize my life anymore. But I’ve learned something with each change, and I know that the best way to honor my father is to live the values that he helped to instill in me. He laid the basis for my sense of adventure and my joy in being outdoors in nature – two of the traits I enjoy so much in my photography. As I was photographing this slough the air would be still, and then the wind would come up. It caused the water to ripple across the surface and the cattails to dance in front of me. The movement and the colors of the trees were all a glorious celebration of change.
lindastaatsphoto.com 