We just returned from a day trip to the Minnesota Marine Art Museum in Winona, Minnesota. Located right on the banks of the Mississippi River, the museum is a hidden treasure. The main reason for our trip was to see a special exhibit of 70 Ansel Adams prints. I was thrilled and amazed to see and study the creativity that Adams brought to his final prints. His use of black and white filters and his burning and dodging brought his images to the final representation of what he was seeing and experiencing when he captured the image. On our way back to the Twin Cities, we crossed over the River and followed the highway north along the Wisconsin side. Just outside of Pepin, Wisconsin we passed this amazing fence. Amidst the snowy landscape and the overcast sky that mimicked the ground cover, we stopped to marvel at this bright fence made entirely of winter skis. The color was eye-catching and the whole idea reminded me that just like we had observed at the Ansel Adams exhibit, there is creativity all around us.
Wisconsin
The quieter side of fall
With my previous posts of fall I’ve shared some brilliant colors, and we continue to see those in our landscape now. But there’s a quieter side to this season too. This is the side that speaks of the upcoming change to winter, the coolness that is evident in the air, and the slow turn into the dark of winter. We were at Wild River State Park early one morning recently. The park sits along the St. Croix River which divides the states of Minnesota and Wisconsin. It’s a lovely, and quiet area, especially in the morning. The air was cool and yet the river temperature was still a bit warmer causing the fog to hang low in the river valley. This layer of fog seemed to soften the sunrise, to quiet any sound on the river or land, and to soften the golds and browns that were evident from the seasonal change. Eventually the sun rose high enough over the bluff to burn away the fog, and the light became much brighter and sharper, as did the sounds of the day too.
A Wisconsin fall meandering
Come with me for an afternoon in Wisconsin. The air is cool but the sun is warm; the temperature’s about 57 degrees. We head down a Rustic Road in Chippewa County. After twisting and turning through agricultural areas there’s a sign ahead that we’re entering the Chippewa County Forest. To the right is another sign marked Moon Ridge Trail and the forest road heading to the east looks inviting and filled with fall color. Off the paved road and onto the forest road, each mile takes us deeper into the forest. The colors are brilliant – especially in contrast to the blue sky dotted with white clouds. There’s a different smell in the air – of fall and drying leaves. We stop numerous times to photograph the colors and the meandering road. In one hour we have driven less than three miles because of all our stopping. There are many side trails leading from the main forest road but this one ahead isn’t drivable in the car. Off on foot, up the trail, and then down the hillside. As we step out of the forest area the view expands to the Spring Creek Flowage – a lake that meanders through the county – and the colors are intense and wonderful. This is our view (and only ours as there’s no one else around). Breathe in the smell of fall, feel the warmth of the sun, listen to the wind rustling through the leaves, take in the beauty of this day, and be thankful for being here at this moment of peak color in fall.
Winter sun and shadow play
We headed out before dawn to Willow River State Park, located just outside of Hudson, Wisconsin. The temperature was a cold 9 degrees, but the eastern horizon was beginning to glow so we knew we’d have a bit of sunshine to warm us up. At one time the Willow River was used to operate mills for grinding grain, and later logs were driven down the river to Lake St. Croix. Today, in the cold of a winter’s morning, the area was quiet. We arrived early enough to observe whitetail deer that were starting to rise after being bedded down for the night. We saw an eagle soar overhead. And the snow all around was animated by the sun. Any small hills were accentuated and visible by their shadows, and where these small flower stems were standing tall through the snow they shed their shadows too across the white landscape. The sun caused the ice in the snow to sparkle as if it was filled with a thousand diamonds. It was a wonderful time to explore a new area and see all that offered up to us.
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