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.
autumn
Daybreak through the leaves
With the promise of autumn sunshine, I headed out before dawn in search of some fall color. Gradually the changing colors have found their way down to the Twin Cities, and the landscape has become beautiful and filled with the rich colors of autumn. This morning was cold enough to provide frost in many areas giving an almost-white coating over the grass. The smell in the air is different as the seasons change and it was delightful to greet the day outside on this crisp and clear morning.
An unexpected summer’s day
The calendar says the end of September, but we were treated to the glory of a summer’s day with temperatures n the 80’s and warm sunshine. Knowing that these are gifts to take advantage of, we headed out for some fishing. Not only were the skies beautiful, but the fall colors are starting to be evident. The golds are showing and the greens are becoming much more faded and muted. Even the fishing seemed to rise to the occasion of this glorious day – we got our share of sunfish and crappies. I came home knowing that if this is the last time we are fishing for the year, at least we had a glorious finale on a late day in September.
Hollyhocks
Summer seemed to come to an abrupt end this past week as our temperatures slid into the upper 30’s at night and the 50’s during the daytime. Autumn will soon grace the Minnesota landscape with its oranges, reds, and golds. I was in our backyard this morning as the sun made its way above the trees and backlit this lovely white hollyhock. The greens and the whites reminded me of summer. The long stems of the hollyhocks were blowing in the cool breeze, yet the colors had me focused on the warmth of the summer sun. We may have some days of late summer left, but I know that all-too-soon we’ll be passing into autumn and winter, each with its own special colors and characteristics.
Frost and ice in the morning
Our temperatures have been dropping at night causing the sloughs and lakes to begin their ice-over. It isn’t thick by any means, but it is the start of our shift from fall to winter. I’ve always enjoyed the reflections of trees and horizons in water, and the change over to ice gives these same reflections a much different look. The lines are softer and more muted, and until our lakes are snow-covered the reflections can sometimes be almost mirror-like. On this morning two days ago, the sun was burning through the cold temperatures and the heavy frost causing the landscape to glow in the early light.
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