The days are shorter. The nights are colder. The first snow of the season has fallen. And our lakes are starting to ice over as we begin to slide into winter. Along with all these changes there is an increase in the activity of the ducks and geese. One of my favorites sights and sounds is a flock of Canada geese flying overhead — the beat of their wings and their honking is music to my ears. Since I live between Lake Como and the agricultural fields of the University of Minnesota I am on the path of the geese flying from the water at the lake to the food at the agricultural crops at the U. So many times I am stopped in my tracks to look up and appreciate their flight overhead. I know that soon enough the majority of geese and ducks will have migrated south to warmer climes and we will return to the hush and quiet of the snow and the cold of winter. In this week of Thanksgiving, the geese and their winged flight are one of the many things I appreciate and am thankful for.
change of seasons
Change of seasons
We are quickly slipping from fall into winter. Once Mother Nature has made up her mind it seems that the changes become so much more noticeable. Although our days have been unseasonably warm, this past week we had two mornings of frost. That and the shorter daylight seem to have triggered some major changes. These two images were taken one week apart — the top image was last weekend and the bottom image was this morning. The colors are gone, the leaves have dropped (except for a few hold-outs), and even the sky has changed to its winter shade of gray. There is some mention of snow flurries possible later this week so we are hurriedly preparing the yard and garden beds for winter’s cold. As with the change back to standard time we all seem to change our outlooks. We’re looking forward to soups and heavier “comfort” meals, along with the upcoming holidays.
And with the calendar change to November I’m happy to announce my 2011 holiday card collection and my 2012 desk calendar collection. Both of these can be found on separate pages at the top of my blog. This is my eighth year of offering cards and calendars and you’re sure to find something to delight anyone’s tastes. Some of the photographs you’ll recognize as images that have been posted to my blog, but many of them are new photos. Browse and enjoy! And email me with any questions.
Enjoy this time of changing seasons!