Mother Nature

Fall flight

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In my last post I promised to share images from our camping trip to the west. But that will have to wait – fall has arrived in all its glory here in northwestern Wisconsin. The colors started to turn in early October, but we then had a week of unusually warm weather both during the day and the night. With that, the change of colors seemed to stall. And then strong and gusty winds blew all the color onto the ground.

A second phase soon developed, and our rich autumn colors have progressed to peak. It is a glorious time to be out and about. Every road and every field is alight with color. The golds and yellows, reds and oranges, and the deep russet of the oaks – they are all appearing in a symphony of color right now.

With this there is a great migration of birds coming through and starting their journey south. The loons were gone by the first few days of October. The males left first and were followed later by the females, leaving the young ones to fend for themselves and then to head south on their own. It’s amazing to me that these loons that were only born a few months ago can navigate their way south by themselves.

The Canada geese and the wood ducks are gathering. The sandhill cranes are feeding in the harvested fields. Soon all of these will be leaving. The last birds to come through our area seem to be the hooded mergansers. They will arrive and yet leave a short time later. And then our lakes will start to freeze.

But this is the time to know that the cycle of seasons continues once again, and we can appreciate Mother Nature’s palette of colors before we transition to winter.

The change from a glorious fall to winter

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It’s been an extended and lovely fall season here in the North. The trees took on their autumn colors and glowed in the sunshine and the unusual warmth. It’s been a time of “oohs” and “aahs” as we’ve taken in the glorious colors – golds, yellows, reds, oranges, and all the shades imaginable.

With a night or two of temperatures below freezing, the colors began to loose their luster. The brightness dimmed and the leaves began to loosen their grip. Down they fluttered (or seemingly slammed if the wind was gusting) and covered the ground. Rakes and leaf blowers have been brought back to life from the deep reaches of the sheds and garages. Now as you walk outside there is a crunch under your footsteps – a signal to the seasonal change to winter.

And as we enjoy 60s and 70s today, there’s even a forecast of snow in two days! Each year we marvel and appreciate the fall colors, and each year we say how much we enjoy them and wish they’d last longer. But Mother Nature is always on her own schedule. She has given us an autumn show that’s been spectacular, and for that I am grateful.

Interrupted by Mother Nature

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I’d had a busy day, with things to do, people to see, places to go. My mind was focused on all those things and the things I was reluctantly still not getting done. As I drove north I went through spotty rain showers – the hit and miss kind. Our drought has continued so I couldn’t bring myself to complain about the rain, although it certainly wasn’t part of my plans for my list of things needing to be finished.

When I arrived at the lake, it was still dripping rain. As I hurried with the things I wanted to get done I noticed the sun was peeking out and lighting up the opposite shore where the trees are loosing their summer green and are now in their various shades of fall green. The rain continued, and I was in my own world of thought when I turned to the northeast and saw a partial rainbow visible between the trees. By the time I walked to the dock I could see the entire arc of the rainbow filling the sky, and then a second arc appeared. Even though the rain continued and I was getting wetter by the minute, the double rainbow caught my attention and grounded me in that moment – of fleeting light and beauty and the appreciation of Mother Nature’s interruption.

Frozen

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I’ve just come inside from shoveling the two inches of light and fluffy snow that fell overnight. This was an “easy” shovel – I could have almost used a broom to sweep the snow aside. While doing this, I was thinking about all the variances that occur during our winter season. Snow can also be wet and heavy, collecting on the ground like cement and requiring a good back and strong arm muscles to shovel and heave it into a pile. This winter we’ve also had rain – it fell on top of the snow that had already accumulated. Then the temperatures plummeted and the rain turned to ice. The alleys now have ruts in them from the car tracks that melted and then refroze. This last “clipper” of dry fluffy snow has moved through the area and is now allowing the colder Arctic air to flow in; our temperatures have started their descent and will continue into the sub-zeros tonight. Winter – it comes in so many ways.

But last Saturday morning the landscape came to life in another way. The gray day dawned with the color white everywhere, placed on shapes and forms. The cold morning with the moisture in the air caused the fog to freeze, coating the trees and fence wires. In a drab landscape there was an amazing brightness. The lack of a blue and sparkling sky allowed the snow to reflect the gray above, muting the contrast between the black tree trunks and the frozen frosting. Jack Frost had conspired with Mother Nature to give us a beautiful landscape

The end of fall

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And just like that, Mother Nature has flipped a switch and we’re at the end of fall. It’s been a glorious and unusually long season this year in the upper Midwest but like all good things it has come to an end. Five days ago the wind was still, the sun was shining, and the only colors remaining were from the oaks with their remaining rusty leaves. Today the temperatures have fallen, the wind has removed any remaining leaves from the trees, and we have a forecast of snow.

Sometimes the change of seasons can be disconcerting to me, especially the ones where the days become shorter and the darkness becomes longer. But I’m reminded that just like the leaves that have fallen from the trees, it is all temporary. There will still be beauty in the coming season and days but it will be in a different palette – one of white – and the landscape will take on a new cloak of loveliness.