Photography

Sometimes the best is in your backyard

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Now that fall is here in its most full splendor I’ve been on the roads looking for fall color.  Last week we were in Wisconsin, and this past weekend we were in western and central Minnesota.  This is a fabulous year for the colors.  The temperatures and moisture have certainly been prime for producing a grand spectrum of rich shades of red, yellow, orange, and gold.  And yet just this morning I made this image in our backyard.  There is a lovely ivy that graces the fence and trellis in our side yard.  I’ve been watching the colors progress this past week and a half.  In some areas the color is all a rich rust or maroon, and in others it’s a yellow or gold.  But as I walked along the fence this morning I spotted this area which had a delightful array of all the colors.  And in the early morning light it was positively glowing!  So I will continue to look for the colors of fall in the parks and roads of Minnesota and Wisconsin, but I will also make sure to stop and admire, appreciate, and photograph what is presented to me in my own backyard.

Chasing fall colors in Wisconsin

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We’ve just returned from a delightful weekend of fall color in northern Wisconsin.  After raining on Friday, the weather was cool and cloudy on Saturday morning and we ventured to Copper Falls State Park outside of Mellen, Wisconsin.  The colors of gold, green, red, orange, and yellow were all visible throughout the woods.  It was a treat to the eyes and to the senses, as there is most certainly a distinct smell of fall in the air also.  Later in the day the sun burned through the clouds and these same  vibrant shades of autumn were splashed against a bright and clear blue sky with warm sunshine.  Although it’s hard to think of summer as being behind us now, the beauty and brightness of fall seems to be our reward before we delve into the white of winter.

There was a programming glitch with my blog entry from last week.  Those of you who normally get an email when I’ve posted a new blog entry were left without notification.  Sorry!  You might want to go directly to my blog to read the entry from last Sunday —  it was all about a very joyous wedding celebration in our family.  Go to http://www.lindastaatsphoto.wordpress.com and scroll down to the entry dated September 26, 2010, “A wedding in the family.”  (Sorry for the mixup!).

A wedding in the family

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We had the happy privilege of having a wedding in the family this past weekend.  It was a time of joyous celebration and happiness.  The bride and groom are both in the Army, and met while stationed in Iraq.  Their time at Camp Liberty was eventful in many ways and even more so after they met.  Their dates consisted of meeting mid-base and sharing pizza.  His deployment was over before hers and he returned to the U.S., waiting for her return three months later.  They settled in Texas and continued planning their wedding here in Saint Paul.  The wedding ceremony was joyous and happy.  Both the bride and groom were surrounded by their parents, siblings, school and university friends, and military friends — many of whom traveled from across the country to share in the celebration of their marriage.  The toasts were heartfelt and the celebration continued late into the night, concluding with a wedding brunch the following day.  I wish them the very best in their marriage together.  There will be trying times, especially next year when she will be deployed back to Iraq, but I believe their love story will continue and with their commitment and love they will write their own happy ending.

Grape harvest, part 2

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Yesterday was part 2 of our 2010 grape harvest experience.  For the past few years we’ve helped some friends who live on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River harvest their acre of grapes.  This is certainly a much larger operation than our one concord grape-vine!   Six of us worked most of the day, stopping only for lunch, and made good progress.  It’s delightful to work amongst beautiful scenery, with good conversation and good laughter.  Certainly makes the harvest much more enjoyable and fun.  We spent the day harvesting frontenac gris, although we were treated to tastes of all the varieties of grapes our friends are growing.  The alpenglow grapes that are pictured here are a beautiful shade of soft yellow/green, that develop a light blush as they ripen.  I can attest to their most wonderfully sweet and juicy flavor.  After the sun had set and we had been in the vineyard all day, we retreated inside to a delightful meal and were able to lift our glasses to toast this year’s harvest with a glass of wine from last year’s harvest.

Concord grapes – the sweet smell of summer

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 Our harvest of concord grapes was plentiful.  With pans and trays of the purple grapes everywhere, the sweet smell of summer has been wafting through our kitchen.   Their fresh aroma is strong and intoxicating, and it strengthens as the grapes simmer on the stove, crack open, and release their juices.  For now we’re enjoying a deliciously flavorful concord grape sorbet that melts in the mouth — a small taste goes a long way.  It’s a deep, dark color of rich purple; almost (but not quite) too beautiful to eat.  And we also have a plethora of concord jelly ready for the upcoming months.    When the snow is piled around and the temperatures are cold, we’ll open a jar of grape jelly and be quickly transported back to the waning days of summer.