We’ve been enjoying one of the longest fall seasons and one of the warmest, resulting in some of the most beautiful fall colors I’ve seen since moving to Minnesota. The bright colors that are characteristic of the beginning of fall are now gone and we’re enjoying the more subtle shades of gold and rust. Perhaps it’s all part of Mother Nature’s plan to nudge us more gently into winter. But with colors like these leaves that I found earlier in the week, I’ll gladly relish in the beauty of this fall.
Photography
Fall daybreak over the Mississippi River
Our fall colors have been changing rapidly. Knowing that they won’t be lasting much longer, I took a day off work and left the house before 6:00am. I drove southeast in the darkness and caught up with the Mississippi River. On a bluff above the river in Frontenac State Park I enjoyed the quiet and beauty of daybreak over the Mississippi. The morning was cool and coated the grasses and fall flowers with a light dew. And yet as the sun rose there was the promise of a warm Indian summer day ahead. As I focused my camera down the river to Lake Pepin I heard a rustling in the grasses to my right. Just as I glanced in that direction, a large doe leapt through the little bluestem and bounded down the hill — the only sound breaking the quiet. I spent the remainder of this warm day wandering the hillsides and bluffs on either side of the Mississippi River, in Wisconsin and Minnesota. The following days were windy and blustery, and I’m certain many of the remaining leaves found their way down to the ground. In the short span of this past week, the landscape has changed dramatically, getting closer to the inevitable first hard frost and winter.
Sometimes the best is in your backyard
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
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
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.
