I’m fortunate to live in close proximity to the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory in Saint Paul. No matter what season or what the weather’s like outside, there’s always a view of color and warmth at the conservatory. And as we’re quickly approaching Thanksgiving, the sunken garden is filled with the warm colors of fall – yellows, oranges, and all the shades in between. As I was photographing here this morning I was reminded of so many things I have to be thankful for: my eyes, my health, my friends and family, a warm house, plentiful food, and the joy of living a wonderful life. I hope your week of Thanksgiving gives you pause to appreciate all that you have and the world around you.
Saint Paul
A search for color
Our weather has turned wintry today with falling temperatures and rain and sleet. I looked around the yard and found it void of color. But just earlier this week the sedum had turned a beautiful rusty-red. I don’t usually pay too much attention to the sedum, but each small bud and the deep color reminded me of cranberries (another of my fall favorites). I am glad to see that I stopped to photograph the sedum before it bore the brunt of the freeze and slap of the cold temps. Sometime in the near future our landscape will be refreshed in another color – the white of winter.
Bee balm in the fall
Fall is quickly vanishing across our landscape. The colors that blazed so brilliantly are now gone. The leaves that valiantly clung to the tree branches have let go and fallen to the ground. We’ve been working in our yard and gardens, preparing them for winter. As I was pulling out plants that were way past their prime I found a stand of bee balm, their flowers having dropped many weeks ago. I paused for a moment and realized how beautiful this seedhead was — a globe of intricate pieces that wasn’t noticeable during its summer bloom. Sometimes I feel the need to appreciate those things that are stripped of their original beauty and taken out of the context we’re accustomed to. Here too was beauty and form, even out of season.
Garlic harvest
We’re trying some new things in our vegetable garden this year, one of which is garlic. Last November we planted a variety of different bulbs, covered them, and waited for the spring to see if they survived the winter. They shot up through the ground and just this weekend we were able to begin a harvest of a couple of the earlier types. It was a treat to dig up the bulbs from the ground and see their size and color. This particular variety is called Xian and has these beautiful reddish-purple stripes to it. They’ll now hang to dry, and soon I’ll be able to report on their taste. But if their flavor is as good as their photo-worthiness we should be in great shape!
Bel Air red and gold
For the past 39 years the Minnesota Street Rod Association has held its Back to the 50’s Weekend here in Saint Paul. What started with just a few friends has now grown to over 13,000 members worldwide. For three days our neighborhood by the state fairgrounds has been graced with the most beautiful classic cars cruising down the streets. This weekend brought more than 11,000 custom cars, street rods, and classics that all date from 1964 and before; there was certainly something to excite everyone. I spent a few hours walking the streets today and admiring the cars. On a sunny and warm day the brilliant paint all buffed to a shine was picking up reflections from all around. This wonderful rear fin on a red Bel Air was reflecting the golden colors of the car just next to it. Instantly this whole panel came alive in brightness. It would have been impossible to not smile at these colors of summer so beautifully displayed.
lindastaatsphoto.com 