late October garden...

I think this is the latest date,I have even had a garden to show that isn't all cleaned up for the winter. We have yet to have a killing frost which I believe is close to a record for this area.
In the front garden, the burning bush standard is red, the perennials leaves are turning golden, the mums look gorgeous and I still have annuals blooming. The last 2 days we have had a huge fall storm with high winds (a land hurricane the tv called it) so the trees in the background don't have any leaves left.
Roses, annuals and mums are blooming in the rose garden but the hydrangea foilage is yellow. Do you notice anything different about our evergreen tree line? We cut them up to allow for more air circulation to try and prolong their lives. Several have died and several look pretty sick but the nursery we consulted with said this should help them for a while but there is no cure for the disease that hits 25+ year old colorado spruce in our area.
The barn area looks bare as the veggies have all been pulled a month ago. The farm fields in the background have been harvested and tilled too.
A few last clematis blooms to brighten my day.
The backyard garden is about 90% done blooming and gone to seed...
but my two favorite annuals just keep blooming and blooming. The gem marigolds and veronica blue salvia are powerhouses in all my plantings.
The cranes are standing amongst another gem marigold while the service berry tree behind the rock is a pretty red.
Flowering kale provides a bright pop of color...
and a few zinnia still bloom.
Gallardia are still blooming...
among more veronia blues.
The majority of the spider mums are done blooming except for a few stragglers and...
the blackberry lily seed heads are living up to their name.
It is cold today - I was out in a winter coat and gloves to start the cleanup but the battery was dead on the ranger. I am hoping for warmer weather over the weekend to get the cleanup done - my heart just isn't into gardening these days but it is a chore that has to get done - with the light snow falling yesterday I know our autumn days are limited.

Thank you to all who stuck by reading this blog while I struggled with the diagnosis and then grieved the loss of our long anticipated first grandchild. Your kind comments on the 10/15 post meant a lot to all of us.

wordless Wednesday...

light a candle tonight...

Ethan Michael
October 14, 2010

It is I who caused your heart to leap
when you learned you were pregnant.

It is I who caused you to wonder...will he
have my nose...
your eyes...
Grandpa's ears...
be bald headed or a mass of curls...

It is I who inspired you to imagine the possibilities and challenges of being
a Mom and a Dad
Who invited you to be your best self.

It is I who caused you to lose sleep worrying
about raising me to be
healthy and strong
loving and wise
So I could reach my full potential.

It is I whose laughter you longed to hear
and whose cry you would know in an instant

It is I who never had a doubt about your love

It is I who was able to put a lifetime of joy into an instant.

(read by the hospital chaplain at Ethan's baby blessing)

Please remember all those who have lost a child especially my daughter & son-in-law, Jayme & Scott who grieve the loss of their precious son, born into heaven yesterday.

a break...

Sometimes life sends us down an unknown path and we are not ourselves while we try to understand the reason. I need time to be there for those I love so I am taking a break from blogging. Thank you to all of my followers for understanding!

Hawk Ridge...

On last week's trip to Duluth I drove up to Hawk Ridge in order to catch a sky high view of the beautiful fall foilage. It was noon and the moon was still in the NW sky as I enjoyed the fresh air and beautiful colors.The view looking out towards Lake Superior was bright yellow with occasional pops of red.
Since the lens is broken on my good camera - most of these photos are taken with the purse sized canon set on foilage - I wish I hadn't used that setting as the colors were much more striking to the eyes!
The view looking back towards Duluth and the harbor was gorgeous - if you look closely you can see the lift bridge the city is famous for.
At this time of year, Hawk Ridge is a busy place as many come to watch the migrating hawks during Sept-Oct. According to the website, over 93000 raptors migrate past the overlook each fall.
There were presentations going on...
and platforms to look for high flying hawks.
I'm not sure why they had fake birds mounted to sticks in the above and below photos...
I didn't bother to ask anyone or take part in the hawk presentations - I was here for the VIEW!

steeple Sunday...

Pilgrimage Road, a small road leading up the hill to a park like setting lead me to this small steeple.
Known to most Minnesotans as the Grasshopper Chapel this small church is built with beautiful local granite. The real name of the chapel is Assumption Chapel and it is located on a hill above Cold Spring, MN.

You can read the history of this chapel as well as why it is called the grasshopper chapel HERE at the city website.
Chapel Hill is really a peaceful relaxing place for all to visit - if you are driving through Cold Spring on Hwy 23 look for the Chapel Hill. It is on a hill above the hwy but hidden from view in the trees.

Jay Cooke state park...part 2

What a difference a week makes - I went up to Duluth again this past week and visited Jay Cooke state park once again. In the first three photos I tried to take the same shots I showed in the last post.

This photo showing both branches of the river was taken with my purse sized camera set to "foilage" which made the sky a robin egg blue.
(a photo from April 2008 to show the water levels then)
The suspension bridge - look how low the water is currently...
compared to April 2008!
This is the view from the picnic area overlook.
The walk to the overlook was gorgeous!

More photos from my visit "up north" to come, it was peak foilage time and so different from looking at corn fields everyday :) Today, I am thankful for autumn's beauty.

the arrival of autumn...

Fall colors are showing everywhere I look these days and this is my favorite time of year. I love the sights, sounds and smells of autumn days!
Last week on a trip to visit Jayme, I checked out Jay Cooke State park for fall colors...
the trees were just beginning to turn and made a gorgeous backdrop for the rocky St. Louis river.
I'm going to visit her again this week and hope to capture many more "fall color" photos to share.
This MN map that was on a sign at Jay Cooke shows why I love the trip "up north" so much at this time of year. I live in the vicinity of where I typed the word "prairie" and my daughter lives where I typed "forest". The 4 hour trip through the 3 distinct areas is simply gorgeous and filled with color!
I hope you are enjoying this sunshine filled week as I am! Today, I am thankful for red maples - wish I had some of my own :)