Orange

the maple tree sings
as daylight diminishes
perhaps, already
only twigs remain
lost in sky blue

Click on the image to see the full blast of color.  The vibrancy of the orange diminishes with the smaller blog format but comes through in the slideshow format.

Thanksgiving

I see a heart - open and shining with light. I see beautiful hearts of beautiful people. I give thanks for all people in my live now and those I've encountered along this journey who live from the light within, with open, sharing, loving hearts.

I thank you. And, I wish you peace, always.

Definition fades

The end of the day at the edge of the water brought me to a dreamy state where the distinct definitions of the day were tempered by the fading daylight. Hard lines soften. The difference between this and that is blurred. Self and other, self and world, are no longer differentiated.

Did you know that cattails can be edible and can be used to filter arsenic from water? See the Wikipedia information here.

Dreams of green

The color of the landscape now consists of shades of tan, brown, and pine green with an occasional spot of red where mountain ash berries have not been devoured by the critters. The birch and aspen branches are bare. The leaves on the ground are brown and crunchy. Everything is ready for the winter snows... except this little tree. As I was hiking, I stopped in my tracks when I noticed the last of the daylight highlighting these leaves. Yes, they are green. And, yes, it is November. This tree must have a sheltered sun spot. I will have to remember this next fall when I'm dreaming of green and pining for a sun spot.

leaves... but memories

summer

leaves... but memories

shift, fade

break down

for what?

a new season of

reflection,

renewal,

expansion

Delicate beauty

Yesterday afternoon the rain turned to snow. As evening came, the temperature dropped, and snow stuck to blades of grass, to leaves, needles, branches of trees, and to the canoe sitting on top of my truck. Last night, the clouds rolled away and the stars twinkled at me as I carried wood in to feed the fire and keep the cabin cozy. This morning the sun mingled with the landscape of snow and fall color. I stood still, breathing slowly, the sun warming my face, and I acknowledged the beauty and blessings of the moment.

Peak in the valley

The light of day was glorious this weekend. The light shining through the tamaracks in the valley set them glowing. I love the tamarack's warm golden color and the softness of the needles about to relinquish their hold for this year.

Solitude

The Cliff House is my place of solitude, a place to center, to ground myself at the start of the day. This morning snow covered the deck and flurries were drifting across the valley. The cabin has been 40 degrees when I return in the evening and is slow to warm up even with a stove full of wood. The time to move into town for the winter may be imminent.

Quiet places...

Quiet places... I stand on a rock softened by the layer of pine needles. I hear the air moving in and out... through my body, through the pine tree tops. The lake is sprinkled with small ripples as the breeze moves across. One soul is a a drop in the sea of life, just a small part of the overall whole, hardly a sprinkle, making no ripples. So it seems. Yet each person touches the lives around us, often in ways we do not fully realize, a kind word, a smile, willingness to listen... and this propagates outward, the breeze creating the ripples...

First Flurries!

This morning as I walked around the corner of the cabin I felt pings of cold hit my cheeks and then noticed white specks in the air.  Snow?  Yes, snow!  As I went through my morning routine, the flurries increased and then eventually dissipated.  The changing contrast of the white with the fall colors was a delight.

A day for the senses

The distinct autumn smell of damp fallen leaves followed me down the path from the cabin this morning.

Maples leaves glowing from the late day sun moved in the gentle breeze while I soaked up sunrays and remnants of heat from the sun-warmed rock.

Two talented musicians from Finland - Ninni Poijärvi and Mika Kuokkonen - were a delight to listen to, like listening to a piece of home. The concert was sponsored by the NLAA, the Northern Lakes Art Association. To listen to some samples, go to Ninni's page here.

Points

Through what lens do you see the world?  Many things through my lens appear hazy.  Very little is in sharp focus.  A few points are indisputably clear to me.  One is the importance of accepting responsibility for one's life, situation, choices made.  Another is that, with grass now brown and snow falling down, winter is closing in.

Patch of red

The leaves have fallen.  The days are short.  I search for bits of color, a respite from the muted shades of brown.  In the late afternoon sun I find a patch of red: Red Osier.  

Time prolonged

Time prolonged.  In motion.  

The colors and the memories are sustenance for my eyes & my spirit.

Reflections of another time

Brilliant!

The rain drizzled down last weekend.  The landscape was exquisitely vibrant.

Fleeting

The aspen are golden. The clouds scurry across the sky. The wind hurries across the bay, through the leaves, calling for the change of season.

Favorite view, my friend

Early last week I had the opportunity to go out on Lake Vermilion with a family friend, someone who has enjoyed the beauty of this lake for over 70 years. A splendid autumn afternoon with a nippy wind and rain showers alternating with sunshine. The view from the outcropping near this pine is one of his favorites.

Colors are bright, light is fading

A beautiful evening on Stuntz Bay. All of the colors are showing their faces. How quickly these days go by... the sun sets just after 6:30.