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Monday, October 28, 2013

Morning Light, Indoors and Out, as Fall Lingers On


Days are short.
Nights are long.
Dawn comes long after the house is alive and stirring.





Oh, then -- light behind the Eastern Woods!

To the northeast, 
more dramatic sunlit clouds --


And to south-southeast, another show -- 


More quietly, trees and gardens 
glow warmly.



We are promised a sunny day,
with perhaps a high reaching 40 degrees.


The world leaps to life
in the light.

Saturday, October 26, 2013

A Day in the Life of One Lucky Up North Dog


First, a beautiful ride. But do dogs enjoy scenery?
Not so's you'd notice.


Running through the leaves,
ducking through and under fences --
that's more to her liking.


Finally, after holding court
with friends old and new,
she heaves a big sigh
and rests on her book dog laurels.

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

None Dare Call It Snow!


This is a low, wet meadow 
on the outskirts of the unincorporated village of Lake Leelanau
on Wednesday morning, October 23.
As I drove south from home, rooftops seemed dusted with snow,
and along the sides of the road was a wet, white accumulation.


This is where Sarah and I took our morning walk,
and this is what the ground looked underfoot:



I had assured friends looking for a year-round home
that they would find something before snow fell.
Did my optimistic forecast fail?
Another friend says no.
She says what we have on the ground today is not snow
but graupel.
I feel better already!
It is not winter yet!




There's nothing wrong with snow, 
and winter will be here soon.
I just want our friends
settled in a home before real snow flies.

Meanwhile, though color is fading 
and more trees are bare every day, thanks to high winds,
our world still has many bright spots. 








Saturday, October 19, 2013

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Subtle, Varied Shades of Red


Red osiers, a native dogwood, offer vivid autumn color. Raindrops on camera lens provide unintended blurs to the close-up viewer.


Thursday, October 10, 2013

Looking Closely at Fall Colors and Patterns


Fall color comes in every hue, 
from blindingly bright to hushed and quiet.


There is color in fruits, not only leaves.
Wild grapes, as well as domesticated grapes in vineyards,
are hanging ripe on the vine.


Ash leaves! So many different colors!



Asters are the brightest fall flowers
in fields and along roadsides.


Some colors are very subtle
but merit close attention.



Then there are nature's patterns, 
beautiful even with color subtracted


Thursday, October 3, 2013