We’re back on our son’s front porch in North Carolina. The temperatures are mild, and it’s wonderful drinking our morning coffee out here. Yesterday, a long, gentle rain fell, but we could still sit on the porch and watch the rain fall, and it was lovely.
The woods next door offers a beautiful view of fall colors. We get to experience an extended fall season.
This morning’s show included an occasional leaf gently floating down and many active birds…the ones I could identify were finches, eastern blue birds and a woodpecker. The cardinal is the state bird of North Carolina, and I’ve seen many already, just not this morning.
We have enjoyed unusual November temperatures – in the 70’s – these past few days and they have been stunning. It has been great for working in the yard – raking up the leaves that were covered under eight inches of snow that fell in mid-October.
One pile of leaves in the back yard.
We live on a corner lot, downwind it seems. Along with our own leaves, a lot of our neighbor’s leaves are blown into our yard, and stop there. Most of the snow has melted so it was time to rake them up. It’s a big job.
We used these black buckets as scoops to load the pick-up truck.
We took six loads to the compost site in Northfield. Four times we filled the pickup bed to the max.
Filled to the brim.
We also filled 30 big black bags and two garbage cans full of leaves. That took another two trips to the landfill.
I decided to shovel two small, leftover snow piles to get to the leaves underneath! A comic twist.
Last fall (2019) our grandchildren were visiting and enjoyed jumping in piles of leaves.
But I’m grateful…for the beautiful weather to be working outside, for our health to be able do the work, for trees to enjoy, and a good night’s sleep!
Lingering thoughts from the glorious, snowless, time up on the north shore…
Sparkles, like dazzling diamonds, are twinkling in a wide swath on the waters of Lake Superior, reflecting the sun. It is one precious view that money can’t buy.
Sparlking water.
The white foam waves clap against the rocky shoreline, producing a lovely sound and creating dancing droplets in the air. The blue water mirrors the blue sky and the temperatures are above normal for October.
White foam wavesCool blue gentle laps.
Gold leaves, like coins, carpet the hiking trail that leads up the Minnesota mountain through leafless trees to the top. Once on top the views are stunning. The yellow birches and dark evergreens create the gorgeous contrast for this time of year.
Golden trails.
All along the shore, there are only a few maple trees with colors of red and orange but it is the yellow leaves mixed with the evergreens that create the new and different pattern for us along the shore of Lake Superior.
Yellows and greens and blues, o my.
This wondrous place always takes my breath away and is always hard to describe…my soul feels at home in this holy place and I’m so grateful to be in the moments that pass too quickly up here on the north shore… a reflection of God’s glory.
Twinkle, twinkle.
I often try to describe how spectacular it is through words and photos but they do not do it justice. But then, who can describe the Lord?
Exodus 15:11 Who among the gods is like you, Lord? Who is like you – majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?
