As I passed Kamp Dels near Waterville recently, I noticed how the campground is emptying.
AS MUCH AS I DON’T WANT to admit it, summer is fading into autumn here in Minnesota. I like fall. I really do. But I don’t appreciate what follows. Winter.
Just down the tree-lined road from Kamp Dels, leaves are changing color on lakeside trees.
The shift in seasons began already in August with a subtle hint of color tinging select trees. Now more leaves are changing color and dropping. A leaf here, a leaf there. And before we know it, the trees are bare.
Between Waterville and Elysian sits the Cannonville Community Church.
But I am getting ahead of the days.
Crops are changing color along a back county road between Waterville and Elysian.
For now, corn fields are morphing from green to golden. Flowers that once bloomed in vivid hues are browning, dying. Gardens are ripe with produce.
In the rolling landscape near the Cannonville church, corn fields ripen.
The sun fades earlier. A definitive sharpness in the evening air hints of colder months ahead.
Fields and roadway stretch between Morristown and Faribault in rural Rice County.
I feel a certain sense of melancholy mixed with anticipation as autumn evolves, as harvest approaches. The sights, sounds, smells and tastes of September delight me. I welcome cobalt skies, splashes of red in tree lines, piles of pumpkins, candles flickering warmth and light, the comfort of a well-worn sweatshirt.
Hints of autumn are visible everywhere along this rural roadway between Morristown and Faribault.
But I see winter knocking at the door, suitcase bulging with snowflakes.
© Copyright 2016 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
I can almost smell fall in these pictures. No two ways about it–it will come. Enjoy the loveliness that fall offers and embrace the smells. It really is a lovely season.
I always enjoy autumn, which is busy with fun fall festivals, etc. And then there are those fall drives.
But what about “global warming”? Perhaps winter this year will only have a “carry-on” bag!
I just heard on the radio this morning that the Farmers’ Almanac is predicting a winter with higher than normal precip. I hope that is incorrect.
I do appreciate your humor. Carry-on, indeed.
Ha, ha.. The Almanac has been wrong before..
Yes, it has.
Love the road captures 🙂 I do not miss the cold and that white stuff, especially driving in it. I do miss Fall though and the changing of the colors. One set of family has said goodbye to MN and headed to their snowbird place where it is warm. The other set should be hitting the road next month and will eventually be coming down here for a 4-month stay. Happy Day – Enjoy!
I cannot imagine living in a place minus the changing of colors.
So happy for you that family will be coming for four months.
We have seasons here – Sunshine, Seasonal Drop in Temps (Dec-Feb), Snowbirds, and Storms – ha! The colors change but not to the degree of other places that show off the reds, oranges, yellows, etc. We are not sure what to do with them for 4 months and will figure it out as we go along. Just excited to spend some quality time with them 🙂
I’m sure you will find plenty of places to explore. You excel at that.
wishing you a long, slow, lovely Autumn.
Thank you, Marney. I bet autumn in upstate N.Y. is beautiful.
it usually is. will be interesting to see how things unfold this year with the drought… Black Walnut trees (late to leaf out, early to drop them) are already doing their fall announcement. good nut year, though. good squirrel food.
And opposite your drought, we’ve had excessive rain here in Minnesota.
hm. i wasn’t aware of the excessive rain in your home state. i hope it doesn’t impact the grain harvests this fall.
i know there’ve been wet fall’s here & it makes for bean harvesting a sad state of affairs.
maybe next year things will be more balanced.
We’ve had an unusually wet summer. No flooding yet, but some concerns in river towns like Northfield. We haven’t had any rain for almost a week now. But clouds are building as I write.
Autumn is my favorite time of the year too! I love the colors but I do miss the red colors as we don’t have much of that here, mostly yellows, and gold with a sprinkling of purple from the fireweed down at ground level. The crisp air and the night….. oh how I enjoy having the 24 hours of sunlight go away and the darkness of night return! Now we can see the stars which we have not been able to see all summer and the northern lights add to the enjoyment. Soon it will be too cold to enjoy sitting outside, and the frost we have had over the last couple of weeks has all but destroyed the flowers that we enjoyed all summer. However fires in the fireplace, hot chocolate, a good book and peaceful evening are just around the corner. If I could only have the aroma of fall that goes with the season……………………..
I so look forward to moving someday and enjoying the rural road trips! I always enjoy those pictures you take of the local area there!
You make the seasons in Alaska sound quite lovely, except for the 24 hours of sunlight. That I cannot fathom.
I’m always happy to bring you back home to Minnesota, Don.
I love fall, and I will hold onto it as long as it stays, but it’s the after that, that I’m looking forward to. 🙂
Oh, I know how very much you love winter. Would you like to share some of that enthusiasm with me?
Fall is my favorite season but of course I love the changing seasons but winter could be a little shorter!
I liked your last line about the suitcase full of snowflakes! Clever!
I agree. Winter could be a little shorter.
And I agree about my last line.
We live in the Nashville,TN area and I was walking this morning and seeing the fallen leaves and smelling fall. I understand as I love fall also,but winter,not so much. 😏Jen
Welcome from Nashville. I traveled along the Mississippi River area between Wisconsin and Minnesota this weekend. Some trees are beginning to turn.
Ha ha I love the snow when I don’t have to go out in it
Good answer.
The shift in seasons began already in August with a subtle hint of color tinging select trees.
Audrey, you always have just the right words to capture the ever evolving landscape with your evocative words and photos.
Thank you, Sue.
The Mrs. and I just returned from Colorado and noticed the change in full swing where we live – crops, trees – along with all of our yard plants that were not looking so good due to a lack of moisture in our absence. It is that time of year…again.
Oh, I definitely noticed the creep-in of autumn while driving through the La Crosse area this past weekend.
Our new farm is not too far from Cannonville Church! We are across from Sabre Lake.
What a beautiful area. I will have to check the map for the location of Sabre Lake. Would love to see your place if we are in the area.