A beautiful oak tree along the shore of Union Lake at Albers Park, Rice County, Minnesota.
IN THIS TOO WET and too gloomy of Minnesota autumns, days like this past weekend are a gift. Sunshine and dry weather. Trees morphing from green into sometimes blazing red. Skies still and beautiful and the scent of earth and harvest prevailing.
One of my favorite places to photograph in rural Rice County in autumn: the shoreline of Kelly Lake.
A mass of maple leaves at Albers Park.
From the shores of Union Lake, the steps leading down to the lake at Albers Park.
On Sunday afternoon we took a drive through western Rice County to view the fall colors. I needed the outing after a week of mostly lying around feeling awful. An all too early in the flu season virus struck me hard. Residuals remain and I’m still not back to 100 percent.
Across the water, colorful trees line the shore of Kelly Lake.
Autumn beauty in a single leaf.
A playground at Albers Park stands empty on a beautiful October Sunday afternoon.
But a few hours away from home viewing the changing landscape, taking photos and walking about in the beauty of autumn lifted my spirits considerably. Especially since I missed my niece Katie’s wedding on Saturday. Nothing will make up for that. But such is life. I knew wedding guests wouldn’t appreciate my not entirely healthy presence.
Not everyone could play like me on Sunday. Farmers were working hard to harvest crops on a rare sunny day.
On a beautiful autumn afternoon in southeastern Minnesota, none of that mattered. Sunshine does the soul good. So do fresh air and thoughts focused outward instead of inward.
The afternoon ended perfectly with a stop at an area apple orchard. More to come on that.
Maple leaves up close.
I hope that you, like me, have found time to delight in these closing days of autumn. Trees in colorful glory. Sun streaming. Scents of harvest and earth rising.
© Copyright 2019 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
Sorry you have been sick— that is no fun. Especially since you had a fun wedding to go to. Hope you are feeling better today and that healthier days are ahead. Your fall pics are gorgeous.
Thank you, Beth Ann. I’m definitely way better than last week. And I was well enough on Sunday to take that fall drive.
Oh, so pretty!!!
It is such an incredibly beautiful time of year. Even with today’s grey skies and rain, the leaves are still beautiful.
Gorgeous photos, Audrey. Thank you for sharing this beauty with us! 🙂 ❤
Thank you, Penny, and you are welcome.
It was a beautiful day, both Saturday and Sunday. We were out too, enjoying the beautiful blue skies, colorful trees and picturesque fields and farms.
Glad you are feeling better.
Thank you. It truly was a lovely weekend to be out and about.
Stunning autumnal colors! Minnesota truly is beautiful
I agree. Minnesota is a beautiful state.