AS I WRITE, a grey-haired man leans into the fierce wind as he walks his black lab along the sidewalk across the street. In the distance, a block away, I note a fiery red maple blazing color into the cityscape. Soon, though, my neighborhood will be devoid of color, trees stripped of leaves, as autumn shifts ever closer to winter.
These days, more than ever, I am cognizant of autumn’s departure, of what I anticipate to be an especially long winter ahead with COVID-19.
But for now, I want to take you into my backyard, to scenes I photographed within the past 10 days. My yard presents a microcosm of autumn in southern Minnesota. Colorful. Ever-changing. Cobalt skies one day, grey skies the next.
Tuesday and Wednesday I worked in my yard, emptying pots of flowers, raking and bagging leaves, all those seasonal tasks I’ve put off. As I age, I find I don’t enjoy this work as much. I’d rather do fun activities like hike and spend time with my grandchildren.
We have only one tree, a maple, on our property. But woods abut our yard. And leaves from neighbors’ trees don’t understand boundaries.
The clock is ticking to complete autumn yard work before the first snowfall. To then stash away the rakes and pull out the snow shovels. And, for Randy, to drain gas from the lawnmower and check the snowblower.
But for now, I want to savor these final days of autumn. To appreciate the colors of autumn leaves clinging stubbornly to branches, to walk across the lawn, leaves crackling underfoot.
For soon enough, winter will overtake the Minnesota landscape, defining our days.
As we await the arrival of spring and the cycle of seasons continues.
© Copyright 2020 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
Good for you for getting some yard work done…our lawn is the collection sight of all leaves blown in by the wind from neighbors trees. It is full up with leaves…and we have work to do!
Those strong winds yesterday certainly whipped leaves around. My yard looks like it needs raking again.
I still cannot believe it is Fall and soon experiencing the Winter months. Mister is still mowing 2 maybe 3 times a week and is looking forward to once a week in another month or so. We have fruits and veggies coming up in the garden right now and soon a few of the trees in our yard will start blooming out. It took us about 2 years to get use to the fauna and flora cycle here. Beautiful photos 🙂 Happy Day – Enjoy!
I’m glad you enjoyed the photos. I can understand how the seasonal cycle of Florida would take some adjusting.
You captured it perfectly, especially Tues. and Wed. My flowers did well this year, don’t want to let them go!
Thank you. I’m glad your flowers did well. It’s been an especially beautiful and long autumn, I think.
I cringe at the site of leaf bags! Ya’ll are picking up leaves this Autumn or Fall. However, in mid-Texas, “Fall” is in the Spring. I have ONE Oak tree that loses leaves in the “Fall” that is in the front of the house. All the rest (a bunch of them) on the side and back of the house, lose their leaves in the spring. One year, the trees were very prolific and I took 8 full size pickup loads to the recycling center.
We actually pulled these leaf bags from the city compost pile last fall because we didn’t have any. Way easier than trying to use plastic garbage bags. I think the rest of the leaves will just stay on our lawn. Parts of Minnesota saw snow today, including at our eldest daughter’s home 35 minutes to the north.
You captured some beautiful fall photo’s without having to leave your yard, I love that. Enjoy this season as it’s soon to be gone…too soon. I think Fall is our most wonderful but shortest month.
More autumn photos coming as Randy and I went for drives in the countryside this weekend. Unfortunately prime color season had passed. But we still saw plenty to bring me joy.
Lovely photos, Audrey. ❤
Thank you, Penny.