Frosty Morning

Fall is by far my favorite season. I love the smells of dry leaves and spicy goldenrod, warm afternoons with insect song and cool nights by a fire. I even love the preparations for winter, the feeling of going in, tidying up, getting cozy and settling down.



We had our first frost last week, and any photographer worth her salt (and that's really not me) will be prepared for such events in advance, will be in place as the sun begins to rise to get that perfect shot of the mists off the water and frost on the leaves. It just so happened that I woke up early enough to get out and take some photos around the house.

Many of the wildflowers are still in bloom, hardy plants that can withstand an occasional frost. The mullein's tight buds will continue to bloom, but this goldenrod looks like it's already done.

Asters are one of my favorite flowers, and while I especially like the dark purple ones, the white variety that dominates our property is just fine.

Just down the road our neighbor has what may be considered a wet mesic prairie. Not much of one, maybe an acre, but it's a beautiful sight, full of native flowers all year long--iris, joe pye, goldenrod, cattails... The willow in the background sits on the edge of a small pond, and we often see kingfisher, heron and turtles there.

As the sun rose higher it began to melt the frost, signaling it was time for breakfast. I am looking forward to more frosty mornings before the first snows fly.