Autumn and the Great Inland Sea

Lake Superior is Minnesota's sea - and Wisconsin's, Michigan's, and Ontario's. For us, Minnesota's North Shore is a place to immerse ourselves in the north woods. Our dream has been to drive around the entire Lake. This past month we fulfilled our dream.

Trying to guess when the fall leaf-color would be in its prime was a bit tricky. Dependent on rainfall and cool nights, there was no guaranteed calendar time. We took our chances.We began in Duluth at the end of September, heading east along the great Lake's south shore. Trees were blazing with fluorescent reds and orange, with golds and yellows sprinkled in among the dark green of evergreens. The surreal light through the leaves was like being suspended in time.

Slowly, we made our way along sandy beaches on the sky-blue autumn days. Always the Lake stretched out on our left. When any of us travel, it has long been a family tradition to disconnect and live fully in the present. Such disconnecting created solitary time for us to take photographs and to write, giving us both needed time to rest from our busy lives.

It had been an upside-down six months. Spring was so delayed that garden-planting was postponed from its usual pattern. Soil too cool would not have been conducive to the germination of tiny seeds. July followed with too much heat. It meant a season not friendly to growing tomatoes and peppers. Many local gardeners reported no tomatoes at all, while we managed a few for the table. We have never been very successful with cucumbers, but this year our vines gave us state-fair quality and so many that we kept the neighborhood supplied. At the same time, the zucchini planted next to the cucumbers produced one lone zucchini. Go figure!

The disruption of house remodeling further contributed to the disruption of our usual summer patterns. We are still catching up with maintenance that usually would have been done earlier in the summer - such as scraping the peeling paint around the garage door, which is now is ready for a fresh coat of white. And we have been engaged in "spring pruning" of bushes and trees in our backyard woods. At least with no leaves, it is easy to see what goes and what stays!

I think we embody the seasons within us wherever we live. When weather (or other disruptions) alter year-long routines, it creates an undercurrent of dis-ease. Who could complain of an extended beautiful autumn like this one. At the same time, folks keep looking over their shoulders as if there has been a "disturbance of the force."

Yesterday, I clipped sage and oregano to dry for winter. Whether it does snow in the next couple days - or rain -or gift us with sunny days, at least I am ready for what comes my way.