The weather around the lake may soon match the lake’s ice. Good temperatures over night have dropped during the day. The wind is up and making things even cooler. Three layers of orange clothing now need the white coat with the orange hoodie and knit cap sticking out as a signal.
Yet the tall pines and birches are shaking pretty good today. Amazing how trees that tall can shake like that and take it.
While the ice must be getting thicker, a couple of sunny days have been wonderful. The early sun beat off some very thick fog on the lake, but then won the day. Still not so warm, but better then what is to come.
It has been toime to get those last leaves in their places for mulching, and cover the septic area if you need to do that. The green pines are providing nice color against the nude birches. The odd oak gives that brownish purple look to those spots.
Mud Lake is iced over. I have questions only about one tiny spot in the southeast corner. It is smooth ice or really still freezing water. Hard to tell.
The freezing lake looked on fire this morning as the sun painted the southeast sky orange and the reflection in the lake was massive bright orange to. Just a beautiful sunrise.
The bay of Mud Lake has started to ice up. Winter must be coming like Santa. Ice runs around the Bay area out to about 50 feet. The shallow waters and heavy weeds must be helping the freeze up.
Some ducks moving around today, but no geese were seen or heard. The geese crowd ever got as big as the year before were hundreds or more would be on the lake. But, I think they have left.
The last of the few remaining birch leaves are on the ground. Only a few odd stragglers remain, and those on the trees that waited to the very last to turn. The purple-brown oaks add some color to the bare dark of the barren trees and green needles. Still beautiful in their mix, especially when the rare sun comes out.
The trees are mixed here with some nearing down and some still holding some green to go. The rain has taken a load to the ground, but the place is still a wonder.
A lot of leaves are hitting the ground from the birches. The shore has that yellow of Fall, but inland the ground is turning yellow, more. Find your spot and look at the full glory of God’s Fall coating. Itasca looked nice the other day, but past prime. Just sit on the dock and you have all you would get there.
After a period of iffy rain, we have had a nice set of gentle rains the last few weeks. Today is the finish of a couple day wet spell. Wonderful rain over night and before. Some damage, of course, to the turning leaf viewers. The rain has brought down some of the early turning trees, but color remains.
There is a lot of speculation on why this year has been so bad for deer and gardens. Of course every one has their remedy, but still even combinations of those seemed to have failed to keep hungry deer away from the tomatoes. We had a fine looking garden through the summer then suddenly it was chewed down. I do note the kohlrabies remained mostly in tact. But if they hate human odor so much why take a chance on a tomato on the patio quietly growing? Must really want it, I guess.
I wonder if the grasses and such in the woods suffered from the dryness, leaving the water gardens as targets for the deer in search of moist or tender food? It has been noted that the State Patrol is cautioning people about deer movement and it is wondered if this is a sign they are on the move in search of tender leaves?
