The winter storm hitting NW Minnesota took down a dead tree and that tree took out a smaller one on the way down. Snow fall is at 9 inches right now. An early morning car accident just out on the road brought excitement, but luckily no one was injured. The snow is to pile through the afternoon.
Meanwhile the squirrels are still out looking for sunflower seeds.
Winter is how officially threatening to arrive. While today was another nice day with temperatures touching 50, Thursday and Friday have alerts already for possible snow. The storm is off some, so specifics are light, but here is one of the potential spots for some snow. One forecast has 1-3 inches after 2/3rds of an inch of rain. That changeover is the risky part. Winds are on the forecaster’s minds, too.
The squirrels are packing the sunflower seeds in like mad. I suspect some set of trees in the woods is just solid sunflowers inside. No red around, so no pine cone piles this year.
The geese are still on the lake, but in small numbers. The main groups seem gone as I thought. Two swans are still hanging around, but the river is the wintering place if they stay. Mud Lake freezes tight while the river has open water in a few spots.
Snow is in the offing later in the week. One forecast looks for 1-3 inches, but then temperatures will drop for highs only in the low 30s. We have all enjoyed the late season warmth. It will be tough to take.
Some Geese remain on the lake. I thought I saw two swans yesterday, but they may have been distant geese showing their butts.
The weather is holding just fine for almost everyone, I suspect. Temperatures edged into the 50s with a really bright Sun holding court nearly all the day. The wind held court, too, but did not seem to ruin the warmth of the day, of course that is given what a day in November in Northern Minnesota is normally like.
The leaf fall is done. The only thing leaves are doing is that last blowing around for those not yet secured in their winter places, and an odd branch that never understood the signals of the summer storms to fall down, is now finding its way down. Not really many of them to enjoy the fall to the ground.
Watch out in southern Minnesota and below! The geese seem to be heading out. Honking was not a big thing today. That means they are coming your way. And can they poop! Many hope they stay away, or on someone else’s area as they can decorate with aplomb. They are a wonder to watch and fascinating to listen to, but have the washer ready for the dock.
On the other hand this means winter is upon us. We have had super nice days all week and outside is the place to be. But the temperatures were in the 60s, then 50s, and now less is coming. No snow near here at all, but rumors suggest something is coming just beyond the 10-Day Forecast.
Winterization is totally complete except for one more check of the garage door insulation. Even the workhorse of the summer—the chainsaw—sawed its last stump piece off and has been carefully cleaned. It shall winter in the garage at a nice 46 degrees.
The leaves are majorly past prime at this time. Many trees are empty. The oaks maintain a nice percentage of their purple toned leaves through the winter, so bare forest is not dominant here, yet. Of course the pines stay covered, and those late season brown needles are on the ground leaving a nice green set behind. The tamaracks are yellow, but still holding those needles. They are actually at the peak of color or getting just past.
The geese are in full gathering mode. The honking is getting louder down at the lake. They honk to attract other geese flying by forming bigger groups for the sudden decision to head out.
Docks and boats are moving to land. A few remain, but most of this is way beyond summer peak.
I have not noticed much fireplace odor yet this fall. With the summer storms plentiful, timber has been easy to find and get ready. Mostly it has been just outside the window. Nights have been fortyish some, but only limited below freezing temperatures. Frost killed then held back mostly.
There are still beautiful tree color combinations to be enjoyed. Just down the road is one, but that is only for small groups of mixed color trees now.
We went to Itasca State Park today/ The weather looked super but turned cloudy, in line with most recent days. The leaves were just glorious any way. While those special odd purples and pinks were gone, and the northeast corner was pretty bare, many sections showed bright yellows and oranges mixed with longer stretches of pure yellow. Even the tamaracks were in full yellow needle.
Mixing in was the very obvious, widespread damage from the mid-summer Great Wind of 2016 (reference in humor to Vicar of Dilby scene). Trees were sawed off where they had blocked the road, but many then just sat piled on each other, left alone for a couple month period. Some were average,m but others were among the bigger, older trees of the preserved park. One has to assume that the Park’s policy is for the forest to remain in its natural state of forest recycling, or, financially and in terms of personnel the Park does not have the staff to take the massive amount of trees away. More will go as select trees still threaten to fall over the roadways, especially the Wilderness Drive.
We did note some twisted wood indicative of spinning winds. Most accounts and a look at the radar that night suggested straight line winds. The single direction fall of the down trees was notable.
Still the trees were wonderful.
