Leaves Late, Feels like Winter

The DNR site shows that across Minnesota the leaves are late.  The cold chill in the air is more a late winter blast than the beginning.   We have had a couple of branches on oaks turn and move all the way to that partial drop that they do, leaving some purple-brown leaves till Spring.  But the general cast of the forest is lightly yellow-green.  Not much worth an oh or ah. 

Usually late September and into October had days of swimming left in it.  Not so far.  A couple last days to clean up is all we have seen.  Most days the lake is just too cold to hang out on.  Dark is clearly present too.  The cloudy day is the norm.  One day a few ago it was like a light bomb exploded it was so bright.  That emphasizes how rare those periods have been.  Of course, Canadian wildfire haze in the air has dimmed a lot of days this Summer. 

The garden is long done.  It had good grape tomatoes and beans, but the potatoes were a bit on the small size.  They all taste great, but there is just less potato in the cooler.  One wonders if the regular tiny rainfalls prevented a good enough dosing of the crop.

Frost and freeze are now expected the next two days.