Our First Hard Frost
I woke this morning to a very chilly house and a view of a blanket of frost outside our windows. Autumn is here. The foliage of our annuals are a blackened mess and I see some more garden clean-up in our future. I’m anxious for the spring-flowering bulbs I ordered to arrive so I can get them in the ground before it really gets cold. The leaves of the deciduous trees in our neighborhood are fiery crimson and gold and the birds, squirrels and chipmunks are all business these days gathering, storing and fattening up. Must remember to switch out the birdbaths to the winter/heated one as the summer bath was frozen solid this morning. Yesterday evening I took the pups for her walk in the woods and we walked on a carpet of leaves completely covering the path. Her nose was to the ground the whole time, sniffing for little mousies and other scurrying critters, undoubtedly. I made a point to walk past the house that always has a fire going in colder weather so I could smell the woodsmoke in the air and when we came home my nose and cheeks were bright red and my hands frozen. It’s mitten weather again. As I type this, the Eastern Redbud and the White Walnut trees are shedding their leaves; they tend to do so all in one fell swoop as soon as we get our first hard frost. I can hear their leaves pattering against the roof and ground like soft rain and probably by the time I finish this here cup of coffee, they will be gone–revealing the skeletal framework of their branches, the view I will see for the next 6 months. Autumn is fleeting here in the northeast. It seems but a moment from where you first notice it’s radiant beauty before it passes into winter, but what a beautiful moment it is.
You seem to live in such a lovely place (literally and figuratively!).
Thank you Louise! This little town has it’s faults like any other–most notably, it’s nowhere near the coast, haha. But I think anything is what you make of it, right? 🙂
We (in central ohio) has had a few hard frosts and freezes. I have a bubble thing in my birdbath (the bubble thing that goes in fish tanks) so the skeeters wont make it a home and so in the winter it wont freeze all the way… I hope…
That sounds like it should work just fine! We have one of the birdbaths that you plug in. I like it, but it’s too shallow and runs out of water quickly. The birds don’t mind, as long as I’m out there refilling it for them!
I adore this post! Lovely writing, capturing our gone in the blink of an eye Autumn (which goes quicker for you than it does for me on the coast, I believe it’s already done at our northern home) and Gorgeous photos!
Thank you Jo, that truly is a compliment coming from you who is such a lovely writer! 🙂
One of my favorite phrases of all time ” autumn is here” yes! Lara, have you read Rachel Peden? Her book ” rural free, a farmwife’s almanac of country living” is amazing and special, and your writing sometimes reminds me of her. I think you’d like it.
Best,
R
Rachel! I was just thinking about you! Oh, it’s so nice to hear your voice, well read your voice, but you know what I mean. 🙂 I have never heard of Rachel Peden but I just added her book to my Amazon cart. It sounds right up my alley. Thank you so much for the recommendation and I hope all is well with you!
Hi Laura! Off topic but I love love love the amethyst chunk ring that whizzes by on your scrolling images at the top of your jewelry site. It’s gorgeous! I assume it’s been sold? If you ever have an interest in barter I’m in. I Love the new styles.
And I’m so glad you are getting ( got?) the Rachel Peden book. Please make sure to write and tell me what you think. I absolutely treasure mine. When we lived at the farm it was so much in her world. I think you will love it. Thete is a similar sense of deep connection to the natural world and its treasures and marvels that I see in your writing.
Cheers.
Whoops, sorry, my autocorrect for ed me to write Laura instead of Lara, then got other words wrong.
Haha! I understand. 🙂
I’ve sold that amethyst druzy ring, but I think I may make up a few more similar pieces (I just love druzy so much). So if I do, I’ll shoot you a message to let you know. Hope all is well with you. Give my best to your family!