Wisconsin Indian Summer

Abeyance-Lull From Fall's Cold, Wet, Days

     Indian summer has arrived after weeks of cold 15's-30's degree days of early snow.  Waking up to dark mornings of gray skies.  Indian summer warms me with 46 degrees of blessed warmth, blue blue skies and the need to sit on a bench soaking up my last days before the blast of true winter is on us.  

Crabapples are the only bright color left in my gardens.  The Robins have been enjoying the smaller ones but these crabapples need more freezing to soften their outer skins.  Some will hold through the winter letting the deer pull them from their bottom branches.  In spring the left overs will be devoured by the Waxwings coming through on their migration North.  Meanwhile I will enjoy their eye candy throughout the winter as I go down the wintry path heading towards daily chores in the horse barn.  I am drawn toward the trees this time of year.  The frame is no longer hidden,  delightful shapes and sizes wait for me to gaze upon their beauty like I use to relish the flowers that no longer grow beneath them.  

Time to notice the hidden architecture of natures trees. This is our oak planted
by the gray squirrels a few years prior.

    Standing beneath our immense Red Oak in the below picture,  that has lived more than 200 years on our land.  I gaze up, up into the endless form of majesty. An Indian marker from ages past. Although turbulent storms, age, and extreme weight of its limbs, have modified it's appearance, I know it has led many an Indian to water, which is why they marked this tree when it was a sapling.

Giant Red Oak in our woods at the present will hold onto  leaves until spring.  

This same Giant Red Oak  in above picture taken years ago, carries the branches that use to
hold grandchildren, even adults who would climb it.  Now it looks like the picture above it.

Creek ambling through our woods reflects light late in the afternoon.  The day is almost over.  Weatherman predicts cold and lots of rain the next few days.  Our Indian Summer is almost over.  I spent as much time as I could outside this day.  Letting the 50 degree crisp air gently play with my open coat, as I sat on one of the many benches we have placed here and there in just the right spot, to do what I was doing, muse, meditate, reflect, marvel at.

Heading back to the house my camera is drawn to the lovely Milkweed seeds ready to catch the next whiff of air to ride to their destination.  Landing, take root, feed butterflys, next season  summer.
I delibertly leave them grow around here for that reason.  Most people rip them all out as a bad weed.  My design is natural, leaving nature place what may, here and there, everywhere.  Oh yes I do control if they are weeds.  Only leaving enough to do their work.

Chickens are enjoying the respite, break, hiatus, from the cold we had last week.  

Egglaying has come to a halt, they feel the time for resting, pauseing, abeyance,

has come for them too.  Sitting in the sun, sheltered under the weeping pine, is

the natural thing to do on this lovely Indian Summer day. 

Miraculous our new Mini Paint horse.  She is getting
her winter coat making her look furry and plumper.
She is the sweetest little mini.  Makes me smile
just looking at her each day.

Hay is put out each morning now. The pastures two hard freezes, eliminated any nurshiment.  The horses also get more hay at night.  They eat off and on all night.  In the winter they keep warm while grazing in their stalls, which are closed up nice and tight to keep out the cold night winds and tempetures.

Ginger feeds on hay now during the day.  Her coat is
also getting thick and heavy.

Wisconsin's fall is putting the earth to sleep.  Trees are empty, colors are back
stepping into another season.  With the breeze, slight tunes from the chimes my
kids bought us are soft and easy.  All in place this season, moving into another.
Resting, Resting, a pause, Incongruity....evolving to another thing.

"Never be dismayed by apparent incongruity.  Never
be alarmed by a sudden dash of color seemingly out of 
context.  Say only to thy questioning heart, 'It is the Infinate
wielding His brush;  surely  He doeth all things well'  "
wrote by Frances J. Roberts book Total Love

Blessings and Peace to you all,

Kate