The month of October has been beautiful here in Minnesota. I heard that we had something like 28 days of sunshine. All things must come to an end however, and this week things finally turned. We had three days of rain and extreme winds. The record low pressure system blanketing the state was equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane. The winds blew fiercely, gusting up to 60 mph at times.
Our trampoline was swept away with the wind. It did not stop rolling until it smashed into the side of our pole shed.
It seems unlikely that it is salvageable. Our youngest wanted my assurance that we could get a new one in the spring if it was not. I made no promises.
The skies finally cleared and yesterday morning I woke up to find that we had gotten our first really hard frost of the season. I headed outdoors with my camera to take a look.
The lingering hydrangea blossoms got hit hard…
…and so did the foliage.
The frost adhered especially well to the soft leaves of the Lamb’s Ear plants.
The frost blanketed the grass…
…and the buildings.
The few leaves remaining on the Autumn Blaze maple in the front yard drifted to the ground.
The delightful roses still blooming in the garden seemed shocked.
I could see the rose’s slow death starting, with this blossom drooping its weary head.
And this perfect rose bud, with all its potential, will never have a chance to open…
“October is nature’s funeral month. Nature glories in death more than in life. The month of departure is more beautiful than the month of coming – October than May. Every green thing loves to die in bright colors.”
– Henry Ward Beecher
Just Two Farm Kids 