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Quote of the Day: Bernd Heinrich

October 14th, 2012

The leaves of the red maple drop at the height of their color, and all the while that the forest is ablaze in color from the underbrush up through the tips of the crowns, the ground also is aflame as the magic settles onto the wilting ferns and last year’s decrying brown leaves. I want to pick up every leaf, for each one seems brilliant and unique. I want to know that the colors are even more precious because they are ephemeral–in a few days they all face to a uniform brown.

Bernd Heinrich (A Year In The Maine Woods)

Fall can be a flash in the pan kind of season. Some years it’s longer than others. When the weather cooperates, you get a few weeks of beautiful color and glorious weather. When it doesn’t, just about the time the leaves peak, the wind and rain arrive, washing most of the fall color to the ground, where it quickly turns brown.

This past week we had a windy rainy day that did just that. The nice thing about those windy rainy days, is that it clears the air, making things so crisp and clean. It seems this can only happen in the fall for some reason.

On Saturday morning we woke up to our first frost and freeze. It was 30 when I awoke, there was a skim of ice in my watering can when I went to the chicken coop. Winter is slowly creeping up on us!

How is fall progressing in your garden? Frost, freezes, changing leaves?

7 Comments to “Quote of the Day: Bernd Heinrich”
  1. Grannie M on October 14, 2012 at 10:12 am

    We’ve had several hard frosts in southern Iowa (Zone 5) that have nipped all but the cold weather crops in the garden. The calendula, mums, and snapdragons still provide some bright spots of colors. Many trees have lost their leaves, but most of the oaks are just reaching full color. We are getting rain! We need 16 inches to catch up.

    Reply to Grannie M's comment

    • Susy on October 14, 2012 at 10:25 am

      Wow, that’s a lot of rain. I bet the story is similar back in Ohio, we were very short on rain this summer. Here in Maine we’ve been having a good amount of rain, at least for my Ohio self. Not sure if it’s normal, light, or heavy for Maine standards yet.

      Reply to Susy's comment

  2. Debbie on October 14, 2012 at 10:54 am

    Our first frost was Saturday too. The yard looks SO different now. I’m not adjusting well to the cold…but I do love winter so we’ll embrace her when she finally arrives. :)

    Reply to Debbie's comment

  3. Sierra N Hampl on October 14, 2012 at 4:25 pm

    I love the opening quote. Each year I am in awe of the amazing colors of fall.

    Reply to Sierra N Hampl's comment

  4. Maybelline on October 14, 2012 at 4:36 pm

    Shorter, cooler (85°) days.
    It sprinkled last week!

    Reply to Maybelline's comment

  5. jennifer fisk on October 14, 2012 at 7:41 pm

    I left Saturday AM but hope the Kale is sweetened by the frost..

    Reply to jennifer fisk's comment

    • Susy on October 15, 2012 at 8:41 am

      I’m hoping this is the case too. I think sausage kale soup will be on the menu this week!

      Reply to Susy's comment

About

This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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