Good thing we didn’t put away that lawn chair.
It’s a perfect Indian Summer afternoon here in the northwoods. The temperature is a sultry 73 degrees (23 C).
I’m drinking tea on the deck and feeling that delightful moment of grace when summer sings back into our lives for a few short autumnal moments. Even though the hummingbirds are long gone, dragonflies still whirl in the blue sky above.
A few robins linger on the grass, gathering energy to fly south, south, south.
Soon it will be time to pack away all the outdoor furniture
Still mostly a sea of green overhead
Chipmunks scurry down below.
I sip English Breakfast tea very slowly, gazing up, down, over and around.
A sea of green and brown ferns down below the deck
If you drive in to L’Anse–which I shall do in less than fifteen minutes–the trees alongside the road burst into fall colors. Reds, yellows and oranges proclaim the Autumnal Equinox.
Back here, in the woods, away from the main road, it takes longer for Mother Nature to paint the leaves.
Give it a week and we’ll be vibrating in a palette of different bright shades of trees whispering, “Time to turn your sap inward again. Time to honor the inward movement.”
Oh, but look, a splash of autumn’s red
I am headed to
a) pick up our produce from the Buying Club. I’m in charge of Ruth and Deb’s order this week, so shall be meeting them both at some time today.
b) get a haircut.
c) walk with Bertha (and maybe Patsy) over on Sand Point, on a four-mile trail the tribe recently created.
d) oh, don’t forget, banking and grocery shopping and dropping off beets & cucumbers for Lori at her house.
A bit of orange
Tea time is over. Time to put on some sneakers and fly out the door.
Yep, fall’s starting to burst into its glory
Wishing you some Indian Summer days as well. They are the BEST, aren’t they?
Last night at dusky, looking down the road toward the Huron Bay
Lake Superior Spirit 
you have captured a perfect moment here before the rush of the day though I like taking care of errands and seeing a few people along the way…………
LouAnn, it was a quiet moment before the rush started. And, like you, I enjoy the precious moments of errands and visiting with friends. Happy fall!
Happy Fall my friend!
Perfect! I love these nice Fall days!
It was an utterly impromptu idea to get out the camera and photograph the scenes from the deck, Cindy. Had no idea the Universe wanted another blog post!
Beautiful fall colors. Funny, I got my hair cut early this a.m. after filling up my car with gas; headed out in the a.m. for MS to visit with my sister and my son who is coming in today from CA late. I look forward to the next six days and perhaps getting out Family Farm signed over to him, if he is ready.
You’ll take care. I will be back, maybe with another story to tell.
(I love English Breakfast tea….think I am out right at the moment so it is green tea for me this p.m.)
Enjoy your visit, Linda! Looking forward to hearing whatever stories come your way. How fun that you enjoy English Breakfast, too.
There are some Autumn colors starting to show here in the Lower Peninsula. I am looking forward to nature showing its full bloom of colors in the coming weeks.
Nancy
Autumn’s arrived in the Lower, as well? I thought you might not be getting colors for another week or two. It’s sure beautiful when it comes, isn’t it?
Very pretty. I am so surprised at how much green you still have. It must have been dryer here to make our leaves different colors.
Lucinda, there are plenty of other places in the county where the leaves are brilliant. It just always takes longer just around our house. Being close to the bay keeps things green longer.
I do like the cool nights and warmer days. It’s precious in the sunshine on days like these when you know in your heart to treasure them because there won’t be many more before true cold is upon us. Tea in the morning sunshine is the best! Enjoy as much of Indian summer as you can!
Lisa, I know you appreciate these days, as well. Very precious indeed. So enjoyed getting out on the deck today. It’s been awhile since we’ve enjoyed it.
Your right Indian Summer days are the best .. Lets hope we have a few more of them before the leaves decide to fall and then it will be time for the best of the winter days as well ..
Tim, I so agree! Please, please, may Indian Summer last a bit longer…
My drive to Marquette the other day was magnificent. I wish I was a passenger in a convertible and able to be taking pictures both ways. Your pictures are wonderful!
I’ll be the color IS beautiful between here and Marquette, John. It’s actually coming along on the Skanee Road, too. Glad you liked these impromptu pics.
Kathy — With your observation skills of things both big and small, I’m absolutely confident that your time in L’Anse turned into an Adventure (which I hope you caught on camera and will share with us another time).
Inquiring minds want to know…
…what the vivid red splash in in the background of the first photograph is. Everything else over the deck rail is green, Green, GREEN, yet there’s this persistent bright red spot.
Dear Inquiring Mind: Just a branch of vivid red leaves smack in the middle of all that green. I stare at that spot, sometimes, from the couch. It beckons, somehow… How clever of you to answer its beckoning. 🙂
This is the whole and real reason we have decks. For tea or wine and the treats of nature.
Ahhh, Carol, had a glass of wine on the deck tonight after getting *almost* blisters on my feet after that four mile walk. It’s still beautiful outside.
Ohh Kathy! Thank you so much for sharing this glimpse into your Indian Summer up there in the northwoods! The pictures are wonderful and your words are so descriptive that I can imagine being right there with you. ❤
Glad you could pause for tea on the deck with me, Brenda!
Delightful spending some tea time with you. I arrived here in new England a couple of days ago. And the weather is quite the same as yours. Now I can only hope that our furniture arrives soon as well. Happy week!
You’ve moved! WOW! Can’t wait to hear more!!
Your Indian Summer moments are simply beautiful Kathy, and I hope you have more of them before stowing the deck furniture away. Meanwhile, your descriptions and photos speak of savoring those precious moments for all of us in cyberspace to enjoy.
Dor, it’s another warm wonderful afternoon today. We’re supposed to have this Indian Summer through Sunday!! Heck, it may even be warmer than it was most of the summer. Glad you enjoyed yesterday’s tea and photos.
Ahh, a perfect 73-degree … a winter’s day for where I live. 73 is enough to put jeans back on in December. Sounds lovely. Thanks for sharing autumn. I miss it. Hope your day was pleasant, but I still haven’t seen those beets and cucumbers you said you were going to deliver. You did say you were taking it to Lori, no? 😉 Hee, hee.
Lori, I thought someone might disagree that 73 degrees is sultry! But it feels so darn warm compared to much chillier temps. I am sorry, dear Lori spelled with an “o” and “r”…the cukes and beets are already given away. Maybe next year? Or I’ll drop some from the airplane sometime when I fly over Florida, lol.
As I progressed through this write up, more & more peace dwelt into my heart.. how relaxing you seem to be. Nirvana!
I adore the deck! Such a luxury amid’st the nature.
In reality, Indian summers aren’t the BEST let me tell you.. woof! Well, do you mean you’l pack the deck furniture because it will soon snow? oh darling! darling snow! 🙂
I am so glad you enjoyed this, Sonali, and that you felt some of the peace and enjoyed those moments on the deck. Oh you poor thing with your Indian summers. I have heard it is hotter than hot there. I think these Indian summers somehow refer to the Native Americans, although I haven’t the slightest idea why. Yes, we have to pack away the deck furniture before it snows, so by next month it will be down in the basement, probably in Christopher’s room, shhhh, don’t tell him.
Kathy!! The indian summers do refer to Native Amaericans.
“he term Indian summer reached England in the 19th century, during the heyday of the British Raj in India. This led to the mistaken belief that the term referred to the Indian subcontinent. In fact, the Indians in question were the Native Americans, and the term began use there in the late 18th century.”
Now I’m sure these summers are much better than Indian “Indian” summers from India hahaha! Good to know! 🙂
Glad you checked that out, Sonali! I was pretty sure it was in relation to Native Americans, but now we know for sure! Hope you have a wonderful weekend.
23 C is known as a “scorcher” here in Glasgow! It was 14 / 57F here today, nice and warm! Happy Indian Summer.
Christine, I am smiling ear to ear. We’ve had lots of 14/57 degree days here so far this autumn. (I am counting autumn as starting the first of September, lol.) Yep, you can totally understand why I called our weather “sultry”. May you get some Indian summer days as well!
The weather forecasters here count autumn as starting Sept. 1st. 14 C *is* our warm Indian summer! But we have nothing like the swings of temperature that you do. Not much below freezing, and not often above 75. I’d love a couple of hours on your deck! Looks just perfect.
That would be really nice, Christine. We’ll have to do it before Sunday…otherwise you will have to bring a warm sweater. Maybe one that you knit. 🙂
Yes! They are the best! We had an Indian Summer day here as well. Wonderful photos, Kathy. The sky is such a great color of blue.
They are the best, Marianne. So lovely, indeed. Glad you enjoyed!
Fall is the best time of the year. Crisp,clean, vibrant colors, and a time for reflection before the north winds blow. Your photos are lovely. The ferns below your deck are something else. We just don’t have that luxury of lush native plants since our climate is not conducive.
It really is a great time of year, Yvonne. I love it. Glad you liked the pictures. Yes, the ferns really are beautiful. On my meditation walk two days ago I saw some that were just shimmering yellow–so gorgeous before they turn brown and die. But the brown ones are even pretty with their patterned fronds. Hope you are having a good weekend. We have to pull carrots and beets out of the garden. Slowly putting the garden to bed.
Real purty pictures and all. You’re mighty tall to take pictures so high. 🙂
The deck is mighty high up–not me. But glad you like the purty pics. 🙂
We’re having wonderful weather here too. Enjoy it…for soon change comes.
Dawn, isn’t it gorgeous? We’re really enjoying it. They say it’s getting mighty cold tomorrow, though, a high of 48! From 80 to 48…alas, alack…
I do sooo love fall Kathy. Last weekend I took my youngest for her very first horseback ride and it was so beautiful to sit on the deck of the stable while she was out. Walks and errands are perfect fall day activities.
Inger, it certainly is a wonderful time of year–especially on those warm delightful days when it often feels better than summer. How cool to take your daughter out for the horseback ride. bet she loved it!
Wasn’t the last part of September glorious!?!? Almost made up for the neverending winter …..
You are SO RIGHT about that, Kat! Late September here in the northwoods was exquisite. I hope you enjoyed every Indian Summer moment of it. (Assuming it’s over like it is here in the UP.)
Tony and I hopped up to the UP over the weekend. Stayed in Wetmore – didn’t make it but a few miles west of Au Train. What a delightful weekend! Made me feel a touch more sated with summer. The weather today though? Ugh – fall is really going to dig in, huh! Hope the cukes and beets were yummy. My fingers are stained from a beet and Brussels sprouts hash we had for dinner tonight 🙂
Oh how fun, Heather, that you were able to visit da UP. Beautiful area over there! I suppose we’ll be seeing pics on a blog soon? I know what you mean about being more sated with summer. It was such a precious last week. Your hash sounds surprisingly tasty, who cares about some stained fingers when beets are involved?
Just catching up on your posts and realizing how fast the leaves change. That was only a week ago, mostly green, and now we’re well past peak color. How fast it all goes!
It’s a lesson for us, perhaps, Maria–that’s how fast life seems to go by, too. It’s weird around here. Some of our trees are past peek and some of them are still totally green! I can’t get over it. Will probably change after this weekend’s cold and rain.
I love how you have commentators (as opposed to UNcommon “taters”) from all over the world. Have you ever considered mapping where everyone is from? Just quickly scanning I spotted Scotland and India and I gather you even have a follower in the wilds of Nova Scotia !
It is fascinating, Sybil. It makes the world seem a bit smaller and friendlier having friends in different necks of the woods. 🙂
Indian Summer days are wonderful. I had a very similar day to the one you are describing not too long ago, where I too sat and enjoyed on my deck. I think was drinking raspberry seltzer water rather than tea. Perhaps it was the same day. I didn’t blog about it, but I did put a little note on FB about it because I thought it needed a mention.
Karma, mmmm, raspberry seltzer. That sounds good, too. I had no intention of blogging about this wonderful afternoon on the deck–but the next thing that happened involved running for the camera. Then, of course, how can one not blog? lol. I can see why you thought such a beautiful day would deserve a mention.
Indian summer days are magical, Kathy, indeed. Down here, I would call it, Indian autumn – summer lasts forever, and every now and then, we get a peek of autumn for a few days. Then back to summer! xo
Ahhh, Indian Autumn. I love that! It sounds wonderful. I am wishing you many days of Indian Autumn. Heck, I’m wishing that for us, too…