gathering sticks for winter

Making a call to Darrell to order five cords of firewood is one of my annual seasonal traditions. I happen to love calling Darrel; he is one of those guys who is so of his place, he simply could not be from anywhere else. Darrell is Minnesotan. And I look forward to our annual chat. I also look forward to fire season. I am sure I have mentioned that the Hoffman household northern-year is divided into six months of deck season, and six months of fire season. Steve prefers deck season. I prefer fire season. Luckily, there is almost always six months of each. This photos reminds me it’s time to call Darrell soon.

color blocking

Step outside. grab a handful of duff. Crush it a little bit in your hand. Place it on white paper and push it into a nice, neat shape. Repeat three more time. Stand back and take it. This is where you live. Your place.

coincidence

I think it is coincidence that the rocks of Lake Superior beaches match the earth-toned palette of northern autumn botanicals. But they do.

farm fields in autumn

Rows of corn. Patchworks of vines. Tilled fields in spring. I love the aesthetics farming.

snow-birds

Snow-birds is the term we use for native northerners who over-winter in warmers climates. For Minnesotans, it usually means Gulf-coast Florida or Arizona. I prefer California, myself. But for Midwesterners, used to midwestern home prices, California is expensive.  The birds are all migrating south now. Including the snow-birds.