I had the joy of fulfilling a request from my sister, Chrissy. She recently moved in to a new apartment and wants to fill her walls with art. Specifically art from the country, unlike her urban surroundings. After all, she is a country girl and that’s all she’ll ever be (cue Aaron Lewis!).
Thankfully I can send the boys to school and childcare 1 or 2 times a week and have the house to myself to get some work done. Today is one of those days and when I got back home this morning I ran a couple of miles. During the run I was thinking about Chrissy’s request and wondering when and where to capture the photos because the fall colors are quickly draining, leaving brown and bare behind.
And ‘click’ (no pun intended)! I thought of Little Falls, WI. It is about 7 miles away from my home. Quiet (in a sense). Beautiful. A place I have gone with my dad and the little boys when Evan was in Preschool. My dad loves to take the kids there and did with us when we were little. Also, as a little girl my Uncle Bill and Aunt Kathy lived there (and built a beautiful horse barn and pasture on the river a fraction of a mile east of where these photos were taken). This location brings up a lot of feelings and memories for me.
I descended the trail toward the Apple River and could hear the river building in strength. The smell of fall was very powerful. Sweet even. I could see a good deal ahead of me as the trees are beginning to strip themselves of their leaves and coat the ground with freshly laid carpeting.
Nature is very powerful and I felt intimidated. Alone. Vulnerable.
I approached the little falls with respect. Slow and cautious and trying not to let my imagination go too wild. Maybe just a little as to fully appreciate the experience.
I wanted to capture the speed of the flowing water and wind blowing through the leaves. I slowed them down too, feeling a bit of control.
I stopped on my way home to capture more signs of fall. There was a quite pond surrounded by fall colors. Then a cluster of beautiful orange trees. They look to be young. And finally the St. Croix County Forest 1.5 miles north of our home. It was a morning to remember.
Thank you Chrissy for the request that pushed me to take time and appreciate nature by myself.
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If anyone reading this sees a photo you would like as a print be sure to contact me! I’d be happy to help you out with the file or the print or wall art! Be sure to click on the photos in the slider, some are vertical and are slightly different than their neighboring photo.
