I always feel a little bit of sadness this time of year as the leaves turn colors and then drop. It is a bittersweet time for me, a season that I love followed by a season that I don’t love. Yet without the seasons my beloved Minnesota would not be the same.

“This place where you are right now, God circled on a map for you. Our beloved has bowed there knowing you were coming.”
― Hafiz

In fall, I focus on staying present to the beauty all around.

As much as I can, I work on staying present and focus on the beauty that surrounds me each moment. I savor it and soak it in, to tide me over the long winter months that are just around the corner.

I have been spending as much time as I can soaking up the lovely fall colors and making photographs of several parts of Minnesota. This week we went up north to Ely, MN and the MN North Shore for a short trip and I reveled in the beauty of my favorite part of Minnesota.

Last week I went to Minnesota Landscape Arboretum and Lyndale Park in Minneapolis. And last weekend I took a trip with some other photographers to Lanesboro, MN, in the south-eastern corner of the state.

The colors are almost peak here in Minneapolis today but up north they were a little past peak (but still gorgeous). In the Lanesboro area there wasn’t a lot of fall color but we managed to find a few colorful trees. No matter how the colors were, I found all of my wanderings beautiful.

Fall Glory

I’m convinced that the shortness of the fall color season makes me pay more attention to it. I try soaking in every moment of this short burst of color before months of grays, browns, and white.

Here are some fall photos from my various outings for you to enjoy.