Owls, water reflections, and Autumn’s slide toward winter: November...

The colors have mostly gone from the trees, and a day like today with gray skies can be somewhat grim. And yet — looked at another way — it has an incredible raw beauty.

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My husband and I walked out along the regional trail, which is our go-to path when we want a good three-mile walk. It never never gets old!

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The destination is the lake, which is ever changing, depending upon the season, the time of day, and the weather. Now all the boats have been pulled from the water to be winterized, and the lake will soon begin to freeze. But we did see one person in a kayak, apparently fishing.

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In spite of the colorless landscape, I have always found this time of year breathtakingly beautiful. It is alternately gray and sepia toned, and there is a certain harmony and peacefulness in the muted colors.

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And this is why the holiday lights begin to come out. We want to extend the day, and bring light to the night. If you look closely at the following picture, you will see the amazing holiday lights this homeowner has put up to delight passersby.

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We also saw this fellow sitting in a tree near the lake dock.

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Just kidding. It’s not a real owl. Many people who live on the lake have fake owls on their docks to keep the seagulls and geese away, as they make a terrible mess! Someone must have stolen one from a dock and placed it in the notch of the tree.

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Thanks so much for visiting my post!

Photo credits: All of the photos in this post were taken by me and belong to me, unless otherwise noted.

My bio: I am a fiction writer and photographer based in Minnesota. I have had a lifelong love of fiction writing. I earned my MFA in writing from the University of New Hampshire. My short stories have appeared in a range of literary journals and anthologies, and my first short story collection, Somewhere in Minnesota is available on Amazon US as well as international Amazon sites., Barnes & Noble or from the publisher.