There’s a weather window somewhere between the first killing frost, and when winter makes its appearance. It’s highlighted by sunny skies and warm temperatures. If you’re wise you take advantage of the good weather and hustle about putting the flower garden to sleep, and cleaning the eaves troughs of fallen leaves. We call it “Indian Summer”. Why we call it Indian Summer I have no idea. Perhaps, it was a signal for the First Nations people to put stores away and to prepare for the coming of the long winter, a tradition that the early European settlers adopted, and continues to this day.
INDIAN SUMMER
Morning awakens with a gentle breeze,
Frost lays heavy on fallen leaves.
First light filters through naked trees,
And back lights milkweed gone to seed.
Sunrise and the frost takes flight,
Soon forgotten in the warmth of light.
A moth flutters on a gentle breeze,
One last flight before winter’s freeze.
The afternoon is warm and lazy,
Clouds appear,
The sky grows hazy.
Evening descends with winds that scare,
Winter’s breath is on the air.
A few days ago we had a killing frost with the overnight temperature dipping down to -7C followed by a dusting of snow. The snow didn't last, melting away with the sunrise and rising temperature, but the damage had been done, my flower garden was in ruin and the large Maple tree in the nearby park hurriedly changed colour and joined the Ash trees in dropping its leaves. Preparation for winter has begun in earnest.....
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First Frost - Goldenrod and Queen Anne's Lace Watercolour Painting |
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Autumn-Canisbay Lake Algonquin Provincial Park Watercolour Painting |
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Red Maple Watercolour Painting |
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Autumn Killarney Provincial Park Watercolour Field Sketch |
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