Chill in the Air

This photo from this morning shows two important things... first, notice the frost.  We've had frosts before (as noted) but this weekend was the first real deep freeze, where things on my deck (which is protected and therefore often escapes the ravages of a patchy frost) were good and truly frozen.  This morning's was quite lovely; as the sun rose, everything sparkled and glittered in the side-ways light.  It looked rather wintry, though.  (I will note... by lunch time, it was in the 50s, and I saw both grasshoppers and a yellow butterfly... so it didn't kill everything!)

The other thing to note in the above photo is that its of a recently burned area.  The fall controlled burn season started late last week (that was the first time I saw anyone burning, at least).  Despite the frost, walking through this area smelled like a fire. 

This pretty tree is a Callery pear.  Though they aren't native, they don't have any invasive qualities and I think they're really nice looking in landscaping... especially this time of year.  Some cultivars are deeper red, some are more like this one, with red-orange-yellow mixed together.  But they all seem to hold onto their leaves quite long, coming to peak color in November after most everything else is way past.  Every autumn I admire them.  (It is sad, though, that nothing seems to eat their blueberry-sized pears.  They're really cute but I guess not too tasty!)

Nineteen Days After

It's pretty much green now, with a smattering of yellow dandelions!

Sixteen Days After

There is definitely starting to be a green tinge to the prairie -- and everything else... You know, that spring feeling, when you look off into the distance, and everything just seems green?  We're definitely in that time now.  Of course, I've determined that the spot where I've chosen to stand and photograph the prairie is right in front of the blackest spot left... ah, well...

And for good measure, here's a bur oak branch.  I noticed yesterday that even they have a green halo effect as the flowers emerge and leaves start their budburst.  I think of oaks as some of the last simple-leaf leaf-outs, so that's an important observation!  (Still waiting on some of the complex-leaved trees to do anything... my ash -- which we've been treating for years, so it's actually still alive and not succumbed to the borer -- has no leaves yet, nor the locusts outside the window.)

Fourteen Days After

Twelve Days After

Eight Days After

Blue skies!

Seven Days After

Those white things are, indeed, snow flurries.

Five Days After

Hints of green...

Three Days After

Not a lot different.

Two Days After

One Day After

Prairie Burn

Today we burnt the prairie across the street from the school... Thought I'd try to take a picture each day as it fills in...

Goooood Morning, Prairie Crossing!

Love the smell of prairie burn in the morning. (Yes, I know that's a different movie.)

Also... Ice is off of this part of the lake, but most remains covered. I fear I'll miss ice off (spring break).