killing frost

 We awoke this morning to a magical, sugar-dusted world. In the quiet you could hear the tinkling of frozen leaves falling in the woods.

 "Why is the world all white?" asks Sadie carefully plucking a tiny plant "look at this!"

 Even though the killing frost (and the termination dust in the mountains) are the very certain beginning of Alaska's long cold winter, I don't even feel  a hint of sadness this year.  What a very beautiful summer we enjoyed.  And even though its been a rainy fall, the puddle stomping and mushroom hunting has brought much joy to the three and under crowd.  And to me.

Yesterday, I remarked that I needed to harvest the rest of my kale, and Sadie nodded knowingly.  "I need to pick the rest of my nasturtiums" she said.  She has been filling up little ziplock bags full of them and stashing them in the freezer. I asked her what her plan was.  "Well, you know how we made jam so we could have berries to eat in the winter?  I'm saving some flowers so we can have boquets when it snows."  That is what my three-year-old says.  It almost made me cry, because she gets it... she really understands the concept of putting things up for the winter, and how wise to know that flowers are food for the soul.  We are so very, very fortunate that we have a life that allows us to teach our children these things, or maybe to have children to teach us to remember the important things in life. 

So as I was about to lift the begonia tubers out of my garden I took a few quick photos--so I could remember my flowers the way they looked on this very beautiful morning, frozen in time for a moment with the last of their summer splendor still intact.