The trees are bare in the forest behind my yard so I can once again see the beautiful autumn sunrises. The colors have been brilliant; red, orange, yellow, purple. I marvel at how quickly the scene can change.
Last week was spent enjoying lots of outdoor time with my granddaughters. We explored the spruce bog at the Strathcona Wilderness Centre. The squirrels were entertaining. The girls brought their magnifying glasses to examine tree bark, spruce cones and spongy green moss. We brought some paper and crayons along to do leaf rubs. On the way back to where we parked they looked for large leaves, had a leaf fight, balanced on rocks and found hiking 'sticks' so they could pretend that they were hiking trails in the mountains.
We visited Elk Island National Park on another day and were lucky to see the bison crossing the road in front of us. The girls were smitten with the one bison calf that was still reddish in color. "He looks so soft and cuddly."
It was windy the day that we were there. The wind created foamy waves on Astotin Lake. We watched the waves roll onto the shore. The trail to the boardwalk was not too far away so we headed there. The girls read all the interpretive signs and watched for feeding ducks.
Over the course of five days we visited playgrounds daily, found trails to explore almost every day, had a picnic at the Blackfoot Recreation area, visited Elk Island National Park, traveled to the farm and had a
scavenger hunt in the backyard. The girls watched the birds at the feeder and listened to the flocks of geese overhead. When we were exploring, time flew by. It was easy to lose track of time and find out that we were outside for 4-5 hours at a time.
We had a bonfire on a clear evening. That night we cuddled under a blanket and watched the colors of the sunset and saw the starry night sky begin to shine. We found the big dipper and the north star.
The weather cooperated and we got to spend many glorious hours enjoying the last warm days of autumn. Soon the snow will be falling and we will be waiting for enough of it to cover the trails so we can pull out the x-country skis and the kicksled.
We are having a great run of fall weather. The daytime temperatures have been above normal. The sky has been cloudless. It has been perfect to spend time outdoors.
I've been waiting for the ideal day to have my annual leaf bonfire. It was supposed to be yesterday but the wind was too gusty. By the evening it had died down enough so that I could have a 'regular' bonfire.
The lawn furniture is still uncovered so I pulled up my favorite chair, grabbed a cup of tea and hunkered down by the fire pit. I positioned my chair so I could see the last rays of the sun reflect on the lake. It was a beautiful night. As the last bit of light disappeared, the stars began appearing.
I closed my eyes and listened to the night sounds; the coyotes howling in the trees behind my yard, the crackle of the pine sap in my logs and the waterfowl calls on the lake. I heard wings cutting through the air and opened my eyes in time to see five ducks fly overhead.
There were no barking dogs. The children that played in the ditch in front of my house all afternoon were inside for the night. There was no traffic noise. It felt like I was the only person around for miles.
I had hoped that the aurora would be out but settled for the millions of twinkling stars. The darker it got, the more stars came out. Once in awhile the logs would spark and embers would fly straight up and disappear into the night.
There is something about the smell of a bonfire that soothes the soul and something about being under a star-filled sky that makes me realize how truly blessed I am to live where I do.
The last couple of days could very well be the end of the brilliant fall color display. It lasted a long while considering that the leaves began changing in mid August and it is now early October.
I couldn't resist taking the scenic back roads home over the weekend just so I could take in the final colorful show. The ponds were still filled with waterfowl; swimming over the calm water, through the magnificent reflections on the surface.
I have enjoyed so many autumn scenes but yesterday I experienced my favorite. I pass by the Strathcona Wilderness Centre each time I go to work. When I drove by yesterday, the morning light was perfect.
There is a trail close to the road. It is lined with tall aspens. Enough leaves have fallen to carpet the trail. Where the leaves once clung to the branches, spaces opened in the thick canopy to let the sun's rays shine through. The warm morning rays lit the bright yellow aspens with a glow like I've never seen before. The tall trunks created shadows across the trail, enhancing the bright light coming through the upper branches. The sunlight combined with the bright yellow leaves created a scene that glowed with warmth, welcoming hikers to a magical autumn wonderland.
Mother Nature's art exhibition is drawing to a close. The wind has tugged the leaves from the branches. There has been a killing frost the last two nights. Beautiful ice crystals covered the leaves. I stepped onto the deck in the early morning and had another first time experience. The morning was quiet and still. I could hear the ice crystals crackling on the leaves in the poplar tree. By the time I got home yesterday, the leaves had fallen to the ground.
The weekend forecast looks great. I just might get my leaf bonfire. It's an annual ritual. I light the firepit and stoke it with wood and leaves as I cover the lawn furniture with tarps and do the final chores to put the yard to bed for the winter. This time of year ranks up there with my love of winter. I'm savoring every color, every fallen leaf, every clear aurora filled sky and all that nature is offering.
I've never seen an autumn like this one. The colors are brilliant and the leaves have been holding on for a few weeks now.
It is still dark in the morning when I leave home but I allow extra time to drive home so I can enjoy the landscape.
The color pallet that Mother Nature has chosen includes reds, oranges, yellows, greens and browns. It lines the township road on either side for the entire 25 kilometers.
As I get closer to home,I see the ducks and geese enjoying a peaceful swim on the small ponds. I hear them call to each other as they swim; creating Vs on the water surface. The picturesque autumn scene has my attention the entire drive home.