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.

The clouds stayed away until the eclipse was over last night.  When they moved in, the rain began falling.  There was enough to fill all the dips in the trail so rubber boots were the footwear of choice this morning.

I love heading out early.  The morning light is soft, warm and great for photography.  The trail sparkled.  The morning sun reflected off the raindrops creating a shimmering path.  Mother Nature's crown jewels lead me into the forest.

There was a gentle breeze.  I could hear it rustling the leaves.  Most of the tall trees are still holding onto their leaves.  Many of the small to mid size trees have lost theirs.  The trails were covered with a carpet of leaves.  It seems the yellow leaves were the first to let go.  

Most of the rose leaves were a brilliant red.  The chokecherry leaves were a deep burgundy.  My favorite was a group of aspens.  They were yellow on the bottom half and orange to red at the top. 

The landscape was ablaze with color.  The shore on the opposite side of the lake looked like a painting.  I wondered if the ducks and geese on the lake enjoyed the scene as much as I did.

What should have taken me 40 minutes to hike the trail, took me 2 hours.  It definitely was not a fitness hike.  It was a mental health hike.  

I took in the colors and sounds of the forest.  I admired the raindrops on the carpet of leaves.  I watched the sun reflect off the drops that were clinging to the leaves.  As I walked,  I thought about how in a couple of weeks the leaves will be gone and bare branches will remain. I hope I'll have the opportunity to visit the trails again before this happens.

 
 

I got my wish; to stay awake long enough to watch the lunar eclipse of a blood moon.  The sky was cloudless this evening and star-filled.  I got my camera gear ready when I caught the first glimpse of the moon rising behind the trees in the backyard.

The first photos had to be taken from inside until the moon got higher in the sky.  As it rose, I moved onto the deck.  The last time I was out

there for any length of time was when the northern lights were so bright that they woke me up by lighting up my room.

Tonight was chilly but I didn't care.  The moon was putting on a show this evening.  In between taking photos, I leaned against the deck rail and looked up; way up.  Millions of stars twinkled in the night sky.  As I marveled at the beauty over my head and wondered how many others were doing the same thing tonight, I saw a falling star.  It was the perfect ending to an amazing autumn night.

 

 

I thought the autumn colors could not get more beautiful but they have.  I've been cooped up inside for the past three days; leaving home in the dark and returning at dusk.  Today I drove home while the sun was still up and the colors were brilliant.

 

The range roads are lined with trees that are showing off their fall coats.  It is a great time to head to the country for a leisurely drive or maybe a visit to a local park to admire the colorful landscape.  I'm hoping the leaves hold on for a few more days so I can enjoy another walk on the leaf strewn trails.

December 2010

I know my outing will not happen tomorrow.  I'll be hoping for a clear night so I can hunker down on the back deck with the hope of catching the lunar eclipse of a blood moon.  

My scenic drive home.

 

Autumn is officially here.  The garden beds have been cleaned out.  The floral containers are empty.  The ornamental grasses have been trimmed.  The yard is looking pretty bare.  I must look beyond the backyard fence for a blast of fall color.  The poplars are providing a 'buffet' of oranges and yellows. 

The trees that line the roadway are creating a very enjoyable canvas in Mother Nature's art gallery; the colors reflecting in the ponds.  The rays of the morning sun add to the warmth of the scene.

The sunrises of late have been brilliant.  The wispy clouds reflect the pinks and reds of the morning sun.  

This is the perfect time of year to enjoy a walk on the wild side or a drive through the countryside.  It won't be long before the colors of fall disappear and a blanket of white covers the landscape.



 

Elk Island National Park is in full autumn splendor.  While driving down the parkway I was treated to the many colors of fall.  Mother Nature's earthy tones are appearing where the greens of summer had been.

The wind was gusting yesterday.  It tugged the leaves from the branches, creating a shower of color. They danced across the road in front of me.

I had time for a short hike so chose my favorite trail; Amisk Wuche.  The underbrush is bare so I could see into the forest again.  The trail was covered in a carpet of leaves.  It rained the night before.  The dampness enhanced the autumn smells.

Berry-laden branches hang over the trail.  The wild cranberries are gone but the chokecherries and rose hips will provide food a while longer.  The coyotes have enjoyed the crop.  I had to watch where I was stepping.  They deposited their berry-filled scat in the middle of the trail.

The ducks and geese are beginning to gather in large numbers.  The cranes have started their migration to warmer climates.  The remaining waterfowl will follow soon.

I love autumn.  There are no bugs.  The air temperature is perfect for hiking.  The forest is colorful and sounds are soothing.  You can't help but enjoy the tranquility as Mother Nature prepares for winter.

 

My forest friends must know that I'm very busy at work.  I haven't had time to get to the trails for the past few days.  It appears that my furry friends are coming to me instead.

My favorite birds have returned to the backyard.  The blue jays and pileated woodpeckers are stopping in for daily visits.  The chickadees are frequently feeding at the tray feeder.  One small bag of sunflower seeds lasted the entire summer.  I'll have to stop at the farm feed store for a 50lb sack of seeds so I can keep the feeder full.

The best sighting happened at the end of the Strathcona Wilderness Centre driveway.  I was driving home after a long day.  In the distance I saw something large in the ditch.  As I got closer I noticed it was my moose buddy.  I usually meet him on the trail.  This time he was out in the open and on the opposite side of the road.  Not good.  It's hunting season.

I slowed to snap a few photos.  He looked up with ears back until he noticed me.  He must have remembered our close encounters on the trail.  The ears relaxed and he bent down to drink water from a puddle.  A car came from the opposite direction and scared my friend into the bush.  I hoped that he was able to return to the safe forest of the SWC before a hunter sighted him.

It rained again this week.  There was another inch of water in the gauge.  It also froze.  The killing frost coated the truck windows and finished off my outdoor floral containers.  They are ready to be emptied and stored for another season.  I managed to get one final picking of strawberries from the garden.  The bean teepee that provided food for the hummingbirds through the summer is now in the compost pile. 

The leaves have been turning color and dropping.  They will be changing more rapidly now with the cool autumn nights.  It's a wonderful time to get to the trails to watch Mother Nature shut things down for the winter. 

I'm looking forward to an extra day off next week.  There's more work to get done in the yard and I need to have my annual leaf bonfire.  I can smell it already.  I wish I could bottle that aroma and save it for the dead of winter.




 

The Waskahegan Staging area parking lot was empty when I arrived.  I could tell it was going to be a good morning for a hike.

The sun was shining and the birds were singing.  It rained overnight so the trail was covered in sticky mud.  Water droplets hung precariously off the leaves and berries.  The sunlight shining on them created little jewels along the route.

The colorful leaves are beginning to let go of their branches; creating a carpet underfoot.  The red cranberries and rose hips were left hanging on bare branches.   

When I got to the first shelter, I stopped to take in the view of the lake.  The trees on the other side wore coats of colorful reds and yellows.  Ducks and geese swam on the smooth surface.  I could hear a flock of cranes overhead but could not see them.  The scene from the shelter was as peaceful as it could get.

I made it two thirds of the way around and came across a male ruffed grouse on the trail.  He strutted across the trail and flew into the shrubbery.  Woodpeckers and blue jays called from the tree tops.  

I was almost back to the parking lot when I came across a group of hikers.  It appeared to be a club as one individual was providing some information about the area to rest of the group.  Everyone commented on the beautiful morning.

My timing was impeccable.  Behind the hikers came cyclists and dog walkers.  It paid to get to the trails early as most of my walk was in solitude; enjoying the colors of fall and the sounds of the forest.

There is a quiet, secluded 'outdoor room' at the Strathcona Wilderness Centre.  A dirt path leads into the forest off the main hiking trail.  A boardwalk appears and leads visitors into a small open area beneath towering spruce trees.

Birch trees, black spruce trees and labrador tea fill the space on either side of the walkway.  As you get closer to the 'room' the ground is covered in a soft green moss carpet that surrounds squirrel middens.

There are benches placed in the 'room' for visitors to sit and enjoy the forest sounds.  The squirrels chatter and run from hole to hole with pinecones.  Birds call from the treetops.  The wind whistles through the tree branches that form a canopy over the area.  

The spruce bog is a forest study area and my quiet spot where only the sounds of nature are heard.

The Strathcona Wilderness Centre was my destination of choice this evening.  It was a quiet night with nobody else on the trails so I set out with the hope of seeing some of my favorite forest creatures.

I noticed moose tracks in the soft clay.  I was two thirds of the way around when I looked into a small clearing and saw a young bull moose nibbling on the willows.  I've seen this guy before and he must have recognized me.  He watched me for a few moments and then continued feeding; knowing that he would come to no harm.

The pond at the end of the driveway was quiet when I arrived for my walk but a lone beaver was swimming in it when I got back.  It was not happy with me standing there and tried to scare me off with a couple of tail slaps on the water surface.  It dove and swam in front of me for almost twenty minutes.

On the way home, just as I pulled up to my driveway, I noticed a tiger salamander crossing the main road in front of my house.  It was moving slowly and vehicles were coming so I got out of my mine to try to get it off the road.  It didn't want to cooperate.  I saw the tail curl and lift.  Luckily the car that was coming saw the little guy and made sure to drive around it. 

Tonight the air was calm and cool.  The birds called from the tree tops.  The setting sun shone through the openings in the tree canopy.  The fall colors are prevalent.  My forest friends were out to say hello.  It was the perfect evening for a walk on the wild side.

I tend to stay away from Elk Island National Park through the summer and especially on long weekend but I found some time to spare after hiking at the Strathcona Wilderness Centre.  I drove to Elk Island just to see how busy it was and was blessed to see an abundance of waterfowl and a lone bison.

The ponds were filled with birds.  Duck bums were visible as the ducks dipped under the water surface for the plants below.  Canada geese swam between them.  The Blue-winged teals were lined up on a log for a grooming session.  I watched as they twisted their necks to groom under their wings.  My neck hurt just watching them.

The traffic along the parkway was heavy and it was difficult to pull to the side to watch the pond action.  It turned out that the water fowl was not the only traffic stopper that day.  A lone bison grazed on the tender grasses in the ditch.  I didn't know what was more entertaining; the bison or the drivers that stopped the flow of traffic by parking their vehicle right in the middle of the driving lane.
 
The male bison made his way south until he came to some young trees growing in the ditch.  He had an itch that needed tending.  As he moved through two trees he used them as scratching posts; one on each side.  The rough bark must have felt good on his hide.  When his sides were done, he moved out of the trees and proceeded to back up against the tree to itch his hind end.  The next time I lean against a tree, I will always wonder what leaned against the tree before me.

The last pond that I visited had some interesting visitors.  I've seen cormorants roosting in a snag close to where I work but I've never seen them at the park.  I first noticed them circling above the pond.  When they came down, they dived under the water and resurfaced.  What a treat it was to watch as they played together.

This will probably be the final busy weekend at the park.  The campers will soon be winterizing their RVs for the winter leaving only the day-trippers visiting the park.  This will make for more peaceful autumn hikes with not as many people on the trails.

I made it to the trails and back yesterday before the rain began falling.  The pond at the end of the drive way is usually filled with waterfowl but there was none to be found.  

The green poplars are changing to a brilliant yellow.  The wild rose bushes add a pop of color to the underbrush with their reds, oranges and yellows.  Their branches are filled with ripe rose hips that the birds have not yet picked.  The dogwood is laden with bunches of white berries.

Some of the trails have been mowed; ready for the first snow and the beginning of the x-country ski season.  A carpet of fallen leaves covers the freshly mowed grass.

I could smell autumn.  There are specific odors associated with the season.  The smell of the wet leaves and the ripe cranberries signals the beginning of fall and the time when Mother Nature slows down and readies for a winter nap.

Wildflowers are still in bloom.  Purple asters seem out of place amidst the earthy colors that are appearing along the trails.

I heard woodpeckers in the tree tops.  A raven called from the forest and a flock of Canada geese honked overhead.  The black capped chickadees sang their 'cheeseburger' song as they flitted from branch to branch collecting seeds.  

Rain began falling in the evening.  It was and is much needed.  There has been close to 2 inches that has fallen and it is still raining.  

It will soon be time to put my yard to rest for the winter.  I harvested my lone pumpkin from the garden bed and picked a handful of berries from the strawberry patch.  The scarlet runner beans are still blooming but the hummingbirds that feasted on the red flowers have left for warmer climates.

I love the laid back lazy days of fall and the sounds and colors that signal that autumn is here.