Today was outdoor day at Elk Island National Park.  It was calm and the blue sky was cloudless.  When I pulled into the park, the bison were grazing in the ditches.  There were very few vehicles in sight.  I had picked a good time of day to go.

I chose my favorite trail; Amisk Wuche.  It offers a variety of landscapes and never disappoints.  When I got to the parking lot, there were no other vehicles.  It was going to be a good hike.

The trail was covered in fallen leaves.  Most of the berries had been plucked from the underbrush; only a few rosehips remained.  As I made my way to the first pond I could hear the magpies and the squirrels.  When I got to the pond I had a big surprise.

The beavers had done some  `clear cutting`.  They are taking down trees; large and small.  There is a poplar standing precariously on the shore.  As I observed the handiwork, I thought that it had to have been a very large beaver or it was standing on the log beside the tree.  

A huge lodge sits beside the boardwalk.  Many small branches and twigs have been stockpiled beside it.  A fallen tree blocked the trail.  The branches had been stripped off the trunk.

The ponds along the trail were still.  The water surface looked like glass.  Most of the ducks have left.  I found only a couple of mallards.  The Canada Geese are in no hurry to leave.  I heard some fly low over my head and watched them as they came in for a splashdown.

The chickadee songs filled the forest.  They were busy gleaning seeds from the birch and spruce trees.  As I walked there was a shower of seed hulls falling from the branches.

Some of the shallow sloughs are ice covered.  Delicate bubbles formed beneath the surface, creating some beautiful art.  

I got to the bench that I usually stop at and watched a muskrat in the water.  It was enjoying the day as well.  It climbed onto a log and plopped into the water; reminding me of `chop chop timber`when the kids took swimming lessons.  When it landed in the water, it rolled over and over like a log and popped back up on the log again.  I have never seen one behave this way.

I love fall almost as much as I love winter.  It is lazy and laid back.  It is quiet and peaceful.  It is bug free. The temperature is perfect to spend time outside in a neighborhood park or local natural area.

 

 

 

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.

I'm glad I decided to enjoy the morning at Elk Island National Park on Friday.  It had been a few weeks since my last visit and I wanted to see the last of the autumn color.  Many of the leaves had fallen already but every now and again there was a patch of aspen trees that were still holding onto theirs.

As I drove toward Astotin Lake from the south gate, the morning sun reflected off the ponds along the parkway.  The ducks and geese were swimming peacefully on the surfaces.  

When I got to the parking lot, the only people around were park staff; readying the facilities for winter.  I drove to the lot closest to the Lakeview Loop trailhead.  As I gathered my supplies for the short hike, I could hear the waterfowl calling from Astotin Lake.  The morning was calm and warm.  It was a great day to be outside.

The trail was soft and leaf covered.  The underbrush had lost all its leaves so it was easy to see the grouse, squirrels and hares.  The chickadees were busy gathering seeds from the leafless birch.  I heard a flock of cranes overhead.

I stopped at the first bench on the trail.  It overlooks the lake to the southeast.  I wasn't the only one enjoying the morning sun.  A ladybug rested on a nearby leaf as the rays warmed it.

The Lakeview Trail is short and provides many different views.  There are a number of spots to sit and enjoy the forest sights, sounds and smells.

I'm glad that I took the time to head out on Friday.  The wind is howling and the rain is beating against the windows this morning.  The last of the colorful leaves in my backyard are now on the ground.  Mother Nature is almost ready for winter.

I hope the weather holds out for a few more weeks.  My granddaughters are coming to stay for a few days and we are planning on lots of outdoor time.

 



 

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.