I was supposed to be staining the deck today but Mother Nature had other plans for me which was okay. It turned into a day of rest which means a couple naps in the tent. I thought a tree would come crashing down on top of it but that thought lasted only until my eyelids closed.

The wind gusted and broke branches. Twigs and leaves littered the deck that I had cleaned last week. Oh well, tomorrow is another day and I'll have to spend an hour or so picking all the leaves out of the cracks between the boards before I can bring the can of stain out.

Last week was HOT! The temperatures were unusual for the month of September in Alberta. It made for some nice days to enjoy the outdoors.

I spent a lot of time in the yard admiring the autumn blossoms. The bees are still busy gathering pollen. They are really enjoying the sunflower heads. Their pollen laden legs get heavy which makes for some slower flying.

I ordered more Alberta wildflowers for the yard. They arrived as healthy plugs. I planted them and there is lots of new growth showing. I was so excited about this that I ordered more! They should be arriving this week so I'll have to prepare some places to plant them.

I found time for a quick hike at the Beaver Hills Biodiversity trail. Some new way-finding markers and interpretive signs have been installed. 

The number of birds on the ponds has diminished. They've begun their trek south. As I sat on my 'thinking' bench, flocks of cranes flew overhead. What a glorious sound.

The leaves are turning color along the trail and the berries are ripening. I could smell autumn in the woods and for me that is a great smell because the fall/winter season is my favorite time of year.