I went exploring. I was trying to think of what to do in between shifts when I was scheduled to work splits. There was 3.5 hours that needed to be filled. The first day I decided to go home. That worked fine until I added up how many kilometers I was putting on in a day.

The second day I decided to check out a new hiking trail. It officially opened recently and wasn't too far out of town; the Riverside Nature Trail. It's part of the Trans Canada Trail. What a gem! 

The hard packed gravel trail meandered through some magnificent autumn colors. I wasn't dressed for a hike but I had my camera with me so decided to take a short walk. 

There is a trail head close to the North Saskatchewan River. A couple of fishermen had their lines tossed into the water. The trail takes hikers through some tall aspens. It opens into little meadows. One had a pond that was covered with geese. This was only in the first kilometer.

When the forest opens, the trail is within sight of the river. Geese flew overhead and I could hear the water rushing by. 

This was just a teaser. I have another split shift this week but I'll be going prepared. The hiking boots are already packed and I'll be heading there immediately after the morning shift. What a great place to have lunch and see some new sights at the same time.

Stay tuned for the second installment.

I had to settle for a day. I can usually get in three to four camping trips to my favorite campground but with starting a new job, there were no trips this summer. I had one day off last week so I took advantage of that and decided on an impromptu road trip to Nordegg.

I left at 8am under a cloudy sky. On the way to Rocky Mountain House there were showers and fog. When I turned west on highway 11, the showers turned to a mist. This didn't stop the wildlife from roaming the ditches.

I noticed ravens and magpies along the roadside. That to me signaled some roadkill in the ditch. As I got closer, a white head appeared in the middle of all the birds. It was my lucky day! A bald eagle was feeding at the carcass. I crept up as close as I could in order to get a photograph but a semi trailer came from the opposite direction and scared up the birds. The eagle flew to a treetop with meat in its claws.

What a beauty! It ate what it brought from the carcass and was ready to fly down for more. I could tell it was ready to fly and had my camera set for a shot. It wasn't to be. Another semi came by and scared the huge bird away just as I pressed the shutter button.

I continued west and came across three separate groups of white tailed deer and some feral horses grazing in the ditch. 

I stopped at my favorite campground but the rain started up shortly after I arrived and I wasn't dressed for hiking in the rain. I stayed close to the day use area where a pair of my favorite birds were swimming close to shore. The loons loved the showers and put on a show for me before I left.

This little day trip didn't really satisfy the longing for time spent at the campsite beside the lake but it will have to do until next year.

Surprise! There is snow on the ground and it isn't even officially autumn yet.
The forecasted snow arrived and snow it did; non-stop for 4 days. It was a good thing that the ground is still warm. Most of that fluffy white stuff melted. We sure needed the moisture but the timing of it was really bad for the farmers that are trying to get their crops harvested.

The snow blanketed the uncovered lawn furniture and woodpiles. It stuck to the shrub branches and bent them over. It made a mess in my yard but it sure was a beautiful sight on the hiking trail.

Most of the waterfowl from the pond are gone but the local birds and animals didn't miss a beat as the flakes flew. A bull elk grazed along the shoreline of the pond. A black backed woodpecker flew from tree to tree in search of a tasty snack. Squirrels scampered up and down the towering spruce.

Back at home, the perennials are still blooming but were wearing a coat of white. The blue jays were busy hiding snacks in my flower pots. The rain barrels were overflowing with water coming off the roof as the snow melted. I couldn't do anything in the yard so it was a great time to light the woodstove and cozy up inside.

Today was the first day in the past week that I could get out and empty those full water barrels and put away the garden decor. There are a lot of tasks on the to-do list to ready the yard for winter. Here's hoping that this was just a little teaser and that winter doesn't decide to arrive early.

I had to give in. Over the weekend I managed to keep the house toasty by using the woodstove but today I did it. It's September 10 and I turned the furnace on. I opted for a nap after work instead of stoking the fire.

The forecast is for snow this week. I wasn't counting on that. I was hoping that the beautiful autumn colors would be around for a few weeks. My favorite hiking trail is pretty colorful these days but the leaves have started to drop. 

The garden beds are almost cleared out; only a few carrots remaining. Most of the perennial flowers are finished blooming so I've been collecting flower seed for next year. There's one hardy bunch of lavatera that the frost hasn't kissed yet. It's providing me with some beautiful blossoms for indoor arrangements.

My drive to work these days is in total darkness. I had to use a flashlight this morning to be able to see the path to the garage. I don't know where the summer went.

Here's hoping that Mother Nature is just giving us a little teaser this week and that there are still many more autumn outdoor days to enjoy.

Not a morning person? Don't worry. I've got you covered. Early morning is my favorite time of day.

I planned a hike and woke to find a thick layer of frost on my windshield but that didn't stop me. It did mean that I went back inside to find a hat, gloves, and fleece jacket liner. I was off once the layer of ice was melted off the glass.

It was 7:30am. The grasses in the ditch were coated with ice crystals and foggy mist hung over the lake and the ponds. On the way to the trail, I noticed two white tailed deer pop their heads up in the tall grass along the fence line. Five elk grazed in the same field but at the opposite side. The morning sun was just beginning to come up on the horizon.

I took the long way from the trailhead. I knew that I would be the only one out at that hour; only human that is. Mother Nature's creatures were already beginning their day.

The frosty coated grass crunched under my boots. Water dripped from leaves that the golden morning sun touched. The squirrels chattered and the blue jays called from the tree tops. Robins were busy gathering berries from the chokecherry branches.

Mama moose and her twins were in a willow thicket. The babes ran off but mama watched me pass by. She didn't move and the babes came back to her.

Waterfowl called from the misty water on the pond. The swans have left but there are many duck families with little ones too small to migrate. Flocks of cranes flew overhead. Their calls signal fall's arrival.

Early morning is the perfect time to watch and to hear the forest come to life. It is especially beautiful when frosty crystals cover the leaves and branches and the morning sun casts long shadows across the trail. The first rays of the sun are golden. The air is crisp and the forest sounds are not yet polluted with the highway noise from afar. 

Have I convinced you to be an early riser and head out the door before the rest of the world awakens?