Life took me to a place with no internet. Yes, it is true, no internet.

Since October 8, the date of my last post, my 93 year old dad took a couple of tumbles so I went to spend a few days with him on the farm. I think we figured out the root of the problem so I am home again and connected once more.

A photo in my previous post was witness of the heavy snowfall that fell a few weeks ago. It blanketed the crops that were still in the fields.

Since that post, the several inches of snow melted due to some amazing temperatures. The sun shone and the wind blew. The fields and crops dried out under temperatures that ranged in the +14C to +24C range. This allowed the farmers to bring in the harvest that they thought they had lost.

During my stay at the farm, Dad and I went on a road trip to a favorite park of his. We took the fishing gear along and he spent the morning trying to catch the elusive trout that were supposed to be in the pond. There wasn't even a nibble. It was a good thing that there were lots of ducks, geese and muskrats to keep us entertained.

On the way to and from the park, we enjoyed the scenery and noted who was or was not done harvesting. We came across a number of fields filled with farming action; something that I don't see on my travels close to home.

Most of the fields are empty now. The swaths are gone and the hay has been baled. There was a good run of sunny days so the farmers can sigh with relief.
Since coming home, I had a few days where I was able to get out on the trails to see what was happening. Most of the ducks and geese are gone from the ponds. I saw a few grouse strutting their stuff in the underbrush.

My last hike was at the Strathcona Wilderness Centre. I decided to try geocaching for the first time. What a green horn! I had no idea what I was doing or looking for when I started out but managed to find two caches. What fun! Now I have another activity besides my camera to draw me outside. Have you tried geocaching? If so, have you got any tips for someone just starting out?

Lots of geese.  No fish.

The fall harvest is happening.

The very first cache that I found on my first attempt at geocaching.

What a difference a day makes. Yesterday I hiked on a carpet of colored leaves, taking in the sights and sounds of autumn, following moose tracks on the trail. Today was another story.

A blanket of white covered the ground this morning. Six inches of snow fell last night. It was snowshoeing weather. I should have put them on but instead I trudged through that deep snow with snow boots alone and it was quite the workout.

It was really beautiful out there. The branches were laden with snow and the air was fresh. I had to make sure that I didn't brush against the trees that were bent over the trail. One slight movement caused the snow to come tumbling down from overhead.

Over the past week, I saw a couple of beavers splashing around in the pond, grouse on the trail and two black backed woodpeckers. A family of moose moved through the trees. Ducks and geese flew overhead. I don't think they were anticipating the blanket of white either.

I kept watching the weather forecast and it was supposed to be warm all week. I was looking forward to checking out all the autumn colors at the Riverside Nature Trail during my days off this week. I guess I'll be checking out the animal tracks in the snow instead of the colored leaves on the trees.

I love winter but I also love the fall colors. They were not around very long this year so I'm glad that I did get a few photos when I ventured out between shifts a week or so ago.

I gave up looking at the forecast. It changes hour by hour so it is what it is and I'll enjoy what ever happens to be the weather of the day.