The boreal chorus frogs are waking from their winter naps.  I heard a few last night.  In a couple of weeks, their calls will be deafening.

There was a slight breeze that swayed the tall aspens.  The tall, white trunks looked beautiful against the cloudless, blue sky. 

Geese flew from pond to pond; their honking echoing through the trees.  I was able to sneak up and observe the geese as they swam but the ducks were skittish and took off each time I tried to get closer.

When I finished the loop and returned to the beaver pond where the trail begins, I noticed one beaver adding mud to the dam.  I was just in time.  I prepared a front row seat for the early show.

I sat down along the edge of the pond.  The beaver noticed me and swam back and forth; eying me over.  There was no tail slapping; just gentle dives and surfacing.  Each time it surfaced, it looked in my direction.

I watched for forty five minutes.  During that time the beaver dived and dug up the soft mud to add to the dam.  It chewed off the old bulrush stalks and added them to the mud.  When it got hungry, it found some new green growth amidst the old stalks.  The night was calm and there was no traffic so I could hear the chewing.

I had my binoculars with me but didn't have to use them.  The beaver was only eight feet in front of me and the dam it was working on was only about twenty feet away.  I had the best seat in the 'house' and was not disappointed by the evening entertainment.

I love autumn almost as much as I love winter.  Life slows down.  It is a calmer, more peaceful time.  I'm able to be outside more often as the temperature becomes more bearable for me.  The mosquitoes are gone.  The can of insect repellent can be put away.

The colors of fall create an earthy palette along the roadside ditches and the trails.  I leave early for work because I stop many times and marvel at the beauty as the morning sun highlights the treetops.  The yellow of the aspens is even more brilliant when the sun's rays strike the color laden branches.

When the leaves fall and I hike the trails, I listen to them crunch under my boots.  If I walk in the morning when the leaves are wet, I watch the sunlight reflect off the dew or rain drops.  They are nature's sparkling crystals.  

The empty branches on the underbrush allow me to see the wildlife that remained hidden behind the thick, green, summer foliage.

The haunting calls from the flocks of geese and cranes catch my attention. 

Their graceful flight patterns remind me of a choreographed ballet, swooping and gliding through the air.  I've seen pelicans, cranes, and geese overhead; all heading south.  I wondered where they were coming from and where they were going.

My skis and snowshoes are waiting for the snow to fall.  Until that happens, I'll wind down just as Mother Nature does.  I'll take in the sights and sounds of autumn.  I'll breathe in the cool, crisp autumn air and take every opportunity to spend time outside.

My Perfect Outdoor Day

"I remember a hundred lovely lakes, and recall the fragrant breath of pine and fir and cedar and poplar trees.  The trail has strung upon it, as upon a thread of silk, opalescent dawns and saffron sunsets.  It has given me blessed release from care and worry and the troubled thinking of our modern day.  It has been a return to the primitive and the peaceful.  Whenever the pressure of our complex city life thins my blood and benumbs my brain, I seek relief in the trail; and when I hear the coyote wailing to the yellow dawn, my cares fall from me - I am happy."  ~Hamlin Garland, McClure's, February 1899

I left home as the sun was coming up this morning.  My plan was to spend the day outside.  I started at the Strathcona Wilderness Center.  The air was crisp and the grasses and leaves were frosty.  It was the perfect beginning to a glorious outing.

 

The morning rays of the sun shone through the bare branches of the tall aspen trees.  The trunks cast long shadows on the trail.  The frosty leaf carpet glittered like gold.  

 

It was still calm and silent except for the little chickadees.  They were busy collecting seeds from the shrubs.  I stopped to watch as they flitted from branch to branch; singing their 'cheeseburger' song.

There were a number of little ponds along the trail that I was on.  I could see them through the trees.  The moose and deer created a well worn path to one of them.  I decided to follow it.  I'm glad that I did.

Moss covered logs lay on the edge.  The water was not deep but it was calm, clear and reminded me of a sheet of glass.  The bright yellow color from the few remaining leaves reflected in the water.  The area was like a little piece of heaven.

When I finished exploring at the SWC, I made my way to Elk Island National Park.  I wanted to revisit a trail that looped through the forest on the north side of Astotin Lake.  

 

Along the parkway en route to the lake, a young coyote searched for food.  It lopped through the ditch.  Every now and again it would pounce into the tall grasses but each time it came back out empty handed.  

As I made my way to the trail head, I could hear honking above me.  The snow geese were on the move.  Their white bodies against the blue sky were a sight to behold.

My first stop was at a bench that overlooked Astotin Lake.  The wind had picked up and was creating little white caps on the water.  Ducks and geese bobbed up and down in the waves.  This was an ideal lunch spot.  There was still some autumn color directly in front of me as well as on the island.  The bench was sheltered and the sun warmed me as I sat and took in the sights and sounds.

There are a number of rest stops along the trail where hikers can take a break and relax.  It was at one of the stops that numerous paths lead into the trees.  I followed one and found a skull leaning against a broken branch.

Chickadees and nuthatches provided entertainment as they were foraging in the spruce trees.  The forest smells were amazing.

I marveled at the scene around me.  There were decaying logs covered in a carpet of bright green fern-looking moss.  A tree stump was covered in a soft layer of brown/green moss.  Lichen grew upright through the layer; reaching for the small rays of sun that found their way through the thick boughs overhead.

My outdoor day was perfect.  I am so fortunate to live in such a beautiful area.  All my favorite activities can be found within a 10 minute drive from my home.  Hiking, x-country skiing, skating, snowshoeing, and so many natural areas for photography.  I take advantage of this every moment that I can.  There is nothing better than spending time in the forest.