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.
As I looked out the back window to watch the sun rise, I noticed that the wind has stripped the autumn color from the trees. I heard the gusts through the night and this morning, the backyard is littered with leaves.
It is still windy so the efforts to rake them would be fruitless. I need a few bags of leaves to mix into my raised garden beds so the first chance I get, I'll be collecting that backyard carpet and mixing it with the black soil.
On Saturday when I got back from the farm, I was unloading my vehicle and saw birds overhead. This time it was not sandhill cranes. There were pelicans swooping and swirling!
The Canada geese are not on the move yet. I noticed many flocks in the harvested fields; picking up what the farm equipment left behind.
The chickadees and nuthatches are busy feeding in the backyard. I've added some suet and peanut feeders to attract more woodpeckers and blue jays. There has been lots of action at all the feeders. The sunflower seeds need to be filled daily where through the summer I filled those feeders once per week.
The birds are preparing for winter just as I was. The firewood stand arrived and I put that together. The log splitter arrived and the stack of wood is split, on the stand and covered up. The new outdoor fire pit arrived and I assembled that as well. I haven't had the chance to use it yet. There is some prep work that needs doing in the old fire ring before the new one can fit inside safely.
I can't wait to try it for the first time. The forecast for the weekend is looking great and if the wind cooperates, I'm going to try my best for an autumn bonfire. The best case scenario would be to have some leaves left over from the garden project. Oh, how I love leaf bonfires in the fall. I miss my old 'leaf trees' from the backyard. They used to give me enough leaves for a bonfire to last all afternoon.
I was admiring the autumn colors on the drive home today. The wind stripped the leaves off many of the tall aspens but the shorter shrubs are holding onto theirs.
As I passed by the first pond across from the Strathcona Wilderness Centre, I noticed a moose browsing on the willow branches on the far side. It always amazes me how all the drivers passing me are oblivious to the abundance of wildlife. I let five vehicles pass by and not one was paying attention. Two of the five had cell phones glued to their ears which is a no-no to begin with. I sure hope they are more vigilant the next time a big moose runs across their path.
I watched that beautiful animal as it enjoyed its snack in the mid-afternoon sun. Its dark brown coat shone in the sunlight and it paid no attention to me while I snapped my photos.
Tomorrow is wood splitting day. The log splitter got delivered today and I've assembled all the loose parts. Yesterday I assembled the stand that will hold all the split wood. If I get up early, I can sneak a quick hike in to enjoy the fall colors before the wind does a number to the remaining leaves. With any luck, this moose will still be hanging around the area.
Summer is over and I'm back; on the trails and on the web. The heat of summer and I don't get along. I love fall and winter. I tend to hibernate through July, August and September until the temperature cools and the mosquitoes disappear. Don't get me wrong, I don't spend 100% of my time inside but I do spend the hottest part of the day in the house.
I managed to go camping a couple of times. It's been a few years ago that I actually got to pull out the tent and do some 'real' camping. The weather was great and the time away was peaceful and relaxing.
I got my front yard landscaping completed. The nature-scaping encouraged a number of creatures to come and live in the yard. The largest garter snake that I have ever seen took up residence in a crack that developed in the soil bank alongside my house. It brought friends. I've lived in this location for 11 years and have never seen garter snakes in my yard. This year I saw at least 6 of them, varying in size.
In addition to the snakes, the tiger salamanders and frogs checked out the front yard. They liked hiding under the large grasses that I planted. With all the rain that fell this summer, the growing conditions were perfect for the newly planted shrubs and grasses. Most tripled in size providing some shady, moist locations for these creatures.
I did go out to the trails a few times. During fall/winter I aim for 3 to 4 times a week. I think that was the total for the whole summer this year. The mosquitoes were abundant and didn't care if I had repellant on. If I missed a spot the size of a pin head, they found it. It does not make for a pleasant hike when I'm fighting off the bugs so they don't go up my nose when I breathe in.
My goal was to hit the trails on a regular basis again on October 1st; rain or shine. I started at the Strathcona Wilderness Center and ended at Elk Island National Park. What a fantastic morning. The wind rustled through the tree tops creating a shower of colorful leaves that danced across the hiking trails.
At the SWC, the blue jays were busy hiding stores of food in the cracks of the tree bark or underneath the carpet of fallen leaves. An owl swooped overhead from a colorful old poplar. The squirrels nattered and the grouse were putting on a regal display.
When I left the SWC, a large bull moose crossed the road in front of me. It's hunting season and it was headed into a safe area where hunting is not allowed.
Elk Island Park did not disappoint either. The bison were out, grazing on the last of the green grass along the roadside. The colors were amazing; yellows, oranges, reds. I intended to try a new trail today. The Shoreline Trail runs alongside Astotin Lake. I didn't get to hike the entire trail. There was a roadblock. A very large male bison approached from the opposite direction. I tried waiting it out, hoping that he would turn around but he wasn't moving so that meant it was me that had to turn around.
I'm looking forward to my regular outings again. My nose will be pressed against the window as I watch and wait for the first snowflakes to fall. Until that happens, I will enjoy the sounds and smells when I head out to explore. Autumn means that life slows down. The air becomes crisp and the sunrises brilliant. The wood box is full for those chilly days when the stove will be lit. It feels so good to be back outside!
