November Blues

November is here, nights are drawing in and I'm seriously thinking about hibernating but actually that's a bit of a cop out. Because what you get with dark nights is the ability to makes spots of light and how lovely that can look. I had the experience of really feeling that this was the hard slog into winter and of course we have had a bit of snow and temperatures plummet and the scramble to get snow tires. (You wonder why it is so important, don't they have salt? But actually when the roads are cleaned up after the storm....well then it all starts to make sense and you have to be a proper girl guide and "be prepared".) 

So for next November I will make sure, snow gear is bought early and that snow tires are fitted early. But not forgetting the most important bit! tea lights are bought in bulk, for all those opportunities to light those little spots up and bring the most important element to those long nights, some simple good cheer!

November is the cross over really of the seasons here and my pictures surely reflect that

This is a sneak from the last days of October....and a peak at a building in nearby St Jacobs. I loved the bricks and the painted sign. But look at those golden leaves.

This is Elora, another town near by. It is full of charm and by the Grand River and deep gorge that it runs through. It would have had a huge mill on  the river and I'm sure I've a picture somewhere of that one....But for now this is how the town looks. 

Around Fall Elora gets ready for Halloween and the town is dotted with these great Halloween sculptures

Pretty scary

Love this the watcher and the damsel

Just skipping along and not a care in the word. These sculptures were all around downtown Elora and so lovely

This guy was in their park and immensely tall, like the BFG from Roald Dahl

Ah Blessed Ginkgoes

But those leaves are tumbling

The first snow signs just at the very end of October, snow on the roof tops

Arty shot of where I volunteer at, Clay and Glass Gallery...it is a very cool building

Frosty mornings are coming

But the trees are valiantly showing still

Beautiful contrast

The leaves on mass drop from our ash tree out the back of our house

This is the front path to the house and I am so pleased that I took this shot...because now as of 18th November that is not how it looks.....

More like this!

But I digress and this is how the streets looked all golden and black branches. My favorite

Halloween house in Waterloo and I wondered if they painted the door orange for the occasion, surely not..

Everyone wanted to see the house and this is the front door from the street

I love blue spruce. Hard not to really and this sits at the side of our drive on our neighbours side. I liked how it looked "decorated" with the leaves that fell from the trees around. It contrasted with the fresh green/blue of the spruce. But after all yellow and blue is a classic combo

Golden maples on the street outside the house

This baby, Japanese Maple is right outside Isaac's window

And there would be the mix of leaves on our drive. Such vibrant colours and interesting shapes

I spotted these one wet Monday morning. They are waiting for trash pick up. I thought they looked rather funny. Pumpkin head and the one below looks like it all got a little too much for him.....or if this is a hide and seek game, well we can see you pumpkin!!!

More amazing mixing of leaves and this is after the rain and they are just so bright

Now bear with me. There is a house that every morning Louie and I walk past on the way to the bus stop and although the light is horrible in this picture, that Japanese Maple was a natural wonder. I thought that and the red trunk just well, it caught my eye

So the few days later when all the leaves came off that glorious autumn show and thet completely cover the lawn, I wondered what it would look like next....with

Snow!!! Red truck and snow just wow and this was in a matter of a week!!!!

I put a bird feeder out and here are some of the visitors, a chickadee

and a wood pecker

Did I mention that the leaves haven't fully dropped? So we get leaves and snow at the same time

This morning shot and sunlight was a welcome sight. That blob is snow cradled in the leaves

So this is my Canada shot... speaks for it self really

I was on a house tour and this is the view from one of the houses...wow. That is the Grand River and it is aptly named. Every window in the house, including the bathroom had floor to ceiling windows of that view. Pretty snazzy

Early morning snow and blue light

Frosty snow remnants

Our walk to the bus stop and that figure is Louie, I better catch him up!

Now that is what I call serious snow man/head building.!

Did I mention that Winter is Coming!!!!!!

I hope that you have enjoyed this first delve into Winter. It is very interesting seeing how light and lack of it changes everything and of course next is the biggy....so better get those candles lit and that freezer filled.

Golden September

It really has begun to be an adventure here and there are more surprises than I had imagined. With our idea of "finding water" for me, we have done more exploring. This time talking tape and sandwiches were packed (you have to know the limits and with feeding time every two hours...best be prepared). So with that in mind we took off for more Lake Huron. But before I got there, I had a little excursion nearer to home and this is what I saw

Whoa, that's a statement and this was someones work left on the Iron Horse Trail, this links Waterloo and Kitchener

Then there was this 

and this one (if you click on the pictures and enlarge them, you will see the words better)

It was a lovely day at the park in downtown Kitchener

Lake literally reflecting the sky

It was still pretty green walking the trail mid September

I bet these are super poisonous

This is out on the road and we had gone to Inglis Falls near Owen Sound.

We thought this was neat

Until we walked a bit further

Still quite impressed

Then Wowee. Honestly this was spectacular and massive, this is Inglis Falls

We went into this forested area to see the falls and I couldn't believe the way the trees hung on! Their roots are literally wrapping around the rock

It was pretty amazing and I have never seen anything like this before

The trees were captivating

Then onto Owen Sound

This had the feeling of a working port

Next stop Southampton, Ontario

We really liked this place. The path was between beach houses and the water. Just a perfect day to see it.

Little cosy houses

Just in case you don't know that you are in Canada (this was painted onto the sidewalk)

Fab car going down to the lake shore in Southampton

Really quite special

Definitely get that vacation feeling

They loved it

lots of familiar plants and this one is alyssum or sweet alison (definitely have that in the Isle of Man)

The town was pretty cool too

Nice little murals down the side street

Then quick stop at Kincardine

This also has dunes

The lakeside

and lots and lots of boats

Nearer to home there is the signs that the season is changing as we move into October

This vine really caught my eye

As did this tree. It will slowly become completely orange over the next week or so

It actually looks like this close up

It's those edges that go first.This wet day really showed some nice colour

I particular like this shot and no, I didn't place the leaf like that. It was just perched

This one I named 'bat leaf' and he looks like he is walking away

They cut the trees here too to accommodate lines. I liked the lines and the trees new shape and that sky was just so blue

Yup a muddy puddle but wow the colours are all there and me too, taking the picture

There is just so much colour about this time of year

Even with these grasses. I really love these, they are just a celebration of floaty topness...

loads of berries

Again just blue sky amazing in contrast with this fall colour (Sumac)

This is the flower closer up. This is Staghorn Sumac. It is everywhere and just packing a punch in colour right now and those flowers are just superb

Wonderful yellow berries

Another wet day and this leaf is glistening

I really like these pavement shots

This one just doesn't even look real but I assure you it and I have done nothing to enhance this vivid yellow leaf shown nicely on the concrete sidewalk. One of my favorites this Autumn/Fall

Wet days in fall always show the trunks and branches so well.

Just wow on this lime green

More berries

Of course you get your early morning fog. This is our street when I got up early one day

and carpets of leaves. These ones are especially small but such a bright yellow

These look great together, such a contrast

This is just what those Maples do. It amost hurts your eyes

This one is great framed with that bluest of skies

and of course carpets of leaves everywhere

I just can't get enough of this colour

It is hard not just to walk around with my mouth open, it is just staggeringly colourful everywhere

This tree is just phenomenal

More wonderful ivy or is it creeper...probably Virginia creeper

The streets have the whole show going on

But this pair I think win the prize for sheer colourfulness

This is more colour of the tree masked by the orange one from the picture above

But this is what they leave behind, just so much colour it is such a treat to see this. This has been a super long blog but I really wanted to share this and spread the cheer because we all know what's coming next!....