FABulous Fall

It has been a fabulous fall weather-wise and the colour was spectacular. I am very behind on blogging, so far behind I may meet myself coming back! But even though most trees have now dropped their leaves and what colour is left is not as vibrant, I want to share with you some of my favourite images from Autumn 2016. I will no doubt do a few more posts with autumn photos once I do some more sorting and editing. For now... a few favourites. I am joining Mosaic Monday, hosted by Maggie at Normandy Life. This is my first time back at MM since Maggie started hosting. It feels good to be back. I hope to make it a regular occurence.













The maples were spectacular this year, almost beyond belief. After such a dry summer I did not expect the colours to be so rich and vibrant. It seemed that everywhere you looked there was another tree, more beautiful than the last.

There is so much variety of colour in the different species of maples. Some turn a brilliant yellow, others are yellow with orange tipped leaves. Some trees will be green, yellow and orange all at the same time, others will be yellow and red at the same time.












But without a doubt the most beautiful maple in my eyes is the maple that turns red, and many were truly scarlet this year. This old red maple is at the foot of my street. It is much older than I, and I marvel at its colour every year.
This photo really does not do it justice at all...

Look at the variety of colour... these are all maples.

The berries are plentiful, perhaps the sign of  a hard winter ahead?

A few other random favourites to finish off....

This is the burning bush (Euonymus alatus) on our front lawn, before it turns totally red. I actually prefer it like this.















 Apples fallen on the back deck.


















Pumpkins and frost-bitten zinnia, definitely signs of autumn...

I hope you'll stop by Normandy Life to visit  the other Mosaic Monday participants.


Peace,
Linda

"A tangerine and russet cascade of kaleidoscopic leaves, creates a tapestry of autumn magic upon the emerald carpet of fading summer." ~ Judith A. Lindberg

Winding Down...

Fall is winding down. We have had a beautiful autumn with glorious colour, sunny warmer-than-usual days and lots of sunshine. I do love the fall colour but hate to think of what is to come next... I guess one should just appreciate each day and try not to look too far ahead to that nasty "W" word.
Since all our October company left, we have both been working hard to get all the outdoor chores done in preparation for "the next season".. I can't bear to say that "W" word yet...
So, I have planted all my new tulips and other spring bulbs, pulled out chopped and composted all the annuals, cut down all my perennial beds and covered them with leaves for their long winter sleep, emptied

all planters and a few other small jobs which I'm too tired to remember right now. The vegetable garden has been tilled. The end result.. I'm pretty much DONE. I can feel myself slipping into hibernation mode. (I think I'd make a good bear!) My studio beckons; I am anxious to get into a more creative mode and get working on some long overdue projects, both new and already in progress.

I am always sad to see gardening season end as I derive so much pleasure from my garden. Even as plants wither and die there is still a simple beauty to be appreciated, if one takes the time to look. Dark blue berries appear on the Virginia Creeper vines. Early frosts fade colour as flower petals wither, ferns curl and turn brown, hosta leaves yellow and wilt. The end of a season, end of a cycle. All is now prepared for the long winter sleep.

Peace,  
Linda

"Walked for half an hour in the garden. A fine rain was falling, and the landscape was that of autumn.
The sky was hung with various shades of gray, and mists hovered about the distant mountains - a melancholy nature. The leaves are falling on all sides like the last illusions of youth under the tear of irremediable grief. A brood of chattering birds were chasing each other through the shrubberies, and playing games among the branches, like a knot of hiding schoolboys. Every landscape is, as it were. a state of the soul, and whoever penetrates into both is astonished to find how much likeness there is in each detail." ~ Henri Frederic Amiel

The End Is Near...

The end is near... the end of gardening season, that is. There are still a few plants in bloom, but overall, things are winding down. The fall asters are at their peak as are the Japanese anemones and the toad lilies. There are still a few nigella (also known as Love in a Mist- isn't that a sweet name?) and a couple of very late poppies. It seems my first and last bloomers in the garden tend to purples and pinks... This is a short post, but I thought you might enjoy seeing these last few blooms...  the colours are quite a change from all the glorious yellows, golds and reds we are enjoying in the fall foliage.

Peace,
Linda

"Plant your own garden and decorate your own soul, instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers." ~ Veronica A. Shoffstall

October Pinks

Although most of the "October colour" we're seeing is the typical fall reds, oranges and yellows of the maples, the yellows and  golds of the birches and copper browns of the oaks, when I look in my yard, I'm seeing pink! Yes PINK! My large hanging basket of geraniums on the deck is still blooming like crazy and in the back perennial bed there are loads of blooms on the cleome, Japanese anemones and Japanese toad lily. The fall asters, which are getting lots of love from the bees, are adding lots of pink to the side bed, and out front the two hanging pots of rieger begonias continue to bloom profusely. Maybe this is Mother Nature's way of reminding us that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month...  Lovin' all the pink!! (Don't forget to get your mammies grammed, ladies!)
I'm linking to Mosaic Monday, now hosted by Judith at Lavender Cottage. Be sure to stop by.



Peace,
Linda

"I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie-burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles." ~ Audrey Hepburn

Thankful on Thanksgiving

This is Thanksgiving weekend in Canada and I have SO much to be thankful for! I am thankful for the beautiful day we are enjoying - the sun is shining, the leaves are glorious in their autumn colours, the birds and squirrels are feeding in the backyard (keeping Oliver well entertained) and we are smelling the turkey roasting for dinner this evening. Yummm... I am blessed with a wonderful family and I'm so thankful for them every day (even though I don't tell them that often enough!) We'll certainly be missing Laura at the dinner table tonight, but she is cooking her first turkey dinner ever (not without a few phone calls and emails to Mum), and they have invited company for dinner; I'm so thankful for the wonderful young woman she has become, and she loves to cook - bonus!
My blogging has been sporadic lately and for that I apologize to my regular readers, but I've been so busy with other things that blogging has had to take a bit of a backseat. I am thankful to be busy with hobbies that I love, harvesting the garden and preserving, and teaching commitments, because in my mind, being busy is SO much better than being bored with nothing to do. I feel so sorry for people who do not have hobbies, or activities they enjoy.
I am so very grateful for my good health. Other than a cold for the past week, which really is very minor in the grand scheme of things, I have no ailments or complaints. I am not on any meds. If you have your health, you have it made in the shade, as the saying goes.
I am thankful for my many friends. I am so blessed to have so many wonderful friends and I love each and every one. Yesterday we helped friends close up their cottage for the winter (actually it was hubby who worked very hard all day, I didn't do much other than help with supper.)
Then we enjoyed a delicious turkey dinner with all the trimmings and three choices for dessert! (Yes we ARE spoiled...) And yes, most of us chose to sample all three! What a wonderful way to end a beautiful fall day - a fire crackling in the fireplace, sitting around the table sharing food and wine in such good company, discussing books and travel, sharing stories and laughter.. it just doesn't get any better!
Finally I am thankful for the many new friends I have made through blogging! And what's better than having blogging friends? MEETING them! In the past few weeks I have been lucky to meet TWO friends I've made as a result of this blog. A follower who lives in British Columbia contacted me last spring to tell me she had been reading my blog for a while and enjoyed it because she grew up here and it was nice to see photos of "home." She suggested perhaps we could meet while she was home this summer/fall. It turns out we are about the same age and attended the same high school and church; once we met face to face I vaguely remembered her - a quick check in the high school yearbook for her photo confirmed the memory I was questioning. (Yearbooks are such a valuable resource as we get older! lol) It was so nice to meet Cynthia and her family and chat about quilting, photography and other interests. So, waving Hi to you Cynthia! Let's stay in touch!
More recently I met Kathy of Gratitude... Attitude... at Forty-Four Latitude (formerly My Maine Blog). After a failed attempt this summer, we "connected" and enjoyed a tasty lunch together. It was so nice to meet this sweet sweet lady in person and chat about blogging and other common interests. Kathy is a
wonderful photographer and shares so many beautiful photos of  Maine - be sure to visit her blog often and leave her some bloggy love in her comment box! She blew me away with the gift of this wonderful basket which she had put together- full of yummy apples, mini pumpkins, candy, mulling spices and Pumpkin Spice tea, fall potpourri and some wonderful examples of her photography- postcards, bookmarks and her book "Old Barns of Maine." How lucky am I?!! Bloggy friends are THE BEST!!
I have much more in my life that I am thankful for, but that's it for today.. it's time to go check on Mr. Turkey's progress... can you smell him?  No? Well, he sure smells yummy... and he'll soon be in my tummy... Happy Thanksgiving!

Peace
Linda

"Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you'll never ever have enough." ~ Oprah Winfrey

Novembrrrrr

November. Or should I say Novembrrrrrrrr.. That grey, dull, dreary, wet, cold, windy, yuchy month. Can you tell I don't really care much for November? The fall color is gone, the trees are bare, the gardens have all gone to sleep, temps are turning cold, there seems to be extra rain and wind, the darkness falls too early, the nights seem so black... sigh. I hate the thoughts of winter knocking at our door... I tend to "go into hibernation mode"... Yes, I can feel it coming on...
We set our clocks back this weekend. (I tried to set mine back to when I was 20, but it didn't work... lol) It's almost dark now at 5p.m. - that is just too early. I'd much rather have the darkness in the morning. But I don't make the rules...
What about you? Do you like November? It seems to be such a Blahhh month. So I am spending more  time in my studio (Yay!!) I'll be showing you very soon what I'm working on...
What are you up to these Novembrrrr days?

Peace,
Linda

"October extinguished itself in a rush of howling winds and driving rain and November arrived, cold as frozen iron, with hard frosts every morning and icy drafts that bit at exposed hands and faces."
~ J.K.Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Hallowe'en in the 'Hood...

Hallowe'en
~ Harry Behn

Tonight is the night
When dead leaves fly
Like witches on switches
Across the sky,
When elf and sprite
Flit through the night
On a moony sheen.

Tonight is the night
When leaves make a sound
Like a gnome in his home
Under the ground,
When spooks and trolls
Creep out of holes
Mossy and green.

Tonight is the night
When pumpkins stare
Through sheaves and leaves
Everywhere,
When ghoul and ghost
And goblin host
Dance round their queen.
It's Hallowe'en.

Do you decorate for Hallowe'en? Do you go for the scary?  The creepy? Or just for fun?  We have some awesome "decor" in our neighbourhood this year so I thought I'd share a few pics with you....
First of all I couldn't resist this "elegant" look - okay maybe it's not really Hallowe'en decor- just autumn decor - but this morning as I passed by Government House, the residence of our Lieutenant Governor, the sun was so lovely on those vines, and with the pumpkins on the steps- well I just couldn't help myself!

And you're right- this isn't really my neighbourhood, but it's close by - less than a 2 minute drive from my house, so I'm including it.

If you are scared of spiders, you might want to steer clear of this house- judging  by the size of that web, I can just imagine the size of the spider who must be lurking nearby....

Maybe this is him- he was down the street a bit- no doubt he's out looking for tasty little child-sized morsels to eat... watch for him if you're in the area.... after all he does have eight legs so he can probably run just as fast as you can....

Just down the street from us, our neighbour Greg (who obviously loves Hallowe'en and plans from one year to the next), went all out this year and created a pirate ship on his front lawn. I will have to go down later this evening to see it in action- the ship is supposed to rock gently from side to side as if it is at sea, there are guns on the side of the ship that will light up as if firing, cannons near the house that I think will "fire" or at least smoke, a treasure chest that opens (powered by a rotisserie motor), the sabres held by the "skeleton crew" will raise and

lower...... ummm, just wondering WHO is having more fun here.. the kids or the guy who spends weeks putting this all together???  And on top of this "display" on the front lawn, there is the graveyard up against the house which the kids must walk by to get to the front door. If they dare, they can enter the house and see the Pirate's Banquet all set up in the dining room, complete with bats circling over the dining table...
I stopped and had a chat with Greg a few days ago as he was working on set-up. I laughed and said he must spend all year dreaming up what to do next - he has had some pretty impressive "decor" over the years.. and he replied that last year, some kid said to him they thought it was time he stepped it up a notch, as he had used several "items" several years in a row... Imagine!! I sure hope that kid comes back this year to see what he

has in store for his visitors tonight. And no doubt he will get many trick-or-treaters as he is on the front page of today's newspaper and the caption mentions his "pirate-themed haunted tour". I'm not expecting many at my door. We are pretty dull, in comparison....
Happy Hallowe'en!!!

Trick or Treat!
Linda

"There is a child in every one of us who is still a trick-or-treater looking for a brightly-lit front porch." ~Robert Brault

Another Frosty Morning

Another frosty morning! This time I did jump in the car and head downtown, but alas there was no fog this morning on the river. (There was an awesome fog yesterday but I found out too late...) There was a heavy ground frost though so I hope you will enjoy a few more "frosty photos"...

My local readers can picture this- I was at the southside end of the walking bridge (old train bridge) taking photos of the bushes there and of the frosty grass and fallen leaves. An observer would think I was crouched down, ready to jump out and scare someone, but honestly- I was totally engrossed in my photography (down on my knees in the frosty grass, sort of "behind" the bushes). Let's just say I "startled" a few ladies who were out for their morning walk when I stood up.... Sorry ladies! I'm sure they thought this was an early Hallowe'en prank... Bwwwhahahahahaha........... Come back later for some Hallowe'en "decor"...

Peace,

Linda

Listen...

With faint dry sound,

Like steps of passing ghosts,

The leaves, frost crisp'd, break from the trees

And  fall. 

Adelaide Crapsey, November Night

A Frosty Morn....

Overnight temps are dipping and this morning there was a significant frost. I should have jumped in the car and headed out in search of frosty photos, but I didn't venture further than my own yard. Lazy, I know...  Here's what I found....

Peace,
Linda

“But frost, like the crystallized dreams of autumn, began to coat the clearing with its sugar glaze.”
~ Victoria Logue, Redemption

The Beauty of October

Although I dislike the thoughts of winter and colder weather coming soon, I do love the autumn. Who is not charmed by the colorful display that Mother Nature dresses up in, in the fall? But fall is fading fast. Many trees are already bare and the color that is left, is predominantly yellows and golds and the burnished bronzes and browns of the oaks.  I've been out a few times "in search of color" in the last few weeks and I have to say I'm a little disappointed. I seem to have missed the peak time, or I just wasn't looking in the right places at the right times or something... Anyway, here are a few more fall color photos, for what they're worth. Not spectacular, but as my friend Wendy O. says "It is what it is"...

 

Do you have a favourite tree? This is one of mine, a beautiful maple, just down the street from my house. It's on the golf course and I pass it daily. I love watching it through all the seasons, but especially in the fall...

The bees have been heaping the love on my fall asters...

I do love the red sumac. If we get the promised sun this week, I'll be back at the sumac patch to get more photos. Love that red!!

This California Black Walnut tree is on my side lawn and is right outside my studio window. It brightens the room on a sunny day as the yellow leaves really glow in the sunshine.

This is the Burning Bush on the other side of the front lawn - it is totally red now... but I love the red and green combination before it is all turned brilliant red.

A beautiful oak - I enjoy them almost as much as the maples. Almost. Not quite.

There's that red and green combo again..... I think this photo would almost work for a Christmas card - what do you think?

Peace,
Linda

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers." ~ L.M.Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

The fading garden...

The garden is fading. Right - who am I kidding? The garden is pretty well gone. Dead. Finito. I have already cut down more than half of the perennial beds, but I cannot bring myself to chop down something that is still in bloom. (It feels akin to murder.)  Not that there's much left still blooming. Yesterday, a dull dreary, then rainy, day I went out with my camera to capture a few last images. The color of course is not as vibrant as I would like it to be, but you can't control the weather... much as I'd like to... Here's what you can see in my garden right now....

The Japanese Anemone is blooming profusely...

Here's a slightly closer look...isn't it pretty?

The Japanese Toad Lily is also loaded with blooms.. it reminds me of a tiny orchid

The bees are still all over the fall asters.
Hmmm, we seem to have a "pink" thing going on here...

The Mandavilla has more buds and blooms now than it has had all summer long!
Of course I am bringing it into the garage each night.
Wonder how long I can keep it going?

Why does our summer have to be so short?

I have a busy few days coming up, I'm teaching a class tomorrow, then a Guild event on Saturday and out of town company on Saturday night. Next post? More seasonal color....

Peace,

Linda 

"The crickets still sing in October. And lily, she's trying to bloom. Tho she's resting her head on the shoulder of death, she still shines by the light of the moon." ~ Kevin Dalton