Technically Fall arrived last week on the 23rd, but today it finally *felt* like Fall.  I stepped out the door to head out on my daily walk and a very brisk north-east wind sent me immediately back inside to fetch my newly knitted hat (I haven’t made the matching mitts yet, better get knitting soon).

I tied double bows in my shoelaces (dang things keep coming undone), grabbed the camera and headed down the driveway.  Immediately, my eyes were stunned by the colours offered up by the various tree types.  Maples, Oaks, Sumacs, Birch, Aspen and Poplar to name a few, each showing off what Mother Nature intended this time of year.  Golden yellows, scarlet reds, tans and browns all competing for my attention.  Most of the trees were still green, with sections that were just starting to turn while other trees were already in full colour mode.   They were all such vibrant shades in the bright sunshine against the clear blue background of the sky.

Walking along the winding road, the swampy woods on either side were silent, save for the wind rushing through the tree tops making the birch leaves dance madly.  In mid summer, the sounds of warblers and thrushes dominate, but as we head towards winter, the summer avian visitors have left for warmer climes leaving the chickadees, bluejays and woodpeckers to forage in the waning warmth.

I walked along, stopping every few steps to snap photos (96 in all, thank goodness for digital photography) of various plants, the sky, compositions of light and dark and everything in between.

From low slung shrubs sporting bright orange berries, to the lush moss growing on the smooth rocks up on blueberry hill that sprang back to life after a days rain to dazzle me with its emerald green hues.

Truly a marvelous landscape we get to enjoy in the northern hemisphere.  I often long (ok, complain) for a sustained warmth year round, and even though I am a diehard summer girl, something about Fall makes the cold winters ahead bearable.  Knowing that in only a few short months after the last leaf falls, new growth will soon emerge to start the cycle anew.

For now, I walk along in the brisk, silent northern air marveling at every new sight I come across and thankful that I live in such a beautiful country, where I can walk free and in peace.

Enjoy your own little piece of paradise, wherever that may be.

Deborah