This was a recent morning scene.
I hadn’t had coffee yet but the bright morning sun helped me to get going.
Alas, as of a few days ago, this sunny weather turned. It has been a mixture of watery snow that has turned to snow that has turned to rain.
Inevitably though, whatever comes out of the sky over the next couple of weeks will be snow.
That’s the way of the north.
And it will stay for a bit, at least until March. And it will look like this.
Cold, crisp, clear.
🙂
Here in Northwest Territories, autumn moves quickly. Three weeks ago, the leaves were just starting to turn.
Now the yellow is darkening to brown and black and almost all the leaves are on the ground.
We are about to head into the Northwest Territories’ best season – winter. Gleaming with atmospheric pinks and blues and a low sunlight that bounces off ice particles in the air, the sky is suffused with gentle colour and undulating sparkles.
Here is a favourite winter photo from a couple of years ago.
The Aurora Borealis is amazing, but like the variety of us, it’s not the only light show in town.
Greetings from the remarkable northern lights – of all kinds. 🙂
Yellow leaves, so pretty and so short-lived
So bright in their autumn-clothed glory
Last gasp before a deep, restful slumber …
Have the best best of me now; I am here only for a little …
On a recent warm day I went for a walk on the shores of Great Slave Lake. This is a huge lake (tenth largest in the world) and is not usually this calm (unless it’s frozen 😉 ).
I think this was a last hurrah before northern winter closes in, and in fact, the weather turned windy and rainy the next day.
This was a wonderful last summer sigh and I’m glad I was able to enjoy it.
Greetings from an autumnal Northwest Territories.
🙂
Summer reflected in the bounty of fall.
Happy Thanksgiving.
I found these beautiful red bushes glowing in their fall mantle.
I don’t know what kind of bushes they are, but like most things in life, they’re just passing through, gifting us with their colour before they’re gone.
Happy Fall.
The last summer days are coming to a close.
Unable to continue their slowing breaths, some leaves in this northern clime are already turning yellow.
So must we all.
And know the beauty that exists in the end.
Wherever you are in the northern hemisphere, happy autumn. 🙂
To you southerners, happy spring. 🙂
As the Okanagan descends gently into winter, here are a few more views.
On a recent sunny day, M. and I went up to Chute Lake. It almost felt like spring except for that sharp autumn-air quality.
While hiking along a back trail, M. and I found this sign.
If you’re metrically challenged, 4.5 metres is 14.76 feet.
Here’s another view. I had to strain my neck to get this tree in the frame.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said, “We are all poets when we are in the pine woods.” There are lots of pine forests in this area.
A couple of days ago, M. and I went to the small mountain town of Rossland, BC. It has produced four Olympian skiers including Nancy Green; two NHL hockey players and a prime minister, John Turner. Pretty good for a town of 4000.
And finally, another yellow tree.
I’ve really been enjoying this autumnal bounty. 🙂
What’s fall like where you live?
Yesterday, M and I went for a hike in Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park. It had rained earlier in the day, but when we got started at about one pm, it was bright and sunny with that sharp clarity of fall light.
We hadn’t hiked here before and found ourselves in the midst of a spectacularly yellow aspen forest.
This forest is recovering from a large, ravaging fire that occurred in 2003. It’s amazing to see some surviving giants, seriously scorched at their bases, but still growing.
We climbed through the forest and up to a lookout over Lake Okanagan.
We finished out the day with a drive along an old railway track. This afforded us some impressive views; we were stopping every 10 metres!
The old railway tracks have been removed and the remaining trail is used for hiking, biking, or creeping along in a truck, as we did.
M and I have experienced some additional life stuff lately and so a day like yesterday was truly fabulous!
I’ll be coming by to catch up with all of you. 🙂
