Right now we have treasure; a feast of golds, reds, oranges and yellows, a bounty to appreciate and enjoy.
A honey locust tree …
… and a lovely Japanese maple delight our colour senses …
… while the dark green leaves of the ginkgo biloba tree have faded and are now turning yellow …
… a cornucopia of autumn brightness.
Happy Tuesday. 🍂
… and gold, too.
The contrasts in colours at this time of year in the northern hemisphere can be spectacular …
… but they have to be enjoyed right now …
… as this beauty is fleeting and precious …
… and has to carry us through winter.
“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” Albert Camus
Happy Monday.
A couple of days ago we had a major storm blow through. The wind was roaring and savagely bending the trees almost to the ground while the rain whipped furiously against windows and scudded down streets. But a few hours later, voilà! Sun and lovely clear air!
The wind had disappeared, the sun had come out and except for the dampness still in the air and the puddles on the ground, it was almost as if the storm hadn’t ever happened.
The sun even had a bit of power; it actually felt more spring-like than autumnal.
Okanagan Lake was strikingly beautiful in its calm and tranquil demeanour; there was no sign at all of the recent weather tantrum.
The wind did leave a reminder of its power, though. Heaps of leaves were left piled about in an explosion of colourful autumn detritus as if to say, “I’m gone for now but I’ll soon be back!”
Happy Sunday.
All photos taken on May 23, 2025. Wow, just wow. We knew we loved this place, but this day of departure showed us why. Up at 5 and down to the lake …
Time to Say Goodbye
A gorgeous collection of photos taken at Jasper National Park by Allan at Photos and Stories. To see the entire set, please click the link above.
In Canada, today is Thanksgiving Day, so …
… wherever you are …
… whatever you are doing …
… I hope you’re able to spend it in the way you would like …
… with an opportunity to appreciate…
… all that we are.
While out for my evening walk I experienced a very steady, windless rain. Sizeable raindrops tumbled down, giving everything a generous soak.
As you can tell from the picture above it was a bit like being in a shower!
We had a very heavy overcast, but even so, a bit of the setting sun crept through, sending hope for better weather later.
Happy Sunday.
A watery October sun …
… valiantly pushes through a still-warm overcast …
… a polished pewter sky alleviated by nature’s alternative colours.
Happy Saturday.
A couple of the ash trees in the nearby lakeside park are transforming into their beautiful autumnal colours. I’ve already posted a few photos showing one of them but I think they deserve a little more coverage.
The above shows October 2 and below shows October 8. This tree morphed along significantly in less than a week!
There are actually two of these trees next to each other; they are shown here from further down the lake.
There are some chairs on the beach near these trees because that portion of the lakefront has been set aside for dogs. Owners can sit comfortably – or not as the case may be – while their dogs swim, fetch and run.
Under these two ash trees is a covered bench; it’s separated from the dog beach by a fence but you can watch the dogs play or enjoy the lake view or both.
Happy Thursday.
Bits of autumn are beginning to abound.
The harvest moon. This isn’t the best picture I’ve ever taken – I only had my cell with me – but I like it anyway.
A very autumnal sky conveying a sense of cooler days and nights, so different from the sunlit summer clouds.
I took the above picture on October 2 …
… and then this one three days later on October 5. This tree is definitely and quickly getting into its autumn outfit!
Rows of grapevines, some covered to protect against hungry birds while they still mature. I suspect that these may be readied for the ice wine harvest which will occur in late October or early November.
Happy Wednesday.
I seem to be on a lake theme this week! In keeping with that idea, here are some pictures of Skaha Lake, the smaller one that borders the south end of town.
We had a beautiful autumn day and many people were sitting on the beach reading or just relaxing. It was very comfortable in the sun.
No one was in the water, although it’s probably still warm enough after heating up all summer and also because this lake is shallower than the much larger and deeper Okanagan Lake at the north end of town.
Skaha Lake beach also has trees growing under the sand that are of course very popular during the summer for their shade.
Happy Tuesday.
In the Net! - Pictures and Stories of Life 