Friday, September 19, 2014

Sweet September Days


"September days have the warmth of summer in their briefer hours, but in their lengthening evenings a prophetic breath of autumn..."
Rowland E. Robinson


Good morning, friends!  Happy Friday!  There is definitely a nip in the air here in Barrie, Ontario.  It is currently only 4 degrees Celsius (39 degrees Fahrenheit)!  The days have shortened and the nights have cooled.  Signs of autumn are everywhere, although fall doesn't officially begin for another four days.  I am so looking forward to it.  Don't get me wrong, all four seasons are splendid, each one special and unique, but autumn is my absolute favorite!  I love the coziness of it all...the sweater weather, the changing foliage, crunchy leaves, pumpkins, golden hues, bountiful harvests, and crackling fires.  


Here is a peek at the past month...


September 2nd  My girls on the first day of the new school year



Changing leaves




Early foliage drives




The return of the blue jays to my backyard








September 8  The spectacular full harvest moon 
(photo taken with my phone through our telescope viewfinder)




Adorable Chippy stuffing his cheeks with peanuts to hide away for the winter 




 Chopping firewood to fill the woodshed and our wood-burning stove




Roasted butternut squash 

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.  Brush the squash with butter and add a teaspoon (of butter) into the cavity.  Season with sea salt.  Roast for approximately 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the size. Remove the squash when it's golden brown and tender,  I like to sprinkle cinnamon all over, and have some butter nearby.  Enjoy!



I hope September has been good to you!  Wishing you a wonderful weekend and a happy almost-fall! 











21 comments:

  1. Beautiful pictures! Fall is on its way, indeed! It just feels so good to slip into a sweater, doesn't it? Right now it is chilly in the house and I have turned on the fireplace and covered with a quilt in my cozy chair to have my tea and read the paper! I've missed that! Have a beautiful almost Autumn weekend, sweet girl. ♥

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    1. Thank you, dear Karen! You sound so cozy all wrapped up in your comfy chair. Happy Autumn! xo

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  2. Hi Rosinda! I am loving your beautiful Fall images in this post! I agree about the changing seasons - I love them all, but Fall is my favorite. It's the time when things start to get cozy and the warm sweaters and blankets come out! Your girls look so adorable on their first day! I hope school is going well so far. It's nice to see the changing leaves. Ours are just at the beginning stages. I'm eager waiting for them to pop! Enjoy your cozy fires (I wish I had a fireplace!). And your roasted butternut squash looks so yummy! Squash is one of my favorite foods of all time! I am going grocery shopping tonight and I'm going to get myself a nice one to roast up this weekend! Happy Friday, my friend! ♥♥♥

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    1. Thank you, Danielle! I enjoyed a lazy weekend at home. I hope your weekend was lovely, too. The girls are enjoying school so far and are pleased with their teachers. I hope your son is enjoying the new school year, too!? xo

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  3. Beautiful photos...the jays & chippy especially (& of course the girls and Nuno-the-lumberjack!!) we are unseasonably warm here...still in the 70s which is unheard of, but very welcome! I bought a Queen Squash today, so I might just be roasting her this Sunday after your delicious inspiration! Happy weekend Antunes family! Xx

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    1. Thank you, sweetie! Happy weekend to you, Paul and Alice! Hope you had a lovely, autumnal weekend! xx

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  4. What beautiful photographs, Rosinda! How happy and lovely it is around your neck of the woods. Your girls are growing into lovely young women. I bet they will have a wonderful school year. Your hubby has been quite busy! We used to heat our home with wood--I remember those chopping days of the past. Fall has always been my favorite season also...It's still in the 70's here, but cool enough to roast a chicken and veggies for dinner. I love this cozy time of year! Have a lovely weekend, sweetie! ♥

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  5. Oh, yes! Autumn is on her way wearing her leafy reds, yellows, and oranges! Your photographs are so delightful, especially the blue jay. That squash looks so yummy! I've never baked one to eat sweet, always savoury. Something new to try. ~~~waving~~~

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    1. Thank you, Deborah! I always tend to bake my squash sweet. I will have to try a savoury version next time! Waving from this side of the pond! xx

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  6. Dear Rosinda, my Sunshine,
    Loved every picture, every word and every phrase...As always!
    Just beautiful the way you share your love for life, for nature and for family. You make all of us that are that know you appreciate all what we have!
    From the begging to the end I had a smile on my face and it made me feel so close to you, as if we were in the same room <3
    I'm so proud of you for Yesterday, Today and for all the days of our lives! Happy Fall to you, Nuno, Anita and Annabel. Four of my so many Blessings!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 xoxoxo

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    1. Thank you, mom! Happy autumn to you, as well! P.S. We are so looking forward to your turkey on Thanksgiving! xo

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  7. Thank you so much for that fall tableau. I had seen some of the pics--the darling girls on their first school day and the bathing birdy, but it was fun to see Nuno Paul Bunyan, talk about a lot of work, and the autumn leaves, which I miss so much here. It's nice to see what seasons look like. As you know September here has been either a steam bath or a sauna with an occasional nice day thrown in. No fall, nowhere. So it was such a pleasure to see yours. Happy autumn Rosinda! ♥

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    1. Thank you, Nancy! Hopefully, you can experience a bit of autumn through my pics on the blog. I hope you are keeping cool and enjoying the last official days of summer in LA. Love and hugs...xx

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  8. Lovely girls on their first day of school. Our local schools began on August 11 here in East Tennessee!

    Butternut squash! Such a welcoming dish for Autumn.

    Enjoy the coming season to its fullest!

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    1. Thank you, dear Nellie! How lovely to see you here! August 11 sounds pretty early to start the new school year. I assume the students begin their summer breaks earlier too. Here the kids stay in school till end of June and return again in early September. Autumn blessings to you and yours! xx

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  9. Hi Rosinda, Your pictures are perfect and the one of your lovely daughters on their first day of school is very sweet. They are such happy looking girls, cute too. Three of our grandchildren have only just gone back to school today, the 22nd, after a strike. Our other two are in private school and they started on Sept. 2 like your girls.
    I do love your blue jay pictures and have never seen a blue jay like that where we live, but we do have stellar jays which we call blue jays. They come to the front door looking for peanuts, I dole them out by the handful and they have great fun hiding them all around the yard in the bushes and plant pots. I don't have a Chippy here but I have a Mr. Squirrel and he gets in on the fun as well.
    A very beautiful cheery post.
    Thank you for brightening up my day with colour.
    Audrey.

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    1. Hello Audrey! Thank you for stopping in for a visit! It's always a pleasure to "see" you here! It pleases me to know that you, too, feed peanuts to the jays. What fun it must be to watch them hide the nuts around your yard! If you don't mind me asking, what little corner of the world do you live in? Just curious... Happy Autumn! xx

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    2. Hi Rosinda,
      Like you, I love birds, blue skies, nature, sunsets etc...and all the beauty that is offered for us to 'see'.
      The cooking part, well, I used to be really good at it, but I have kind of lost my momentum in the kitchen at the moment. I try keep trying though.
      I have noticed that you use twitter, and I was going to send you a tweet just for fun, but I don't know how it all works so that hasn't happened.
      I live in West Vancouver, B.C.
      Enjoy the beauty of the fall leaves this autumn.
      Audrey

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    3. How lovely it is to learn more about you, Audrey! It looks like we have a lot in common! I do have a twitter account, but don't use it as often as I once did. However, I do check in from time to time and would love it if you sent me a tweet! Ahh, you're a fellow Canadian, eh? How wonderful! Unfortunately, I have never visited B.C., but I know it's incredibly beautiful there. Enjoy this splendid season. Hope to "see" you again very soon! xo

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  10. I just loved your post, sweet Rosinda!! I am so glad the girls love their teachers and they are getting so tall! I was so very lucky to get a little taste of fall in the Adirondacks several weeks ago, before coming home to triple digits! Ha! Thank you for the gorgeous photos of the lovely maples and hills!!! Have a wonderful fall with all it has to offer and I treasure your marvelous photography, dear one! Much love, Sherry xoxo

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    1. Thank you for your lovely comments, sweet Sherry! How wonderful it must have been to visit the Adirondacks at this time of year; the beautiful fall foliage beginning to peek through. You are very blessed indeed! Happy autumn to you and yours! xoxo

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