All the Magic and Splendor of Autumn

Hello friends!  Let me start off by wishing you a happy October and a fun, festive fall!  I am so fond of the changing seasons. Each holds its own beauty, no doubt, but for me, the most special of all is autumn.  Nothing can quite compare to the landscape of glowing red, orange, and yellow maple leaves in the autumnal light. Ahhh,  the nip in the air, sweater weather, the smell of wood smoke, cozy fires, apples, and pumpkins!  Who can resist pumpkin season? I know I can't.  Pumpkin spice anything is fine by me!

Last Friday, Nuno, took an unexpected day off work.  Our girls didn't have school that day and the local fall color report listed that the foliage at Algonquin Park was at its peak for viewing, sooo my darling husband whisked us off for a surprise overnight getaway!  If you've never heard of Algonquin Park, I can tell you that it's probably the most famous provincial park in Ontario, as well as one of the best places to admire fall foliage at its peak.  Tourists come from all over the world at this time of year to see the vibrant red and sugar maples of this region.  We are lucky we live just a wee two-hour drive away.  It makes for a perfect day trip!


I would love to take you along on our leaf peeping drive through Algonquin Park.  Would you like to join us?  There's plenty of room for all!   Nuno will drive and all we have to do is sit back and enjoy the scenery.  It's a perfect day for it; endless blue skies and warm sunshine!  You don't even need to bring your sweater; just a pair of comfortable walking shoes.  Have I convinced you?  Yes?  Well then, hop in and make yourself comfortable.  Here we gooooo!

The fall colors along both sides of the Highway 60 Corridor are so vibrant!

And through the magic of the Internet...

Here we are at the park gate, safe and sound.  Yippee!  Let's get out and have a little stretch.  That's better.  Let's make our way, shall we?

Our first stop is less than 10 km into the park.  Look at this view!  Doesn't it take your breath away? The lake is so still and smooth as glass. The sky is the prettiest shade of blue and the fall colors are spectacular, don't you agree?

Look at this splendid scene!  It looks like something out of the cover of a magazine!

I am in awe of the magnificent backdrops that surround us here!

We should probably stop a while to fully appreciate the view.  It looks like our driver has found a perfect little spot to cast his line.  

Follow us as we hike the 2 km Lookout Trail   It's a steep climb to the top, but the scenic lookout promises to be well worth it!

And so it is!  We're up so high!  Careful! Don't get too close to the edge of the cliff!
Ahh!  This incredible vista was worth the effort, don't you think?


We should probably head on back to the car now.  My feet are getting tired and I'm sure yours are too!  Thank you so much for coming along with me.  I had such a good time!  I hope you did, too!

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A Blessed & Thankful Weekend

It is the day after Thanksgiving holiday (for those of us who live in Canada).  Nearly one month has passed since my last post and of course, so much has happened since then!  The fleeting fall season is upon us and the autumnal trees are boasting their magnificent hues.  The girls have been in school for over one month now and our family has settled back into the daily routines and orderly schedules of the school year. 

 

On a less pleasant note, our little Annabel broke her arm over a week ago.  I can't tell you how awful it was for me the first couple of days.  But because Annabel is so strong and brave, she keeps me focusing on the positive.  With all the extra love and attention she's getting; fingers crossed, by Halloween, her cast will come off, and she will be good as new again! 

 

Aside from that bit of sad news, everything else is great!  We had such a glorious holiday weekend; filled with so many good things, I just can't wait to share it with all of you!

 

On Saturday, we went on our annual fall drive to see the changing leaves at their peak.  A mere thirty minute drive from our home, in the city of Orillia, we saw this spectacular scenery!

 

 

 

Autumn is my favourite season and these photos are proof of it.  Can you see the vibrant red, orange and yellow leaves?  It is breathtaking to see the trees on a sunny fall day; they radiate such a soft, warm glow this time of year.  It is M-A-G-I-C! 

The girls and I picked pretty fallen leaves and stuffed them in a book to take home and dry. 

 

We stopped for lunch and then went for afternoon tea at this quaint and cozy tea house in Orillia.

Click on the photo for a link to the website!

 

 

At the White Lions Tea House we enjoyed freshly brewed tea and scones!  If you are ever in the area, you must stop in and visit.  Laurie, the owner, is so warm and welcoming, and her freshly baked scones are delicious! 

 

Here is Laurie's selection of loose-leaf tea.  I love how she stores them in clear glass jars.  Even the drawers are smiling!

On Sunday afternoon, I made pumpkin pie to take to my parents' home for Thanksgiving the next day.

Here is the pie dough.  It's the first time I ever made this type of pie edge.  I notice that the more pies I make, the better I become at playing with the dough. 

I also made half a dozen mini pies, to be on the safe side.  Our house is full of pumpkin pie lovers and it would be very dangerous to have a whole pie out on the counter, for all to see. We wouldn't want anything happening to the Thanksgiving pie, now would we?


And finally, the much anticipated day arrived - Thanksgiving day - at my parents' house.

Here is the famous 24 pound turkey, after five hours roasting in the oven.
 For some reason, the turkey keeps getting tastier and tastier as the years go by!

Thanksgiving is about tradition.  Here are a few of ours:

My mom always makes the turkey, stuffing and potatoes
We always celebrate at my parents' house
I always bake the pumpkin pie
My dad always sets the table
Nuno (my husband) always carves and serves the turkey
We always eat too much!

I love this picture!  I was taking a photo of Nuno carving the turkey, when I noticed Anita unaware and staring at the turkey, licking her lips.  Simply priceless!

My plate - turkey breast, stuffing, potatoes and gravy - YUM!

And lastly, our dessert...

a slice of homemade pumpkin pie! 

This year we added something new to our Thanksgiving celebration.  Annabel and I wrote a Thanksgiving prayer together.  Annabel read it at the table yesterday before we carved the turkey.  From now on, the prayer will be read every year at our Thanksgiving dinner. 

I hope that my fellow Canadian friends enjoyed yesterday's Thanksgiving holiday. I hope it was filled with lots of love and gratitude.  I am thankful every day, but particularly on Thanksgiving day, for my wonderful family, my dear friends, my loving husband, and precious daughters. 

I am glad that a holiday like Thanksgiving exists; reminding us to take time out from our busy lives to fully appreciate all of our blessings.  Because no matter where we are in this life, no matter what the circumstances, there is always something to be thankful for.

Many blessing to you all!  Have a wonderful week and continue to enjoy the autumn leaves, while they're still here!  xo