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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Farewell, October...Hello, November!

Hello dear friends!  How lovely it is to be in your company again!  I have been absent from my blog for far too long (since September). I could hardly find the time to write a post considering October was full to the brim with excitement and much goings-on!  I will try to compensate for my absence with a visual account of the past month.

my neighborhood in October

"Oh, Marilla," she exclaimed one Saturday morning, coming dancing in with her arms full of gorgeous boughs, "I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. It would be terrible if we just skipped from September to November, wouldn't it? Look at these maple branches. Don't they give you a thrill--several thrills?” - L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

The crabapples on our tree out back turned from green to red in early October.


Look at the vibrant fall colors!  I am in love...

Nuno, the girls, and I had tons of fun at the Pumpkin Festival at Chappell Farms!  We took a tractor ride to the pumpkin patch and picked our own pumpkins - right off the vine! 

We enjoyed getting lost in the corn maze, walking atop the hay maze, and visiting with some of the farm animals there (sheep, goats, bunnies, chickens...even turkeys!)  Speaking of turkeys...

In Canada, we celebrate Thanksgiving in October, unlike my American friends who celebrate in November.
  This year we were extra thankful, as we were treated to three, yes, THREE Thanksgiving celebrations!  I would like to thank my parents, my in-laws, and my brother-in-law and his girlfriend for hosting and serving such scrumptious food.  The time spent with family on days like these is priceless!

 Here is Nuno, my husband, carving my mother's turkey on Thanksgiving weekend.  Isn't he adorable?

The beautiful view of Canal Lake in the fall.  We spent Thanksgiving day here with my in-laws at their home-away-from-home.


I was amazed to see several robins in our yard the following weekend!

I have never seen robins so late in the season in my yard before.  The last time I had seen one was in late August.  I found it odd to see them back again.  Maybe they came for one last farewell?  Goodbye robins...I will miss you!  I look forward to seeing you again in the spring!

I am happy to inform you that although some birds have flown south, many others are still regular visitors to my yard.  The black-capped chickadees (on the left) visit daily, as do the house finches.  Occasionally, I see mourning doves feeding off the ground and I've even spotted a downy woodpecker (on the right) three times last month!  Oh, and a cardinal came to visit one day, too!


We also got some snow!  Not much, just a tiny dusting one week before Halloween.

Snow on the rose blooms in front of our house.

It didn't last very long, thank goodness!  I'm not ready for winter yet!  There will be plenty of time for that!  By mid-day the snow was nowhere to be seen.

With October came breath-taking sunrises, like this one; the sky ablaze in pink!  It' so very beautiful to look at, yet fleeting; one minute you see it, the next, it's gone! (This shot was taken from my bedroom window).


And finally, it's Halloween!

We each designed and carved our pumpkins while listening to a medley of Halloween songs.  My favorite part is scooping out the pulp!  Nuno and I helped Annabel carve hers!  I saved the pumpkin seeds and roasted them.  We also made caramel apples!  Mmm!

Even our cat, Buddy, shared in the Halloween festivities!

This year, Annabel dressed as a Southern Belle!  She looked so darling!

And here is Anita, dressed as Cleopatra!  She looked gorgeous...I still can't believe how much she's grown in the last year!


How was your October?  Did you have a fun Halloween?  This last month was filled with beauty and blessings at our house. I hope the same can be said for you!

Happy November, dear friends!  I hope this new month brings you much health, happiness, and blessings! xoxo