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! 

The Full Worm Moon, the Return of the Robins and Spring!

Every month, I look forward to seeing the full moon.  I love how each full moon has its own special name and significance.  The early Native Americans are the ones who gave the moons their unique names.

Below is a list of the full moon names, according to the Farmers' Almanac.  You can learn more about them on the Farmers' Almanac website.

January Wolf Moon

February Snow Moon

March Worm Moon

April Pink Moon

May Flower Moon

June Strawberry Moon

July Buck Moon or Thunder Moon

August Sturgeon Moon or Red Moon

September Corn Moon or Harvest Moon

October Hunters Moon

November Beaver Moon

December Long Night's Moon or Cold Moon

The last full moon occurred on March 27, 2013.  I was lucky enough to see it that day; in the early morning hours, when it was still dark out. It was so bright and beautiful.  I remember calling Nuno to come see it outside our living room window before he went off to work.  Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of it that morning and later in the evening, when I went looking for it again, it was hidden behind the clouds.

I don't always see the full moon, of course. It all depends on how clear the sky is that day.

But, I do have a photo of last January's wolf moon...

I remember it being very cold and it was snowing that evening.

And this is a photo of last December's Long Nights Moon

I took this photo at Niagara-on-the-Lake, on the eve of my birthday! 

As I mentioned before, I don't have a picture of last month's full worm moon to show you, but I can tell you how the name came about, according to the old Native Americans.  In March, the temperature warms up and the snow begins to melt. In turn, the ground softens up and the worms start to appear.  And you know what that means, right?  The robins come back to pronounce it's spring!  

 On Wednesday, my first spring robin appeared! I found him in our crabapple tree! 

He came to announce the arrival of spring.  It's not official until the robins return.  And they're here!

I found another one hopping around in our yard this morning...

This sweet pair of house finches were out there this morning, too.

And look who's back!  It's Chippy!

I'm not sure if it's the same one from last summer.  Do you remember him?  We had him eating peanuts from our hand, which reminds me, I have to go out and buy some more peanuts!

As you can see, the full worm moon was fittingly named.  It has brought forth the return of the worms and robins!  Spring is definitely in the air, although, we still have some stubborn, crusty snow on the ground.  It is quite cold and the wind is still raging and frigid.  But I dream of warmer days, the blossoming of our trees and flowers, and the delicious scent of blooming lilacs.  

Wishing you all sunshine, robins, and a happy spring!   

The Week in Pictures (May 6-13)

A picture is worth a thousand words...

How adorable is this little guy?  He's a little camera-shy though!

Fiddlehead picking in the forest on a drizzly Tuesday

Perfect for the picking!

Fiddlehead season is over, but not at our house!  We trimmed,washed, boiled and froze
the fiddleheads for yummy meals to come!

Do you know what these are?

The white trillium  - the emblem and official flower of the province of Ontario
I was overjoyed to find an entire field of them alongside the highway

Our crabapple tree in full bloom

Yotam Ottolenghi's recipe for baked eggplant

My first attempt at Victoria Sponge

Saturday, getting ready for a Mother's day celebratory lunch

Lunch at Red Lobster Seafood Restaurant

Sunday - Mother's Day - in my parents' pretty yard with my Mom and my girls


I hope everyone enjoyed this past week as much as I did.  Here, in Barrie, it looks like yet another beautiful weather week to come.  I feel blessed and thankful.  How was your week?