Showing posts with label pumpkin patch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pumpkin patch. Show all posts

Friday, October 14, 2016

Enchanted October!

We're nearly half-way through October and the fall season is in full swing here. I snapped several photos this past week showcasing some of the beauty and splendor of autumn in Ontario.

Here we are driving along the Highway 60 corridor into Algonquin Park to see the gorgeous fall colours at their peak!  We're so lucky to live just a short two-hour drive from this, the oldest provincial park in Canada!  It is one of the most picturesque places to see the fall foliage in Ontario, with the dominant colours being red and orange.  I actually stood in the middle of the highway to get this shot!  



We pulled over to breathe in the fresh air and gaze at the vibrant colours reflecting in the water.  I will never tire of this view!


Annabel, sitting and reflecting...



 Anita and I posing for a photo amidst the gorgeous scenery. We are both in our element here.  I so love this picture. In fact, we got it printed at the Algonquin Park Visitor Centre on the same day! 


These are some of the trees we saw on our hike through the "Lookout Trail".   I spent most of the day in absolute awe of our surroundings.  We were even lucky enough to spot a Mama moose and her calf walking alongside each other in the forest by the highway.  I look forward to visiting again next year! 



Photo opportunities are lurking all along the old country roads in and around our city. I couldn't help snapping a photo of this pretty scene!  Don't you just love a rail fence?


And here's one last photo of Annabel enjoying a hay ride into a local pumpkin patch last Sunday! We picked out our pumpkins to take home where we will eventually carve them for Halloween. The tractor ride back to the barn was so much fun!  We ended the visit with a cup of hot apple cider before heading home. Our annual trips to the pumpkin patch always remind me of the Peanuts episode, "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown".  And not one October goes by that I don't watch it.  It's tradition!



Wednesday, November 6, 2013

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