October's END

Hmm ... October 31st???  Where did this month go?  Then again, where did July, August and September go?  It's hard to imagine October's end and November's start!  With a morning rain (freezing I might add) that seemed to wash away the remains of our first snowfall, our boys headed off to school to celebrate Halloween 2013!

By late morning the skies cleared and the sun returned!  Another glorious Fall day and a great evening for 'Trick or Treaters!' 

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Subtle Shades ...

Autumn is the hush before winter. 

~French Proverb

Ah ... a beautiful morning with subtle shades of both Autumn and Winter!  This little blanket of snow will not stay but I am certain it will be replenished soon!  

Catch Up

Friday & Saturday - October 25 and 26th, 2013 - The Calm Before ...

Life and it's craziness got the best of me for a few days but here is a catch up!  Autumn and all of its glory 'beamed' it's radiance on Friday and Saturday!  In fact, Saturday we enjoyed +19C (66F) temperatures!  Not bad for the 26th of October!  However, Mother Nature and Old Man Winter were up to their usual "lets trick the Canadians into thinking winter won't arrive!" and slammed us with our first snowfall and -12C (10F) on Sunday!  All together ... "YUCK!"

Sunday - October 27, 2013 - The First Taste of Winter

I guess we can't complain ... we really did have a gorgeous Fall and considering that this time last year we already had significant snow ... easy come, easy go!  

Monday, October 28, 2013 - Morning Fog & Frost

An early morning low fog left us with glittering hoar frost!  Not such a bad winter scene!

The HandHills in White!  Yes, winter has its beauty as well!

Tuesday, October 29, 2013 - Snow Sparkles

The 'F' Word ...

"FROSTY!"

Yes, the 'F' word was used again this morning BUT considering there is a 70% chance of the 'S' word forecasted for Sunday, "Frosty" might not be so bad!  

Feeling Lucky!

I count myself lucky, having long ago won a lottery paid to me in seven sunrises a week for life. 

~Robert Brault

It's true ... this really is my morning view and just as the above quote states, I do feel like I won the lottery seeing this each day!  Yes, I pinch myself and when people criticize farmers and ranchers for not leaving their home and travelling, I must say, it's hard when you have the sanctity of peace, the beauty of nature at your feet and the souls of both wildlife and livestock at your doorstep!  Farming and ranching is not necessarily an easy life but it is certainly a life easy to live!  ;)

Cloudy Skies ...

And the snow geese were certainly on the fly.  Yes, it was another grey day and more geese were saying "hasta la vista" as they flew over heading south.  I guess this means winter truly is on its way ...   :(

Swaying in the Wind

A quick snapshot today.  It was a beauty of a day temperature-wise but the wind had a bite to it!  Although, I guess one should NOT complain ... this time last year the 'white stuff' was here and it was here to stay!

Two-Tone

The weekend is over, as is the vibrant colours of Fall ... our prairie landscape is becoming very two-tone in nature!  

Windy ...

The wind shows us how close to the edge we are.  

~Joan Didion

... That or the wind makes us cranky and we avoid it (I managed to avoid taking a picture for most of the day)!  Brrr ... it was a miserably windy day and a cold wind at that!  

FRIDAY!

And if you are 'Eli' and 'Max' ... you take it easy on Friday's, especially if there is a sunbeam involved!  Ah, to be a cat!  

Have a great weekend everyone!

Dreaming of the Ocean

Aaaah yes, us land-locked prairie souls do drift off and dream of the ocean (a TROPICAL, WARM OCEAN) from time to time ... especially after enduring a COLD, howling wind all day that stripped the trees of more leaves!!!  It would appear our landscape is becoming the 'brown and grey blah' before the 'white' arrives!  However, the 'almost' full moon rising in the salmon coloured evening sky with ocean-like wavy clouds does assist with the 'dreaming!' :)

Naked ...

There are not many trees left with their 'clothes' on!  Our brilliant Fall colours are disappearing much too quickly.  UGH!  

The Last of the Hunters

*Sigh* ... slowly our hawk numbers are decreasing as more and more head south for the winter.  

Celebrating Thanksgiving With a Final Paddle

With harvest done, we couldn't think of a better way to celebrate Thanksgiving Day than loading up the canoe and enjoying a 'Fall' paddle down the Red Deer River!  It was a beauty of a day ... and we even 'braved' taking our crazy hounds! 

Hmm ... the hounds quite enjoyed themselves!

We usually travel this river in the late spring/early summer when it's running much higher, faster and the water is muddy!  It was such a treat paddling on it with crystal clear water!

Of course, one does have to stop for a 'snack break', hike and collect clam shells!

Our final destination ... Dry Island Buffalo Jump!

I am so thankful for so many things but I am most grateful for my family!  They are my rocks and without them life would certainly be less colourful and exciting.  Thanks for such a great day and thank you for everyday family!  I love you!    

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Harvest 2013 ...

Woo Hoo ... our 2013 Harvest is officially done!  Time to celebrate!

The End In Sight

Back in the field ... and hoping to finish!

Come Here Often?

I swear this Blue Jay had an in depth conversation with my "bird bath birds!"  I was pretty excited when I saw not only this Blue Jay but two others as well.  We used to get a dozen or so Blue Jays during the fall and winter years ago but these last few years they've been missing in action!  ???  Hmm ... perhaps these beauties will stick around to brighten the drab days that will soon be on the way!

Not Ready ...

Nope!  I am just not ready for all of our feathery friends to fly south for the winter.  Can we have a "redo" on Spring and Summer?