Down in the Valley

On Monday we took a drive down into the Beaver Valley, driving past our previous home to have a look, and then down Bowle's Hill.  The view straight ahead was spectacular, though I certainly haven't captured it well in these photos.  I think the colour was a little past its best, but still surprised us at every turn!

We've just started down Bowle's Hill in this photo, and you get a great view of the slope in front of you.

The middle of the slope held some brilliant red sugar Maple leaves.

Lower down the road there were some brilliant orange trees!  Those are the two surge tanks for the power plant just to the south.

And as we neared the bottom of the hill, two patches of bright yellow trees higher on the slope, showed up.

Turning left we drove north across the river from the Beaver Valley Ski Club where the slopes below the chalets that line the cliff are bright with oranges and yellows.

Driving south up the hill we pulled into the small lookout parking spot with this beautiful coloured maple.

The tips of many leaves were bright red,

This tree was the brightest red we saw - but also came with that common photographer's dilemma, a hydro wire across the middle of the picture.

This tree presented the entire spectrum of colour, from red to yellow.

Pulling out and heading back down into the valley toward Kimberley, we got a beautiful view of the entire valley, the best view in the area.

Just before the village I managed to get a clear view up toward the cliffs above.  This is not Old Baldy, but it's another outcrop of rock a short distance south.

Finishing my Adventure

I could have done to take my big camera, but my phone is so much more easily portable, so that would have to do.  Together with the simple editing I can do as I upload the photos, I'm hoping for the best.  And this was also a test of using Meaford Transit for some purpose other than medical - though you might say this was very good for my mental health!

I thought at the time that this was the best picture I took, the four trees lined up in a row.

But as you can see, there were lots of colours all around me, from yellows to orange.

And occassionally patches of red.

Though it was the yellows that were most common.

As I left I did see a young red oak, its leaves a deep deep red.

And on the drive out there were a few American Beech.

It's interesting which pictures catch your eye, sometimes a small patch of leaves and branches, ....

And sometimes an entire tree.  I was really happy with my adventure, both the photographs and the whole successful adventure.  Who knows what comes next!

My Cemetery Adventure

The place to see fall colour here in Meaford is our local cemetery.  Full of old Sugar Maples, it's just a glorious atmosphere of orange at this time of year.  This is much more than a few photographs, for this was an adventure for me.  I had the Meaford transit drop me off there after physio, I stayed and got a LOT of pictures, and then I rode all the way home - about 40 minutes.  I've been looking forward to this adventure all summer!

There's a group of old trees right by the entrance which I remembered from a past visit.

It was hard to take in all the colour, the air seemed filled with it.

There's also a nice pond here.

I headed out through the older part of the cenetery watching for pictures that would catch my eye.

It's quite a large cemetery, subdivided with roads that are quite suitable for a wheelchair.  Always there were big trees in the distance.

The biggest of these is an old gnarled giant in the farthest back corer.  I love its lumpy bark!

The road to get into the main part of the cemetery is long and straight, lined with trees on both sides.

And every now and then I'd catch a glimpse of the distant chapel under the trees.

  The orange trees shone everywhere.

The Leaves Are Turning Fast Now!

As I drive around it seems that the tree leaves are turning fast now, most of them to yellow rather than red, but still there's a colourful beauty around us now that will only last for two or three weeks.  These pictures are taken nearby but beyond our own street.

Two beautiful trees just around the corner.

Some reddish leaves but mostly yellow.

And around a further two or three blocks are the yellow leaves of another tree.

I love this tree because I can get so close.

And how about this Burning Bush!

Wednesday I undertook an expedition to our local cemetery, beautiful at this time of year.  I had the driver drop me off there, I spent 45 minutes taking pictures, and then I rode home, a long but enjoyable ride.  The next couple of posts will feature some of those photos.

And Yet More Fall Colours!

I keep thinking that it's a poor year for fall colour, but now it seems that lots of trees are changing.  They're changing to yellow or orange rather than red though.  You really have to search for trees with patches of red leaves.  I now have lots of pictures, having spent an hour outside sweeping leaves and maple keys off the deck and patio, and yesterday having made a big expedition to our local cemetery - gorgeous at this time of year with all its old maples.

Sometimes it's the whole tree that is colourful; other times a single leaf is all you need - captured before I swept it to oblivion!

Even our own maples just outside the house are now showing some colour, and today, two days later,  they're considerably redder.

The second of the big Sugar Maples out on the golf course is now quite red.

While the first has already lots many of its leaves.

Before we go further afield, just down the street is a lovely small White Birch, now all yellow.

More Fall Colours

The fall colours seem to be much more muted, more yellows than red, harder to find and later than usual this year.  We're halfway through October and there's been no frost yet - and none in the forecast.  I found a total of three trees to get pictures of yesterday; most trees are simply still green!  These are still just one of the original two trees I saw two days ago.

This is a Norway Maple which stands just outside the hospital, only five blocks away.

I often find that I like pictures showing both the dark trunk and larger branches and the leaves.

But the leaves themselves are what provides the fall colour.

The sin shining through the leaves is usually more effective than sun shining on the leaves, as below.

At least at this tree I can get fairly close with the zoom on my phone camera.

And leaning back really far I got this shot right overhead.

Did you spot the visiting rodent spying on you?