Fall Colour Out the Window

I take lots of fall colour shots every year, and this year is no exception.  But every year I wonder what sorts of shots capture the vibrancy of fall the best.  I do know that here the Sugar Maples are the ones that turn bright orange and red, so I search those out.  Even then I often think that close-ups of a few leaves capture fall better than broader shots of a group of trees.  These are all shots taken straight out our living room window; hope you enjoy them!

Catching Up to the Fall Colour

Suddenly here it is past mid-October and fall colour is bursting out all around!  I have several posts left from late September that I haven't written yet, but I can always return to those (an apple farm, migrating salmon, and the pumpkin farm), so I'm going to introduce you to some leaves turning colour today, and there will be much more in coming posts.

We headed out for a drive on Tuesday, in hopes of finding some good fall colour to photograph (and perhaps some Sandhill Cranes).  We drove west of Owen Sound instead of down into the valley, and we were successful on both counts.

The colour started immediately but finding bright red trees was much harder/  Those were only the Sugar Maples.

I sometime like to include some big branches in the picture.  Somehow I thin it makes it more striking.

Eventually we got on some real back roads, stopping to say hello to a herd of curious cattle.

And then there they were - a flock of about 100 Sandhill Cranes in the very far distance.  We stopped quickly; there will be more pictures of these unique birds.

There were several stretches of roadside with lines of red Sugar Maples!

Back here at home it's a different story.  I can get close to at least some leaves, and I enjoy taking time to compose my pictures.  It's a challenge getting good shots while driving unless we actually stop.  And some Sugar Maples are yellow, like this one.

Others havwe hearby hydro lines, so you have to select smaller bits of the tree.

And right here in our own backyard the leaves are looking like this these days.  What's your favourite sort of fall colour picture?

More Scarecrows

There are lots more scarecrows, mostly downtown, so here's a selection for your blogging pleasure!  Lots of pictures, no comments, so just scroll though them! 

The Scarecrows Invade!

Every year during the months of September and October the scarecrows invade Meaford!  Oh, it's a spooky, scary time with those scarecrows; they seem to emerge out of nowhere.  But you can be sure that behind the scenes there's a group of dedicated volunteers!

This community festival attracts lots of people downtown; the main displays are in the areas around Meaford Hall.  It lasts an entire two months and there's a scarecrow parade in late September.

A couple of eager parents dragging their kid around.

One of the more colourful characters.

This poor thin fellow was hanging in a tree.

This was quite appealing, why I don't know!

This of course was my favourite!  A scarecrow in a wheelchair!

Colourful characters all!  I'm sure it's great fun for the volunteers planning out what face and clothes they'd give their scarecrow!

A fierce viking!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I was rolling down the ramp off our deck a week or two ago and I almost ran right into a Monarch butterfly, sitting on the Verbena which normally brushes my shoulder at this point.  This late in the season I both hoped it would make it before winter, and felt thankful that the powers that be brought me such beauty!

the butterfly only fluttered a few blooms away and landed again, spreading its wings.  It looked newly emerged, clean and untattered.

So I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving weekend.  

And for all my American readers, your turn will come!

New England Aster

I've thought that September was the month when thousands of goldenrod flowered, but I've changed my mind this year.  Goldenrod (we actually have about a dozen species) start blooming at the beginning of August and i'm waiting into September to see the beautiful purple blooms of New England Aster.  In fact I found myself wondering if all the purple aster had been wiped out, but once early September arrived, there they were.

Once I found them, the closest blossoms for me to photograph were right behind our mailbox!

Altogether these shots come from about four different locations.

Sometimes there are still goldenrod blooming with the asters, a bit of yellow lasting into October.

This is a really unusual goldenrod, looking like little puffballs, but I have been unable to find a name that corresponds.

So now in my books, August is the yellow month and September in the purple month!

Happy Thanksgiving weekend!

Finishing the Garden Story

The garden photos I started sharing  three posts ago all arose because I spent half a day watching our gardener work.  The purpose was to remove three circular raised beds (purchased as firepit rings), and while out there supervising him, I had lots of time to roam around, camera in hand.  Sorry, there are lots of pictures!

The starting point was these three circular beds.  The problem was that the rear of these in particular was suffering from too much shade, and fine roots from the nearby maple tree climbing up in the beds, interfering with the veggies.

This is the new linear bed that will replace them, and sit further out into the sun.

First the old raised beds had to come out.

This took a fair amount of digging and prying with the shovel, but out they came after an hour's work!

The new one was anything but level when it was first placed in.

Then the digging began, and this was the hardest part, 

for under our thin layer of topsoil is very hard clay.

Eventually our very hard-working gardener got it done and the new raised bed was reasonably level.

Then He and Mrs. F.G. packed the bottom with layers of cardboard.  This is a trick the head gardener had researched, hoping it will keep tree roots out!  This was also the rare moment I could actually help, cutting up cardboard boxes for them to use.

After that the available soil from the previous raised beds was shovelled into the new raised bed.  Not enough, but it's a start.

Then Mrs. F.G. and our gardener stood and admired their (his) work. 

This is the raised bed today.  The good soil from several pots and grow-bags, and two of the 'towers' has been added to make the new raised bed ready for planting!  A job well done!

I should also introduce our gardener.  When I came home paralyzed we realized we would need help.  I was the under-gardener at out previous home, taking direction from Mrs. F.G.  It turned out that neighbours had a nephew who was interested.  He's married, with a full-time job in Owen Sound, but he's over here in Meaford nearly every weekend, helping either his mother or his aunt and uncle with things.

He wanted to earn extra money though, so we hired him.  He and Mrs. F.G. talk horticulture for 45 minutes most times he visits, they exchange seeds and she gives him plants for his own garden.  Also we pay him well.  I think this is his fifth year working for us, and let me tell you, we wouldn't be doing this without him!