Must Be Fall

It truly must be fall. Leaves have turned red, yellow, orange and have started falling by the truckload. Piles at the side of the streets of Woodstock await the snuffleupagus thingey. And Ron and I have turned to home improvements, yet again. Last Saturday we took five hours to hang about one double roll of wallpaper as a back splash in our kitchen. We love it.

The colours are not quite as you see here as there is a blue tinge and a cranberry tinge to some of the 'bricks' but the lighting for my camera didn't work perfectly. This shot of our desk cubby hole is a bit closer to the actual colour. We discovered that the fluorescent tube under cupboard lighting here is more white than the others. Now we have to go looking for new bulbs that are more white.

We really like that the cords don't show up nearly as much from across the room as they did against a cream wall. And now we're on a mission to decorate the space above the cupboards. Here is our latest acquisition from a trip to London on Sunday afternoon. I loved the red! And, no, the wallpaper is NOT yellow as it appears in this picture.

My next piece will have blue in it, I hope, as that is one of our colours. Yes, it's fall and we're cocooning once again. Mmm. Almost time to make Christmas cake.

I Adora Elora Gorge

Many years ago my husband and I were introduced to the Elora Gorge Conservation Area on a hiking day with close friends. Last weekend the two of us were there again. We paid our $10 to get into the park, left our car in the designated area right at the trail head, put on our walking shoes and struck out through the trees. Multitudes of people were there that sunny, warm day in fall making a solitary walk impossible. Nevertheless the gorge beckoned and we all shared it.

There is a huge drop down to a small meandering river and sometime many years ago this sturdy fence was built for safety. It also adds to the view. Along the trail we found a ravine and climbed down to see the gorge from the bottom. I loved the towering walls lining the serene river as hikers and adventurers dipped into the scene.

I couldn't get enough pictures.

This was really a lovely place to reconnoiter.

Of course hiking down the ravine meant hiking back up but we did it with not too much effort. Guess we're in better shape than we think. Near the village of Elora, this stone shell of an old mill (I expect) is a powdery grey-white and quite beautiful.

Another shot of the same place focuses on the gnarled old tree by the path.

My husband took this shot of me but couldn't get one without others in it as well, so busy was the trail that day. Note the bridge in the background. We were almost in the village.

Another old mill across the river has found a new life with a restaurant on the bottom floor. As we got closer we saw all the veranda tables filled. What a lovely spot to get refreshed!

And here is the river with its water rushing over worn rock towards the rapid fall a few feet away.

Some Canada geese were washing their webby feet as the sun soothed and cameras clicked. Ideal.

Heading back towards the trail we explored the abandoned mill from a different angle. I had to take a picture of Ron, framed by this solid and secure stone wall.

Fall is so exceptional because out of the cool days and nippy nights suddenly comes a sun-filled warm day framed by sparkling waters and rioting trees of red, orange and yellow. This was one such glorious day.

Mountain Grandeur

Today's pictures are of our hikes with good friends and the breath taking scenery they are fortunate enough to experience year round. They live in Canmore AB except for the winter months when they snowbird off to Florida.

My traveling buddy, Ron, sits before the Bow River in Banff.


Two different days we went hiking with John and Heather. This is one of the views.



Here are John and I hamming it up, as usual, while Ron relaxes.


We thought this would be a great place to golf. Ron has his eye on the Kananaskis country for a golf trip with Kevin and Ben when Ben is 13. We have a while to wait!



This is fall in the Rockies. The yellow larch high up near the treeline are the equivalent to our fall colours here in Ontario. Very pretty.


I hiked up this seemingly endless set of steps in the hillside and turned around to take the picture.


This is a kayaking course where the brave test their skill and endurance going through various twists and turns. I was happy to be on dry land.


This fellow had a kind of a surf board, tied to his ankle so that it wouldn't get away down the rapids, and he was surfing in the fast flow of water coming through these rocks. Until he fell off, but each time he did he made his difficult way back to the notch and surfed again.


The red kayak below centred my picture nicely, don't you think?


Another of the same kayaker.


The Bow River is the centre of many a mountain shot here in Banff. I was disappointed that the famous Bow River view from the veranda of the Banff Springs Hotel has been obscured by trees which have been allowed to grow up.


On our second hiking day we took an easy trail up, up and up. I thought it was pretty hard until I saw what these fellows were doing--mountain climbing!


When we reached the top this panorama was our reward. I could have sat there all day.


And I got another shot of the same view, this time with John surveying the mountains.


John, Heather and I paused a moment for Ron to get our picture. This was my first foray with walking sticks and I found them quite helpful going up. Coming down I just carried them.


Well we're not about to move west any time soon but, my oh my, this is a beautiful part of Canada. Our friends have taken wholeheartedly to the hiking and climbing that is so spectacular around Canmore and Banff and I am a little envious. Meanwhile my husband and I have new hiking shoes and yesterday we hiked the Elora Gorge. Pretty cool there, too.

Quick Brown Fox: "My Sister’s Keeper" by Jodi Picoult, reviewed by Elaine Cougler

Please visit Quick Brown Fox for my review of a fabulous book, My Sister's Keeper.

Quick Brown Fox: "My Sister’s Keeper" by Jodi Picoult, reviewed by Elaine Cougler

Canmore Collection

Partway along the trail beside Lake Louise I took this shot as we walked towards the cut in the distance. Still the lake was glassy. Later as we returned kayaks cut into the water with very slight ripples which spread across the lake.


Here Ron posed for me before the more visible glacier which we were nearing. Taking a bad picture would be pretty difficult here.


After our lunch in the restaurant at Chateau Lake Louise where we were seated by a window looking out over the lovely lake, we made our way a few miles up to Moraine Lake. A kind passerby took our picture in front of this grizzly (I think!) and I made copies for our two grandchildren. Of course we know this is a statue but the wee ones will be wondering, I'm sure.

Moraine Lake was worth the drive even though the sun had disappeared for our visit. These mountains have so many secrets to give up that I think we could travel forever and not see everything.

I knew about Japanese internments in British Columbia during the second world war but this monument told of Alberta's camps for suspect peoples. This one was along the secondary route, not the Trans Canada, the 1A, I think. We made the stop and remembered a not so wonderful part of our Canadian history.

Back on the Trans Canada highway I made Ron stop so I could get a good picture of the crossings which have been built for wildlife to get over the highway. I had read about these before so knew what we were seeing. There are many in different stages of development along the route to Banff and beyond. Such a good idea. Notice the vegetation planted all over the trail. I would have loved to see moose, bear, mountain goats, sheep or anything using the crossover but was not so lucky.

As we drove the Trans Canada we needed our movie camera as there was never a moment when stunning sights and beautiful mountain vistas were not before our eyes. I love this country!


Horseback riding is big in the Rockies and even in Banff you can rent horses and go on a trek along the Bow River.

Elk saunter nonchalantly over the green spaces along the Bow but also on the actual golf course and wherever they want, it seems. Of the many pictures I took, this one captures the idyllic life of a Bow River elk.

I think I'll get that picture blown up and framed.

Banff Blowout

My last two weeks have been nothing short of fabulous. My husband and I were in Banff, Alberta for four days, Canmore for three days and then home before heading to Leamington, Ontario for two more days. And it was all good. Then this morning, I walked from our home in the northernmost part of this city all the way to the Quality Hotel on the south near the 401. It took me one hour and fifteen minutes. All of that time was energizing so that I'm now pumped enough to carry on for the rest of the day. To start with here are some pictures from Alberta:

Monday morning we got up to a few inches of snow on the ground at the Banff Centre and a lot more on the surrounding mountains. The building to the left held my husband's conference sessions.

This is the reception area of the building where we stayed. I loved the trees all around, the mountains keeping watch, and the lovely baskets whose flowers were valiantly hanging on even through the overnight snow.

A parking lot with cars is not so special but these yellows are the look of fall in the Rockies. Later in the week we saw many more all through the mountains.

And here I couldn't help but think about juxtaposing this view with the sign 'Inspiring Creativity'.

Come Thursday morning the conference was over and we packed up to head for Lake Louise. I mean, you can't go to Banff without going to Lake Louise and although we had been there a few times before we welcomed the chance to see the lake at the end of September. She did not disappoint. Blue-green glass topped with wisps of cloud met us. I couldn't resist this shot of a Japanese tourist searching her bag for something--probably a camera.


We hiked off to the right of this picture on our quest for the glacier in the distance which feeds this pristine jewel.