Replay – Beaver Valley Thanksgiving Fall Colour Road Trip

Well, this Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada, which usually(not always) coincides with peak fall leaf colour change – depending on where you might be hanging your hat at the present moment. In our area currently in Nova Scotia, the leaves are close to their peak, perhaps just a few days away from peaking. Other areas of the province say on the north-eastern side along the world-famous Cabot Trail, they’re about another week away from peak colour.

That is unless post-tropical storm Philippe doesn’t blow them off the trees overnight and into Sunday morning.

When we were hanging our hat along the shores of Georgian Bay back in Ontario, we usually had the opportunity to either go hiking during peak leaf colour or as a minimum take a time-honoured and well-deserved drive throughout the countryside somewhere that offered great views. More often than not both activities were combined into one amazing day out.

The following is from way back in 2018 and brings back such fine memories and a bit of homesickness for the Beaver Valey area of Ontario.

Enjoy!

So, if you haven’t figured it out as of yet, we enjoy getting out. And we definitely enjoy the Beaver Valley area of Ontario.

The area within the yellow oval generally defines the outline of the Beaver Valley.

As I’ve mentioned before, it seems Mother Nature has had a bit of a “hate on” for us when we’ve been out leaf-peeping over the past week or so. Naturally, today wasn’t any different.

Leaving our house around 11:30 it wasn’t raining, nor was the sun shining brilliantly high in the noonday sky. For us, however, no rain means a win for our side!

To add to the excitement, a photographer friend of Lynn’s loaned her a couple of lenses to give a go at. Putting all the variables together of tolerable weather; plus fall colours; plus testing new lenses, everything seemed to be adding up for a road-tripping afternoon.

Our first stop is known as the Beaver Valley Lookout on Grey County Road 13. The lookout, located in a small parking lot provides a stellar view east across the Beaver Valley towards the Beaver Valley Ski Club.

Old Mother Nature would appear to be very fond of games. Mind games to be exact. Just as we were approaching the parking lot at the lookout, little droplets started to appear on the windshield of our car. Then more appeared. Then a deluge of droplets appeared.

Rain and lots of it.

Without boring you into a self-induced coma detailing the weather patterns of our afternoon, let’s just say the rain was off and on and at times the sun popped out from behind the clouds. In addition, the temperature dropped slightly, but just enough to create at times haze and fog throughout the valley.

Between it all, we took pictures at the aforementioned Beaver Valley Lookout, as well as from the top of the Beaver Valley Ski Club, the John Muir(Epping Lookout) and a variety of other spots along the way.

Perhaps it’s best to let Lynn’s pictures speak for themselves.

Top of Beaver Valley Ski Club

Beaver Valley Lookout

From the Lookout exit looking north up the valley

Katie and me in the background

Old Baldy in the background. A popular rock climbing location in Ontario

We helped this little fella to make sure he/she was off the road.

Fall colours and a barn proudly showing the Canadian flag. If there was only a Mountie standing in the foreground.

We were just at the beginning of a very steep and pretty much one-lane gravel road that twists and turns up the east side of the valley. Lynn took a video on my phone of the trip up. I should try to post it.

Coming down Scenic Caves Road from the top of Blue Mountain Ski Resort in Collingwood.

With all my complaints about the weather aside, it did turn out to be a really good afternoon. At times the sun did come out, even if it was just for a brief appearance.

As Lynn hadn’t done much shooting in the past with a wide-angle lens, I wasn’t sure how things would work out.

I think things worked out just fine.

I hope that your weekend, whether it was a long weekend or just a normal “two-dayer” was relaxing and time well spent.

Where we live in Ontario, the fall season is one of the best times to get out and experience all that nature has to offer. Even a drive out in the country to stroll through a village and have lunch at a quaint restaurant is far better than sitting at home watching football on a Sunday afternoon.

It’s even better if you can include a couple of trails along the way as well.

Remember: get outdoors; discover yourself; find inspiration

Thanks for reading.

Holiday Monday Drive About

Yesterday(holiday Monday) turned out to be a sunny, yet coolish day here at the new “old homestead.”

After a short morning walk down to the ocean, we climbed in the car and went for a drive about to check out fall colours Nova Scotia style.

Now, fall leaf change colour in Nova Scotia can be as spectacular as it is in many other areas of the country. We did find, however, that many of the trees (maples, oak, birch) that normally change colour had many of their leaves blown off by Hurricane Fiona a few weeks ago.

Nevertheless, a few pictures from Monday.

Blueberry Field

Old Broderick Hotel – Five Islands

West Bay – Parrsboro

–as always with love–

— get outdoors; find inspiration; discover yourself —

A Weekend of Thanksgiving

This is the Thanksgiving long weekend here in Canada.

A time of families hanging out, and fall outdoor activities like heading to a pumpkin patch; gathering together and trekking out apple picking, or a sunny afternoon hike through a hardwood forest that is ablaze with colours of red and orange.

It is also a time of turkey dinners and pumpkin pie.

It is also the time for a variety of other things, which may not be directly related to Thanksgiving, but happen to occur in and around this point in the calendar. For many, it is the first time to head back home, after having left for university or college back at the beginning of September. Fall fairs in many smaller and rural communities tend to be a big deal all around this time of year.

But, for most of us in the frozen north(not really, but there has been frost the past few mornings), it is a time for families to get together at some point over the long weekend; enjoy an often large dinner together, and simply celebrate time together.

Lynn and I took Thursday and Friday to head the 2+ hours east and south of the old “new homestead” to go to Halifax to visit our daughter. We also did a variety of shopping for furniture and home accessories, which seems at times to be a never-ending exercise in emptying my wallet. I suppose that’s inevitable given we hardly lugged any furniture and stuff like that with us when we moved east.

My guess is at this point you’re likely thinking, “this post is a rambling onslaught of really nothing” and you wouldn’t be too far off the mark.

A good blog post in most respects should have a point, even if the point isn’t very sharp.

Given that, a blunt point is still a point in my opinion.

Our two days away in Halifax, reminded me or brought back into focus “gratitude” – being grateful for what we have and not for what we don’t have. It helps us to see what there is instead of what isn’t.

We or at least I have often heard or even uttered something at times like, “you’re putting an awful lot of energy into…..” The “into” part of the sentence is the most interesting point of the whole deal here.

In fact, the “into part” and “gratitude” share a unique and diametrically opposed relationship.

That crazy, unhealthy mind-numbing relationship exists like this. Assume that at any point the energy we can put into something or the energy we focus in the direction of “something” is finite. We only have so much – like the max amount is 100.

Now, if gratitude(see graphic above for another reminder) isn’t part of our “makeup” we’re using that “100” focusing on the “what isn’t.” And when we’re focused and wasting energy on the “what isn’t” – I can guarantee we will certainly miss all of the “what is.”

Thanksgiving is a time for being grateful – that seems simple enough. At least that’s what all the cute graphics and daily quotations tell us that we need to be.

But, the meaning(being grateful or gratitude) behind or contained in those graphics and quotations, often slips by us.

It gets lost or slides by us in a sea of “cute and yes – meaningless cliches” that pop up during various holidays throughout the year. It makes me think or at least ponder if society gets all “sentimental and retrospective with the whole gratitude scene” to some extent at this time of year because it’s the societal norm for three days in October to go on about gratitude and giving thanks.

And I get that sounds a bit cynical.

Without doing any research, I”m pretty confident that “gratitude” is 365 days a year deal.

There is SO MUCH around each one of us to be grateful for and about. The relationships that WE HAVE, not the ones we don’t have or wish we had. The opportunities that are in front of us front now, not the ones that may or may not appear tomorrow.

So, as I look around this Thanksgiving holiday Monday morning – there is so much to be grateful for.

Our energy needs to be channeled in the direction “to see what is …………… instead of what isn’t.”

–as always with love —

— get outdoors; find inspiration; discover yourself —

Thoughts From The Wilderness – Thanksgiving 2019(Canadian Style)

This is Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada

The time of trees changing colours, rural fall fairs, hikes in the woods, turkey dinner(s), pumpkin pie, over-eating and time spent with family and friends.

However, like the name of the holiday suggests, it is “Thanksgiving.” In as much as it is a weekend filled with over-eating and getting together with family, it is also often simply seen as a long-weekend.

Nevertheless, the name does suggest “what are we thankful for?”

Yesterday(Saturday), Lynn and I went to the rural fall fair(159th edition) in the village we raised our family in.

It was an afternoon of running into people we hadn’t seen in a very long time. Wandering through the local arena admiring the craft displays of handmade quilts(truly works of art), baking competitions(loaves of bread, buns, cookies, cakes), rows and rows of crafts, art, writing, vegetables and just about anything else you could name as part of the elementary school competition.

Outside in the agricultural grounds had the livestock competitions, farm machinery displays, the midway and of course, the truck and tractor pulling event.

It brought back a ton of memories of our daughter Sara during those years. Entering things into every category possible in the school competition. As well, seeing the logo she designed for the local high school she attended. They had some sort of booth at the fair.

As much as it was a wonderful afternoon, in another way it left me somewhat sad.

It was sad from the perspective, that Lynn and I had to drive back to an empty house.

No Sara at home to celebrate with, as she lives on the other side of Canada in Halifax.

No family dinner to either prepare for or to attend.

Lynn still has family, but it seems for one reason or other things were put off until next weekend.

I don’t have any family left. So, I do miss the family get-togethers.

Today(Sunday) is the big family day. Slow roasted turkey dinners, pumpkin pie and time spent with family. Traditionally, it is the first time kids return home from heading off to university or college in the fall.

I’m thankful for sure, but can’t help feeling a twinge of nostalgia and sadness all at the same time.

Thankful for the almost twenty years we spent in that little village. As Lynn said yesterday, it was the perfect spot to raise our daughter. And you know it was.

I often tell people that your kid could start in kindergarten and be essentially with the same kids in the same class, all through elementary school and certainly with most of them in the same classes during the high school years. Those are friendships forged in early, but that which lasts a lifetime.

But, I miss it though.

Miss being able to walk to church; to walk to Foodland; walk to “downtown.” I miss going into the local restaurant and simply finding an empty seat at a table, regardless of who else was sitting there. Hell, you knew everybody.

I miss it.

Hopefully, today we’ll be able to connect with Sara over the phone.

Last night they(Sara and Sarah(roommate)) had a musician play a “house concert” at their apartment as part of his cross Canada tour.

Next week, the two of them are off to California to see someone in concert(I have no idea who – I only know bands from the previous millennium) and as well a bit of vacation time in San Diego, Los Angeles and San Fransico.

So, this weekend regardless of it is “Thanksgiving” in your neck of the planet or not, be simply “thankful.”

Be thankful for:

• family
• friends
• health
• fall colours
• just be thankful

Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving from Canada!

 

 

Beaver Valley – Thanksgiving Fall Colour Road Trip

It is that time of year out here in the hinterlands of the colony called Canada. Fall leaf change colours and Thanksgiving.

In fact, the Thanksgiving long weekend is just a few days away.

Turkey slow roasting on the oven, pumpkin pie and a walk with family along a trail out in the woods is just about the norm here.

A blast from the past of October 2018.

So, if you haven’t figured it out as of yet, we enjoy getting out. And we definitely enjoy the Beaver Valley area of Ontario.

The area within the yellow oval generally defines the outline of the Beaver Valley.

As I’ve mentioned before, it seems Mother Nature has had a bit of a “hate on” for us when we’ve been out leaf-peeping over the past week or so. Naturally, today wasn’t any different.

Leaving our house around 11:30 it wasn’t raining, nor was the sun shining brilliantly high in the noonday sky. For us, however, no rain means a win for our side!

To add to the excitement, a photographer friend of Lynn’s loaned her a couple of lenses to give a go at. Putting all the variables together of tolerable weather; plus fall colours; plus testing new lenses, everything seemed to be adding up for a road-tripping afternoon.

Our first stop is known as the Beaver Valley lookout on Grey County Road 13. The lookout, located in a small parking lot provides a stellar view east across the Beaver Valley towards the Beaver Valley Ski Club.

Old Mother Nature would appear is very fond of games. Mind games to be exact. Just as we were approaching the parking lot at the lookout, little droplets started to appear on the windshield of our car. Then more appeared. Then a deluge of droplets appeared.

Rain and lots of it.

Without boring you into a self-induced coma detailing the weather patterns of our afternoon, let’s just say the rain was off and on and at times the sun popped out from behind the clouds. In addition, the temperature dropped slightly, but just enough to create at times haze and fog throughout the valley.

Between it all, we took pictures at the aforementioned Beaver Valley Lookout, as well as from the top of the Beaver Valley Ski Club, the John Muir(Epping Lookout) and a variety of other spots along the way.

Perhaps it’s best to let Lynn’s pictures speak for themselves.

Top of Beaver Valley Ski Club

Beaver Valley Lookout

From the Lookout exit looking north up the valley

Katie and I in the background

Old Baldy in the background. A popular rock climbing location in Ontario

We helped this little fella to make sure he/she was off the road.

Fall colours and a barn proudly showing the Canadian flag. If there was only a Mountie standing in the foreground.

We were just at the beginning of a very steep and pretty much one-lane gravel road that twists and turns up the east side of the valley. Lynn took a video on my phone of the trip up. I should try to post it.

Coming down Scenic Caves Road from the top of Blue Mountain Ski resort in Collingwood.

With all my complaints about the weather aside, it did turn out to be a really good afternoon. At times the sun did come out, even if it was just for a brief appearance.

As Lynn hadn’t done much shooting in the past with a wide-angle lens, I wasn’t sure how things would work out.

I think things worked out just fine.

I hope that your weekend, whether it was a long weekend or just a normal “two-dayer” was relaxing and time well spent.

Where we live in Ontario, the fall season is one of the best times to get out and experience all that nature has to offer. Even a drive out on the country to stroll through a village and have lunch at a quaint restaurant is far better than sitting at home watching football on a Sunday afternoon.

It’s even better if you can include a couple of trails along the way as well.

Remember: get outdoors; discover yourself; find inspiration

Thanks for reading.

Thanksgiving and Thankfulness

Well, Thanksgiving in Canada has come and gone for another year. Three full days or more of turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie and the overeating that accompanies it.

Source: Google Images

Thanksgiving apparently has quite the history here in Canada in regards to its origins. All of which I really didn’t know or certainly had forgotten about. It’s a short bit, but you can read about it here.

When we raised our family, we lived in a small village that had its annual Fall Fair on the Saturday of the Thanksgiving long weekend. It was no doubt, the biggest event all year in town.

It must be because this year was it’s 158 edition! This fair has been going on longer than Canada has been a country!

The school parade on Friday at noon along the main street and into the fairgrounds and arena to start the fall fair weekend. The displays of artwork, writing skills, flower and vegetable arrangements, literally from kindergarten through to grade 8. For us older folks, quilt, baking and preserves judging, livestock competitions. I don’t know how many ribbons Lynn won in the photography competition over the years.

Who can forget, chatting and catching up with friends, neighbours and acquaintances as we wander through the rows of tables proudly displaying every conceivable entry from the elementary school competition?

It’s also the time that college and university students traditionally make their first trip back home after leaving for school.

All of this wrapped up by the annual minor hockey dance in the arena at night.

Gosh, I miss that little village at times.

Thanksgiving, a time to be thankful.

All of this got me to thinking about being thankful and thankful for what.

So, here’s but a short list and I mean a short list of things I’m thankful for.

• my family(Lynn, our daughter Sara and our dog Katie)
• fall colours
• small things like the first wildflower you find in the forest after a long hard winter
• connecting with Lynn during the day when I’m having a challenge at work
• a day spent out on a trail

I’m thankful for the small things. Although I guess my family isn’t a small thing. But, I think you get the idea.

I read a post about finding joy and finding it in life’s small things. If we keep waiting for the “big things” to bring us joy, we’ll likely miss much of the joy in life that comes along.

Don’t get me wrong. The birth of our children as an example is a “big thing” and they bring us much joy. As well as grey hair.

Many times it is the small things that bring us joy and to be thankful for.

At this time of year, whether your part of the world has a Thanksgiving holiday or a type of Harvest Festival or another type of celebration…

There is always something to be thankful for. If you woke up on the right side of the grass this morning, you have something to be thankful for.

What are you thankful for?

 

Beaver Valley – Thanksgiving Fall Colour Road Trip

So, if you haven’t figured it out as of yet, we enjoy getting out. And we definitely enjoy the Beaver Valley area of Ontario.

The area within the yellow oval generally defines the outline of the Beaver Valley.

As I’ve mentioned before, it seems Mother Nature has had a bit of a “hate on” for us when we’ve been out leaf-peeping over the past week or so. Naturally, today wasn’t any different.

Leaving our house around 11:30 it wasn’t raining, nor was the sun shining brilliantly high in the noonday sky. For us, however, no rain means a win for our side!

To add to the excitement, a photographer friend of Lynn’s loaned her a couple of lenses to give a go at. Putting all the variables together of tolerable weather; plus fall colours; plus testing new lenses, everything seemed to be adding up for a road-tripping afternoon.

Our first stop is known as the Beaver Valley lookout on Grey County Road 13. The lookout, located in a small parking lot provides a stellar view east across the Beaver Valley towards the Beaver Valley Ski Club.

Old Mother Nature would appear is very fond of games. Mind games to be exact. Just as we were approaching the parking lot at the lookout, little droplets started to appear on the windshield of our car. Then more appeared. Then a deluge of droplets appeared.

Rain and lots of it.

Without boring you into a self-induced coma detailing the weather patterns of our afternoon, let’s just say the rain was off and on and at times the sun popped out from behind the clouds. In addition, the temperature dropped slightly, but just enough to create at times haze and fog throughout the valley.

Between it all, we took pictures at the aforementioned Beaver Valley Lookout, as well as from the top of the Beaver Valley Ski Club, the John Muir(Epping Lookout) and a variety of other spots along the way.

Perhaps it’s best to let Lynn’s pictures speak for themselves.

Top of Beaver Valley Ski Club

Beaver Valley Lookout

From the Lookout exit looking north up the valley

Katie and me in the background

Old Baldy in the background. A popular rock climbing location in Ontario

We helped this little fella to make sure he/she was off the road.

Fall colours and a barn proudly showing the Canadian flag. If there was only a Mountie standing in the foreground.

We were just at the beginning of a very steep and pretty much one-lane gravel road that twists and turns up the east side of the valley. Lynn took a video on my phone of the trip up. I should try to post it.

Coming down Scenic Caves Road from the top of Blue Mountain Ski resort in Collingwood.

With all my complaining about the weather aside, it did turn out to be a really good afternoon. At times the sun did come out, even if it was just for a brief appearance.

As Lynn hadn’t done much shooting in the past with a wide-angle lens, I wasn’t sure how things would work out.

I think things worked out just fine.

I hope that your weekend, whether it was a long weekend or just a normal “two-dayer” was relaxing and time well spent.

Where we live in Ontario, the fall season is one of the best times to get out and experience all that nature has to offer. Even a drive out on the country to stroll through a village and have lunch at a quaint restaurant is far better than sitting at home watching football on a Sunday afternoon.

It’s even better if you can include a couple of trails along the way as well.

Remember: get outdoors; discover yourself; find inspiration

Thanks for reading.