Fall in the back yard

The pond is the centrepiece of this tiny back yard. It was created by mistake - I wanted water and hydro in the drive shed when I first moved here - and didn't pay attention to the fellows who were digging the trenches for the piping. So the clay and topsoil got pulled out of the ground in a heap and weren't separated, probably couldn't be... and when everything was filled in, I had a patch of clay in the middle of the yard instead of a green lawn.

For a few years it sat, not growing grass.

Finally with the help of some neighbourhood teens, we dug it out, and eventually  lined the hole with black plastic which I was to regret after two years, but lined and filled it was... ultimately I purchased seven little fish. And planted sumach around it and now have put in small gardens around it - and stones. It's undergone several incarnations since but now seems to be better organized with a neoprene liner.

Frogs love it, the fish have multiplied - I also was given five largish ones, and now have 26 or 27 - can't be sure 'cause it's so hard to count that many moving bodies.

From the other side - looking towards the house you can see some of the fish enjoying early morning searches for bugs and maybe a handout from me since they swim immediately to where they see me standing and always at supper time when they are usually fed.

The changing colour of the sumach is a delight - and the cosmos on the left has added a lovely feathery splash of pinks, purples and mauves. All in all it makes it all okay - the fact that I haven't trimmed the grass away from the edges, haven't mown the grass in a couple of weeks, nor gotten to the flower beds to remove the ribbon grass that insists on spreading everywhere way more quickly than I could possibly rip it out. It will get done eventually. But having living things - there are often as many as a dozen green and leopard frogs in the pond as well - in my back yard is fun.

Birds land on the edges and drink from it. As do my cats, one of whom watches the fish with fascination but hates to get her feet wet so I'm not worried about their safety. Dragonflies hover and I'm sure have laid eggs in it. Butterflies float around. It seems to be more than a centrepiece for the yard, but for some forms of life as well. What a treasure and a treat.

The view from the deck is astounding with the colour explosion everywhere. The phlox, blackeyed susans, echinacia and even some Sweet William and straw flowers add bright splashes to the garden's green. A feast for the eyes everywhere I look, close to home or around the Valley.

So today on this Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, I'm thankful, grateful that so much has come to be here, making my life more fun and definitely more interesting. For my Canadian friends and family - Happy Thanksgiving, for everyone else - hope you have an interesting weekend full of fun.

Some things to love

There's something for me to love in every part of this photo - one I'm really pleased I stopped to capture.

First it's the hints of colour - the changes that speak to autumn which bursts on this area in all its glory - it doesn't seem to creep this year - it is just suddenly everywhere.

Second is the image of young Clydesdales eating their way along the edge of the pasture. (Well maybe the horses are first given that I love those big animals so much - I have to chuckle at this passion.) That these youngsters respect that the river is the edge of their range is remarkable to me - I love that tails are switching. They're obviously walking and ripping out grass as they go.

Third - the reflections in the river - the horses at the edge - the edge of the river bank, the large rock on the left hand side... reflections always make me pause for some reason. They often are so beautiful.

And then did you notice the grass is only partway down the bank of the river? It shows the grey clay, bared by the decreasing water level in this big river that has supported so many farms, and historically many mills of various kinds grist mills, flour mills, timber, all kinds - and even further back it was a support for First Nations - teeming with trout. There are still trout, but not nearly so many, and you have to be a skilled angler. Decreasing water levels mean to me that we need to be more careful and take better care.

All in all, this photograph has made me feel grateful. With Canadian Thanksgiving approaching this weekend,  perhaps that's what has me thinking along these lines. But I know I'm so blessed to live in a beautiful area, filled with things I love, and the ability to move around freely unlike half the world, without fear, with a full belly when I wish it and with friends not deadly enemies wherever I look.

Just some reflections of my own on this beautiful morning. Do you have some as well?

Looking around the valley

Yesterday I didn't drive directly to and from town as I usually do, but took a side trip - as I came over a hill I caught sight of Beaver Valley looking south. It is an unusual point of view - you can see how the valley turns to the east and narrows, and how the colour has begun, even though it's a hazy day with rain threatening. I was struck by this particular view of the valley - not one I see often. The yellows of the ash and elm along a farm hedgerow create a frame for the distant hills on each side of the valley with its tree-lined river winding through.

Looking across the wider valley - I spot my property - if you see the two silos near the left, then the red rooves to the right of the silos and then a small silver A-frame roof - that is the drive shed. Once again, I haven't seen it from this side of the valley and this particular spot in a while. The beginnings of colour along the river is encouraging. We thought it was going to be all brown given the hot dry summer. But up the sides of the valley towards the rocks that hold caves, areas to climb rocks, pathways through protected forests, the colour is beginning to show more deeply. I like this vista. I like the hazy softness as well. I like to think of all the places to visit, hike, walk the dogs, enjoy.

Then I get back in the car and head for
home, but first:

I drive alongside the river to the bridge hidden by the trees that form this tunnel. I lived here before - up the hill to my left instead of across the river on the left. This particular spot has always been an attraction. All kinds of birds, beaver, mink, muskrat and otter frequent the water and the banks. Used to be good fishing as well. Another canoe adventure is definitely in order before the snow flies.

Do you enjoy the countryside around your home? It seems pretty special to me that I have so much beauty to enjoy ever day. But I find it in the towns around as well. It's a matter of perspective - don't you think? Hope you enjoyed this brief sojourn in Beaver Valley.

More signs of fall - its quiet beauty, not fully aflame yet

Yesterday evening I took the dogs for a meander - I was tired and didn't care to walk far so we wandered the pasture, but a niggle made me take my camera with me. The starlings were gathering at the north end of the property. I could hear the chuckles and gossip as they moved in small to large flocks from tree to my neighbours' lawn, across the road to the farm pasture where the cows were peacefully grazing. Not one of the cows raised their head or took any notice. I thought about what is to come.

The golden glow of the setting sun adds soft colour to the phlox and goldenrod against the drive shed wall.

More colour lit by the last rays of the sun, and then...

it quickly ended as the fireball slipped below the hill across the valley, leaving an apricot sky. Tired, yes I was very tired, but somehow at peace with all the beauty around me.

I sometimes wonder if others find sunsets as peaceful, or are they energizing, signalling party after dark as the crickets and night creatures begin to sing and take over?

Changing seasons

These pictures should speak for themselves - just some of the beauty around my wee piece of heaven, that demonstrates the changing seasons. From summer to fall.

Hope you enjoyed the little tour around my garden and the property yesterday evening when the light was warm and mellow - and the breezes were kind though cool. Have a great day!

Autumn colours

The stormy clouds, mists and rains of last Sunday made a perfectly beautiful backdrop for the colour that is starting to glow all over the  Valley.

I couldn't resist stopping at the top of a nearby hill and taking some photographs. I often walk with the dogs in the field beyond these trees, almost as far as the grain silos in the distance. There is a very large beaver pond and little creek with several dams on it to enjoy. I've not seen any beaver, but I certainly have seen the evidence of their busy teeth.

Hope you are enjoying some beautiful spaces and places in your part of the world as well. It certainly is a glorious time of year.