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?
