Emblems of Autumn

An Autumn Thought
  by: Albert Laighton (1829-1887)
   
They're speeding on--the weary winter hours;
These are thy emblems, thou departing year:
The falling leaves, the fading of the flowers
Laid by fond Autumn on the Summer's bier.

Soon will the song of lingering birds be still,
The streamlets lose the music of their tone;
For hid with pallid brow behind the hill,
stern Winter waits to mount his glittering throne.

Well, let the flowers decay, the dead leaves fall;
Hushed be the birds, and stilled the streamlet's flow;
Let hoary Winter cast a blight o'er all,
And bind his withered brow with wreaths of snow.

We know that May will come, and glad rills play,
And flowers along their emerald borders bloom;
Though our next spring-time may lie far away
In some fair clime of light beyond the tomb.


Autumn is creeping in, we've had frost several times, and the wood stove has banished the chill from our home. temporarily. Here's what autumn is starting to look like in our neck of the woods.

Speechless Sunday

Reflecting ... gnitcelfeR

Thanks for taking a moment out of your busy day to pay me a visit. While you're here, why not listen to the music (click on the link below the photos) and sit quietly by some still waters. I did last evening (without music mind you).

There's definitely a hint of fall in the air as the temperature dropped to 2C/35F overnight and trees are starting to change into their fall wardrobe. The faithfulness of God continues to be manifest in his Creation.

"While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”  [Genesis 8:22]

Moments in the sun(set)

[perhaps the prayers of many were answered last night - we got some much-needed rain]

The sky looked promising today with what appeared to be moisture-laden clouds. However, other than a bit of verge, they didn't release their contents on us. But they did provide the backdrop for a wonderful sunset - for which we are also thankful.

This cloud was headed east, illuminated by the late afternoon sun

Shadows lengthen as the golden hour approaches

Won't be long before the sun disappears over the horizon

Clouds to the east bask in the last light of the day

While in the west the sun's light has almost been extinguished

However, the best was yet to come

It still had to proclaim its creator's glory before the day was done

And then it bid adieu to us and bonjour to people in the west

As dark clouds started to obscure the last colour to the east

And now for something completely ...

I would like to have said 'different' but that's not the case. The drought in our area continues unabated. As recently as last Saturday the forecast called for significant rainfall with a 100% probability of precipitation. Turns out that the 100% was right on the money - we had an intense 10 minute torrential downpour and that was that.

Come with me on a short hike and I'll show you how that has affected the watershed.

Here is a nearby stream which in the springtime is frequented by kayakers ! You can imagine how much water would be required to submerge these rocks  again.

In the spring, or after a particularly heavy rainfall, water would cover the rock flats to the right.

Purple loosestrife (a noxious weed despite its colourful appearance) has taken root on the stream bed.

Boulders like these can be moved when the stream is at its peak.

Everything is parched ...

Normally 3 - 4 feet of water flow under this bridge.

Industrious beavers dammed the stream about a half mile up from the bridge. With little or no inflow, they've made their dam almost watertight - looks like they're prepared for the long haul until the rains return. Perhaps there's a lesson in there for us - when we're in a drought, sit tight ("those who wait upon the Lord, shall renew their strength ...").

Summertime fun

[click on this link for some music to put you in the mood ... while you spend a moment or two here]



It's been a couple of busy weeks since I was last here - time spent making memories with our children and grandchildren. The camera got a good workout capturing just a fraction of the many moments we had together. The best moments, though, can't be displayed here - they're burned into our collective memories.

a hike through the forest (under the pretext of 'taking the dogs for a walk')

cooling one's toes on a hot summer day

a quick time out for a pose ("are we done yet ?")

anticipating a big splash at the water park

visiting a pioneer village to get a glimpse of life in the 1860's

seeing how water was used to provide power to the mill

but the highlight was a visit to the one-room schoolhouse (where I was 'reacquainted' with the strap ... much to the delight of our granddaughters !)

and where they saw how students dressed for school 150 years ago (note the absence of cell phones and iPads)

in between the visits to parks and playgrounds and beaches there was still plenty of time to catch frogs in our pond (here's Hailey, ably assisted by Sasha - both were equally obsessed)

and the end of each day was capped by a glorious sunset

I hope your summer has been equally blessed.