Grey Areas

 With much of the colour muted in the landscapes, it's time to look for shape and textures.

 I like the almost white highlights on the bush.

This heap is man-made but we could pretend a beaver made it.

 Gracefully curved aspen.

 A loose sketch of leaves.

 These wild cucumber vines make spiky seedpods with large black seeds inside. 

The reeds take on a metallic sheen at this time of year.

First Snow of the Season

 We woke up to snow this morning.  It wasn't forecast so it was a pleasant surprise.

It won't last as the temperatures will be going up tomorrow, and then we're expected to have a few rainy days.  I'm sure we'll have plenty of snow later on.  Hopefully for Christmas.

Softscapes

 After the leaves fall, neutral colours take over the landscape.

 The quiet tones are restful.

A footbridge over a small stream .

Silvery water.

Sticks and Stones

 A dead elm fell across our road the other day when it was windy.  A neighbour cut it up and cleared the road.

 Fungi on trees are always interesting.

 And I can never ignore mossy rocks.

 A rock cracking up from freeze and thaw cycles.

 Red berries show up well against the grey rocks.

A bit of rain dampened the rock enhancing the pink colour in the granite.

Blooms for the Shortening Days

 Tonight we are supposed to go down to -2C which will  definitely be the end of the annuals.  Even without frost, they stop blooming when the weather gets cool.  I went out yesterday and gathered up the bits and pieces that were left so we could enjoy the blooms a little longer.

 The purple salvia might have withstood the frost but I picked it anyway as well as the magenta asters which are perennial.

 The fibrous begonias did extraordinarily well this summer, and are still blooming their little hearts out.  I left quite a few outside just on the off chance that the frost skips them.

At the end of the spring season when things are on sale, I bought a dwarf reblooming lilac (Bloomerang), and planted it in one of the few sunny spots in our yard.   It responded by setting a few buds even this first year.  I'm looking forward to next spring when it will be able to bloom in full force.  It's supposed to bloom profusely in the spring, then rebloom more lightly in the fall.  So here's hoping it lives up to the hype. Mature height is about 5' which makes it a good candidate for smaller gardens.

A Touch of Red

 A leafy mobile.

 Brush strokes.

 A hint of a stop .

 Dancing sumac.

 Dripping colour.

Stuck on cherry.

Horse Patterns

 The palomino mare is the mother of the brown and white paint, but she is keeping an eye on the black and white paint these days, too.
"This hay is very comfy to lie on...

 ...and the sun just makes me all floppy.  Just can't keep my head up."

 A happy trio.

The black and white paint still has his flashy two-tone tail.  I guess it's permanent.
This afternoon the little ones whinnied at us as we walked by, and ran over to the gate to greet us.  I guess they were expecting treats. The mare followed them and accepted some pats as a substitute for treats.  The black and white fellow also had a few pats, but the younger brown and white filly was still shy.

Muted Colours

Fleeting, lasting.

 Blushing leaves.

 Wooly bear trekking over the freshly graded road.

 Fluffy spirals.

 Acrobatic milkweed pods.

Lemon and lime.

Happy Thanksgiving

 We've had a lovely fall with many warm sunny days.  The colour was great, and now most of the leaves are on the ground.

 The red maple leaves are always a treat to see.

 Fluffy is enjoying the leaves sprinkled on the driveway.  They smell so good.

 A mossy collection.

 Just the colour of cranberry sauce.

 The hardy cyclamen comes into its own at this time of year.

On the shoulders of a red leaf.

Hope you all had some turkey and enjoyed time with family and friends.

Aurevoir, London

 This street runs from our hotel up to Paddington Station.  We walked along it a number of times to get to the station or to stop at some shops.  On the corner was an Indian restaurant with tempting curry smells wafting out as we went by.  We didn't try it out since we didn't want to risk tummy upset, but it sure smelt good.

 Up to the sky.

Looking out our hotel window at night.  Happy memories.  We'll be back.