A Backyard Rendezvous

I’m back in the garden again today and the flowers are blooming. It’s the best time of year – all the colours of the rainbow are starting to appear in the garden.

Tiger Lily closeup

First up is the Tiger Lily. We have a small patch of these lovely ladies on the side of the house. When they show their colours I have to get my camera out to try to get that elusive great shot of them. 

Clematis closeup

Then there is the lovely delicate purple clematis vines. Flowers cover the whole wine as it twines around the lattice fence. The luxurious looking flowers, almost velvety to the touch grace us with their presence in the patio garden.

That’s all I have for today but expect to see more soon.

Killing Time at Professors Lake

I dropped my dad off for his appointment, and since I had time to kill until I was to pick him up, I decided to wander the path around Professor’s Lake. I have never taken the trail here, even though I used to run a photo group from their facility. Go figure.

Professors Lake

I tried my best at finding shots that didn’t include all the homes that seem to be everywhere along this lake. I was able to take two shots that were only of the natural environment.

Autumn at the Lake

It was a lovely walk along the trail but a little too urban for my tastes. 

Hiking in Drynan Forest

Nigel and I found a new favourite hike, and it’s in Wellington County. The Drynan Forest trail is located on the west side of Cambridge. This 5-kilometre trail is a loop trail that passes some small lakes with some spectacular views.

Lake in Drynan Forest

Lake in Drynan Forest

The first lake we came across had a couple of lookouts, where we were able to get some shots of the autumn colours. With the stormy-looking clouds, we had some great reflections and soft light. 

Orange Jelly Spot

Orange Jelly Mushroom

Of course, I can’t forget about the little things. This Orange Jelly mushroom also called Witches Butter, can be found year-round, even in very cold temperatures. Apparently, it is edible and also has some medicinal properties. I can’t say I would rush out to try it, but maybe one day, If an experienced forager told me it wouldn’t poison me, I might taste it.

Drynan Trail

The great thing about the Drynan trail is it’s varied. You definitely don’t get bored on this walk, there is always something to see even when there are only trees around you. This particular tree in the distance stood out among its neighbours. I wanted to highlight it when I processed my image, so I darkened the edges and brightened up the tree. 

Coloured Reflections

Coloured Reflections

The final lake we passed at the end of the trail caught my eye. There were lots of colours here, and although the water wasn’t absolutely still, I liked how the reflections blurred slightly.

I was a little sad when the trail brought us back to the car. We will definitely be coming back to hike this one again.

When Colours Start to Fade

I’m back on the creek path in my neighbourhood today. The autumn colours are fading fast but I guess you can’t expect much at the end of October. There is still some colour but the trees are heading towards brown or bare.

Split View

Split View

There are some trees that have turned a little later so there is still some good colour in spots. I just have to be more creative finding shots by changing my perspective. In the photo above I shot through the reeds from a low angle towards the tree. This kept the bare ground directly in front and to the side of the tree out of the shot.

Autumn Creek Path

Autumn Creek Path

With an overcast sky today it made for some nice soft light to be cast onto our scenes There was still enough light  to light up different parts of the scene above to create the effect of a short tree tunnel. This spot is great from summer to fall and I tend to take a photo of it every time I walk past. 

How Things Can Change in 4 Days

In the autumn months, it always amazes me how quickly things can change. Only 4 days ago, Nigel and I were here hiking the Splitrock Loop trail. You can read more on The Grandmother Tree here.

Orange Valley

Orange Valley

Since our last hike, the colours have deepened towards orange, and in some cases brown. This means that autumn is on its way out, to be replaced with a sea of brown until the first snowfall comes. Until then I’m going to squeeze in every possible bit of autumn I can until it is no more.

Paper Birch

Paper Birch

It was a gorgeous day to be out hiking. These beautiful paper birches were glowing in their small patch of sunlight. I think I spent way too much time here but I couldn’t get enough of how pretty they looked.

Grandmother Tree

Grandmother Tree

You can see that the grandmother tree still welcomes us to continue along the trail but has lost some of her leaves. It won’t be long now until she sheds them all and waits through the long winter to get her green leaves again.