Linaloo

Leaf peeping trails

 
 
In my five years (really, I can't believe it's been that long!) of living in Quebec I have to say I have come to enjoy each very distinct and sometimes extreme season.  Apart from Spring that is, which i find is a bit of a muddy anti-climatic meh! Autumn is by far the most spectacular from a breathtaking visual perspective...it's my favourite time of year to take photographs too. (Some of last year's best pictures are here ). 
 
 
We're about to hit prime leaf peeping season over the next few weeks and we're hoping, weather permitting, to take a family hike every weekend until the end of October to soak up la flambée des couleurs.  Week one was in Mont St Hilaire, an hour's drive for us south of Montreal.  The children quite happily managed a two and a half hour steep hike in perfect 21C weather - you can just see the foilage starting to change here.

Outdoors

   
Spring has been capricious this year.  Every time we seemed to be getting close, cold temperatures, rain and even snow have sent us running back indoors for shelter.  Finger's crossed we're finally over the hump and today we were lucky enough to get some sunshine and the chance to stretch our legs outside at the nearby arboretum.  Hope the sun is shining wherever you are today!

Thank you

Thank you so much everyone for your kindness - I really appreciate you stopping by to comment.  One of the many items I've added on my long list of things to do while I'm enjoying a break has been to sort out all of my thousands of photos.  They are totally disorganized, half of them aren't even backed up and there are lots that I'd like to print and frame, or simply store in an album for my children. I'm breaking it down into manageable chunks, starting with the most recent batch first...here are a few Florida favourites that are making me smile. 
 
 
 
 
    

The halls are decked!

 

Autumn colour week :: red & brown

 
 
More pictures from the archives today...we've had miserable wet dark weather the past few days so getting outside has been a challenge.  Thank you for all your kind comments about my photos and...I really appreciate them.

It's Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada and I count my blessings that I do have so very much to be thankful for.  Happy weekend all!

Autumn colour week :: orange

  
Most of these are pictures dug out from the past. The second one is from a preschool pumpkin picking trip three years ago.  Back then, Tommy was a bolter - regularly delighting in running as far away from me as possible whenever he could. He didn't stop and would keep on going forever.  It was a pretty long (and nightmarish) phase that lasted over two years...I could never take my eye off him and even lost him once or twice.   If you're a parent of a bolter you know how stressful it is.  Anyhow, he was wearing an orange hat that day when he jogged off into the distance, and I thought it made a cute photo. 

Needless to say, I had to break into a sprint to fetch him not long after.
 

Autumn colour week :: yellow

   
The colour of happiness.  All day today my eye was drawn to all things yellow. From the lines in the middle of the road, to school buses passing by and to the golden trees in my neighbourhood.  Tomorrow is the turn of orange!

A walk in the woods

  
 A perfect autumn walk in the woods provided some stunning photography opportunities today.  Next time, I plan to take a tripod as capturing all the amazing funghi in the darkness of a forest was quite a challenge.

Taking these pictures I was reminded of two very inspiring artists whose work I have come to love through flickr.  Fellow Canadian, and crocheter extraordinaire Margaret Oomen (you may already know her through her blog, Resurrrection Fern) and UK land artist, Richard Shilling whose work never fails to blow me away!

In need of a bit of a challenge, I'm taking part in Poppytalk's Autumn Colour Week on flickr as of tomorrow if you feel like joining me!  

Little things

    
 
"Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things" - Antonio Smith.

Feeling in a reflective mood here as the pool closes for summer this weekend and school starts on Monday. As I get older I realise more and more that its the simple things that make me happy and keep me grounded when life gets overwhelming.  It's for that reason that I have grown to love my macro lens so much, it's a chance to slow down and step back from the busyness of day to day living and remember that its the small, real details of life that count.

Have a happy weekend!

 

Up close and personal (macro mania)

Yet another lovely weekend spent with friends and family.  This one was extra special thanks to an early birthday present from my husband (he just couldn't wait because he knew how I excited it would make me), a 100mm macro lens for my camera.  I've been coveting one for a while but frugal old me couldn't justify the price tag.  My husband rightly pointed out that my camera is one of the best investments we've made considering how much use it gets and how much pleasure it has brought me these past two years. 

Here are just some of the gazillions of shots I took with it this weekend.
 
Thank you my darling. I love it.  And I love you for all your encouragement and support for my photography, and for not minding my snap happy craziness whenever we're out and about!