Trees of Gold
Posted: October 30, 2014 Filed under: Ontario, Plant Life, Toronto | Tags: autumn, autumn leaves, Canada, colour, gold, orange, Toronto Leave a commentA glorious sight this morning: the sun on orange gold trees.
October 30, 2014 in Toronto, Canada
Toronto, Canada, Oct 30, 2014
Blue & Orange
Posted: October 28, 2014 Filed under: Ontario, Plant Life, Sky | Tags: Arrowhead Provincial Park, autumn, Canada, colour, fall, leaves, October, Ontario, trees Leave a comment
Gorgeous autumn colours, Arrowhead Provincial Park, Ontario, October 2012
An Autumn Past
Posted: October 25, 2014 Filed under: Ontario, Plant Life, Water | Tags: Arrowhead Provincial Park, autumn, Canada, Huntsville, leaves, Ontario Leave a commentThe gold and orange leaves are vivid in the ravines and streets of Toronto right now. They led me to these photos I took in 2012 at Arrowhead Provincial Park near Huntsville, Ontario. It’s a small park, but that didn’t dim its beauty when we were there a few Octobers ago.
At Arrowhead Provincial Park, Ontario, 2012
Autumn at Arrowhead Provincial Park, 2012
October!
Posted: October 15, 2014 Filed under: Ontario, Plant Life | Tags: autumn, beauty, Canada, Kortright Centre for Conservation, nature, October, Ontario, trees 1 Comment
A glorious autumn day from 2011 at Kortright Conservation Centre, Ontario
Beaver Pond–Haliburton, Ontario
Posted: October 10, 2013 Filed under: Ontario, Water | Tags: autumn, beauty, beaver pond, black and white photography, Haliburton, nature, Ontario, reflections Leave a commentThis past weekend we travelled to Haliburton county, to the northeast of Toronto. We were eager to see the turning leaves which were intense even in the rain which accompanied us during most of the weekend.
This photo is of a beaver pond we saw on private land. I am drawn to reflections in nature and loved the clear ones in this pond. Because the scene was one of muted colours, I photographed it in black and white, which allowed me to focus on the design created by the mirror image.
Beaver Pond Reflections, Haliburton, October 2013
November’s Trees in Toronto
Posted: November 10, 2012 Filed under: Plant Life, Toronto | Tags: autumn, beauty, branches, Canada, downtown Toronto, nature, November, streetcar, Toronto, trees Leave a comment
Tree Reflection after rain in Toronto, Nov. 2012
Recently, the days have been mostly grey in Toronto, with an unusual sunny day this past Thursday. It’s the dark time of the year, mid autumn, with the end of daylight savings time. Most of the leaves have fallen off the trees. As in every year, I turn to their branches as a source of beauty and connection to nature which I need in order to feel well.
Reflection of a tree, Toronto, Nov. 2012
In the neighbourhood are many trees and gardens that I walk among. But I’m always of the lookout, even downtown, for trees that soften the sometimes stark buildings. Here’s some photos from recent rambles.
Branches in Downtown Toronto, from the King Streetcar, Nov. 2012
Tree and Sansevieria (Snake) Plants, downtown Toronto, on the King Street Car, Nov. 2012
Trees in a stark environment seen from the King Streetcar, Nov. 2012, Toronto
Meanwhile, in Toronto
Posted: October 22, 2012 Filed under: Animal Life, Mineral World, Ontario, Plant Life, Toronto | Tags: autumn, birds, Canada, chickadees, Evergreen Brick Works, fall, Mineral World, nature, Ontario, Toronto, trees Leave a commentI’ll be adding many more posts about my time in the Canadian Rockies. I think of the mountains every day and miss them. Meanwhile, in Toronto it’s autumn. The turning leaves are beautiful and bring me solace as I travel around the city.
Autumn Oak Leaves in Toronto, Oct. 2012
Autumn leaves through Mocha Mocha cafe’s window, Toronto, Oct. 2012
Autumn in Kensington Market, Toronto, Oct. 2012
Today, it was very warm and sunny. I returned to the Brick Works—passing milkweed in luminous seed by the railway tracks. Other people strolled about on this lovely day and I spoke to a woman who had seen eastern bluebirds at the Brick Works yesterday.
Milkweed by the railroad tracks, Toronto, Oct. 2012
Brick Works–reflections of autumn, Oct. 2012, Toronto
Brick Works, Oct. 2012, Toronto
I saw and heard red winged blackbirds, chickadees and mallards. Also, I heard what I believe were finches or warblers of some sort.
Chickadee at the Brick Works in Toronto, Oct. 2012
And at the Brick Works, I read a sign about the geology of the land here. It was good to relate my new found interest to the land close to home. And to contemplate, as I had in the west, that we live off of life much older than ourselves.
The sign reads:
The rock of this west quarry wall is shale with harder layers of silty limestone. It originated in a tropical sea around 448 million years ago. If you look closely you may see some fossils…The presence of easily accessible shale made this site valuable as a brick making operation.
Autumn on a warm day at the Brick Works in Toronto, Oct. 2012
Autumn in the Parks
Posted: October 3, 2012 Filed under: Animal Life, Ontario, Plant Life, Water | Tags: Algonquin Park, Arrowhead Provincial Park, autumn, birds, blue jays, boulders, chickadees, chipmunk, falls, great grey owl, hairy woodpecker, nature, Ontario, trees, woods Leave a comment
Hemlock Bluffs Lookout in Algonquin Park, Ontario, September 29, 2012
Before writing about the time we spent in the Rockies, here’s a side trip to Algonquin and Arrowhead Provincial Parks in Ontario. I travelled north this past weekend to see the fall colours. The oranges, reds and yellows were at their peak contrasting with pale greens and the deeper green of conifers. We hiked in Algonquin Park, coming upon other nature lovers, among them families with young children. As before, we were gladdened to see parents introducing their children to nature.
On Bat Lake Trail in Algonquin Park, Sept. 30/12
Saturday and Sunday were cloudy and cool, but the rain held off until late afternoon each day when we had just finished our hikes on the Hemlock Bluffs and Bat Lake trails. I felt blessed to be among the trees and rocks, by lakes and streams.
Hairy Woodpecker seen on Hemlock Bluffs trail in Algonquin Park, Sept. 29/12
We saw chipmunks, many chickadees, blue jays, hairy woodpeckers and a great grey owl on Sunday. This we found in the comical way we often do in parks. We came upon a large crowd of people pulled over by the roadway, with their telescopic lenses and smaller cameras all looking intently off to the side. We thought we’d see a moose when we joined them, but no, this was a much rarer sighting we were told. I had never seen an owl in the wild and was happy to see this bird who rewarded us at one point by spreading his or her huge wings and floating out of the tree toward the ground, perhaps in search of prey.
At Stubb’s Falls in Arrowhead Provincial Park, Ontario, Oct. 1, 2012
Our last day, Monday, we spent at quiet Arrowhead Park, taking a gentle walk to and from Stubb’s Falls. Monday was sunny and warmer than the weekend. We walked among the bright trees and onto boulders at the side of the falls. The deep colours, loud rushing water and the reflections in the river were a tonic and a joy to see before returning to the highways and the different rushing of Toronto.
of humans and nature 
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