a brief Thanksgiving getaway

October. There is so much richness in the sound of it. And so much Contrast. The month is steeped in colour and harvest... and its aftermath. It is a serious month, at once festive and melancholic.

past the hydrangeas and Forget-Me-Not Cabin, over the hedge and beyond the hayfield

the colours glow

We got out for our brief autumn drive this long weekend past, down our choppy road

past some pretty town houses

This one, once a sickly green, has now sold, and invited the town's October tradition of

Pumpkin People to their property

It isn't long before we're past the plazas, our one mall and big box stores before we're into some serious terrain, getting a taste of the wild forest we miss

Here, a miracle of nature and a metaphor of life, to have one's roots cut and still be able to grow in the hardest conditions

The first and only stop we made at this bend in the Gaspereau River, 

as we did last year when we found...

the too-friendly-for-their-own-sake domestic ducks who followed me up to the car. I will never forget their sacred innocence. This is the picture I made of them from memory last year.

The river ran so slowly that it made a great mirror, the bridge's rocky foundation to the left

Reflections at the water's edge

the forest as it rises across the street, beyond the bridge

the river is spotted with golden leaves that move to the right, an eastern path I think

truly a magical spot

a golden show riverside

dark reflections in this sheltered part of the river, a forest mirror

the rising hillside by the bridge's rocky foundation

the river so slow that a marsh has taken hold

a gorgeous leaf, a mirrored Rorschach, doing its best imitation of the river's reflections

a fuzzy wuzzy I name "Spike"

. It was truly glorious and satiated our appetite for forest beauty.

I thought of Leona and all the people I love.

embroidered on off-white denim, whip-stitched to secure the fray

kindness first

wandering Wolfville

So now it's the 8th of October. A Saturday. We didn't clue into the fact that it was Thanksgiving weekend because Wally was on his usual half day weekend shift and, well, life goes on ( though we did plan to make a special meal). Actually, we knew enough to get our library books back before Sunday on the chance that they wouldn't be open for the holiday weekend; so we headed off to Wolfville where we enjoy their library in the old train station.

a strange "V" shaped cloud, like an angel, as we take the quicker route through the backroad

a quintessential country drive

with dear old houses

and farms like this with three silos

(please forgive the reflections through the car windows)

Here we cross the Cornwallis River in Port Williams at high tide meaning the ocean, at its mouth near the Minas Basin, has not drawn the river's water into the basin at low tide. It has a meander length of approximately 48 km through eastern Kings County, and runs through our town as well, where there is a bird sanctuary in the extensive tidal marshes with lovely walking trails that I have shown you in the past. You can see a dyke here, like a peninsula, as it appears to jut into the river on the right.

Ahead of us are the orchards of Greenwich, houses lined along the slower road we usually take.

Coming into the welcoming town of Wolfville, the Tattingstone Inn

we find ourselves in a massive traffic jam, something we have become so unused to

Lots of time to take pictures like this one of an eagle soaring

with a jet stream and the moon seemingly below it.

the same funky bungalow with its Japanese Maple not much bigger than ours

this lovely old mansard roofed house we barely have time to see at our usual clip

and what's this? a gathering of easy riders

identifying themselves as "Veterans"

a wonderful old Maple on the campus of Acadia University

and the Acadia Gymnasium that I showed you yesterday, which is now housing

the School of Recreation Management and Kinesiology

"Greek" back in 1890 when this wonderful example of Greek Revival was built

a gigantic Idunnowhat Tree

This is what its leaves look like for those of you who might know

I'm guessing it's some sort of nut tree.

Wally found a shortcut finally through a part of the campus (someone followed us on trust I think)

We finally figured out that many parents were visiting their kids for the first time since enrolment.

Anyway, we made it into the library with 12 minutes to spare so

we made up for it by heading off for a walk on this beautiful early evening, "gathering our rosebuds while we may" so to speak

The railroad track along the back of the library is lined in wild roses

Rosehips like little apples

I found the faded leaves on this ruddy bush an interesting contrast

we crossed the road

intending to walk our usual dyke

Sumac and wild asters

when we found a new one (for us) that headed back to Port Williams (from whence we came)

That's Blomidon  in the background (the giant cliff that is also the name of the provincial park that marks the end of the north mountain range as it plunges into the Bay of Fundy- place of the highest tides in the world)

I spied this handsome gull in the little parkette that sits at the foot of the Minas Basin

He regarded me suspiciously as gulls are wont to do

hoping, as always, to find something good to eat.

raspberry leaves

We set off along the dyke and almost immediately see some plovers

such dear little birds

To our left are the mineral rich reclaimed farmlands that the dyke has taken back from the sea...

and my battery died.

I've shown you this bunny before. Here's my thought process illustrated.

You may see what came of this in my next post.

Til next time,

kind thoughts for others and for ourselves.