Hello everyone!  It became Autumn this week.  Officially.  But for us in the north it has been autumn for 6 weeks now.  We usually get a big temperature change around mid August and that, for me, signals that we have entered autumn. It really can be a very beautiful time of year.  Here the main color is yellow and gold, mixed with the green of pine and spruce trees.  Plus there is red and orange, mostly in the smaller shrubs, but some trees as well.  We had some nice color here and I was waiting for a nice sunny day to get some good pictures.  But we had rain and wind that knocked all the color to the ground.

That happens some years.  This has been a very rainy autumn.  And colder than normal.  So it has been hard to enjoy it much except for a few days last week.  Walking down the forest path yesterday there wasn’t much left for leaves on the shrubs.  Even the trees were dropping leaves steadily yesterday.  What a difference from Monday when I walked through there to the river.  Everything is so wet back there.   Means getting wet feet.  But I’m used to that.

When I got close to the river I noticed there were no boats out there.  Usually there is people out fishing.   Once I got closer to the river I saw why no one was fishing.   Because of all the rain our lake level has been rising quickly.  So they opened the dam more.  The water was just roaring through that part of the river.  There is a water level marker that someone put up at the river shore.  It was nearly covered.  So I figured the water level must be about 6 feet higher.  Officially it is 7 feet higher (210cm higher).  That’s a lot of extra water.

The current in that river right now is wild.  Areas I used to walk along are now under water.  It’s quite beautiful to sit and watch that wild water roaring past.  Also a bit scary. A person wouldn’t last long out there right now.  And it’s going to get worse tomorrow.  Another 1.5 (45cm) feet higher.  That’s going to bring the water very close to my path in a couple places.

It’s getting a bit empty feeling along the path.  Very little bird activity now, a few chickadees and nuthatches.  A pileated woodpecker shows up now and then, so does a black-backed woodpecker.  But there is juncos starting to move in now, tree sparrows will join them soon.  They are flocking and getting ready for their southward journey.  The last of our summer birds.  I also saw a flock of snow buntings the other day.  That’s early.  They usually don’t show up until mid or late October.

Coming back from my walk yesterday, the sun was shining and I stopped to take a picture of a butterfly.  Then the clouds were there and a few raindrops.  Suddenly it was snowing, quite a lot, but only about 2 or 3 minutes, then it was rain.  Snow.  A gentle reminder that winter is not far away.  By the time I arrived home I was rather wet.  Soaked would be a better word.  Things can change so fast this time of year.  That’s autumn in the north.

I know, I didn’t say much today.  But more is coming.  Honest.  I hope all of you are able to get out and enjoy at least part of your day!  God bless!

Steve and Muffin.

© 2019 Steve McLeod.