Photo-Finish Friday

Autumn has a lot to offer.

Gratitude Monday --New Fall Colours

I love the changing of the seasons. How else can one know how good a season is unless there's something with which to compare it?
Each must be assessed on its own, but to do it there must be a point of demarcation.
I am blessed to live in a land where the change of the season is both obvious and beautiful.
Autumn arrived officially on Saturday. No one told the leaves to wait so they began donning their new fall colours a few weeks earlier.
For as much as we may lament the turn toward winter,  we appreciate the final burst of joy from Nature as she quietens for the cold.
I am grateful for the changes of my world, grateful I can see it and smell and it feel it on my face, and grateful for what each new seasons brings.

***

Regular visitors may find the photo familiar. I take pictures of this train trestle archway each year. Th e above photo was taken yesterday.  For me, it is the portal to the new season.

Photo-Finish Friday --Mountain Mood

Socked in along the Columbia Icefields Parkway.

The Chartreuse Challenge

Today I rise to the challenge. My chartreuse socks:

It was not so much a challenge as request from Bag Lady in yesterday's comments.
The challenge comes about in trying to show chartreuse as it reflects yellow or green depending on its surroundings and how the light hits it.
The top shot has some yellow bias to it according to my eyes.
The bottom shot shows more yellow-green when set beside proper green socks.
Opinions?

Fashion Criminal

Lime socks, because my chartreuse socks were in the wash.

Summer ends soon. This is your last week to inform the Fashion Police about me.
I wear socks with sandals. I always have. It wasn't until a few years ago I learned this was a fashion faux pas at least as bad as wearing white in winter, if not worse.
This did not stop me.
It feels good. My feet tend to be cold and, even though I like to let the fresh air and sunshine on them, naked foot skin makes me uncomfortable.
I go out in public like this. I will continue to do so for as long as it works for me.
Neither am I alone. My husband does the same thing. It is is one of the many odd and unfashionable things we have in common and I'd consider it a blessing if I cared enough to worry about it.
However, I know the socks and sandals fashion scandal comes up often. If you feel you have to do your part to erase this scourge from the face of the Earth I offer myself up.
Come and get me.

Gratitude Monday --Garden Goodness Edition

Harvest is one of my favourite times of the year. It's when all the work of spring and summer come to fruition. It's a busy time for most of us even if you're like me and only have a small garden in the back.
The busy time doesn't last long, but it still comes.
Yesterday Mike dug out my carrots while I brought in the coriander to ripen. I like to leave it out, but he wanted to dig over the garden. I only had a few plants as they'd grown wild this year. I harvested enough from last year's planting that I had no intention of growing any more for several years.
A few plants popped up in the carrots and beans. I let them go with the idea to take a few cilantro leaves as needed. They smelled so good I decided to leave them in.
A few potatoes grew wild as well. Mike digs compost into the garden in spring and/or fall. Quite a few random plants come up with the seeded ones. I often let them grow.
Anyway, back to the carrots. I cleaned the first batch as he dug. He cleaned the next three batches. In they are photo below
three bath towels full worth are drying and resting comfortably, unaware of their fate. The first towelfull are on the table being quickly and humanely topped and tailed.

They waited in the fridge overnight. Today they're being blanched and frozen to be enjoyed during the cold winter months.

I am grateful for a great many things: the garden, the carrots, and all the work my husband did yesterday in bringing in our harvest.

Photo-Finish Friday -- Cairo

Cairo, January 2011. It is a beautiful place, when you can see it.