And the sun took a step back, the leaves lulled themselves to sleep,
and autumn was awakened
Raquel Franco
September brings some nostalgia for the fleeting summer, and some excitement for a return to cozy, indoor pursuits, along with invigorating walks in the crisp air. But I must hold on a bit longer for the excitement because this month is a transitional time. Autumn in the morning has me reaching for a sweater and socks until Summer returns in the afternoon and I'm back barefoot, without a third layer. Autumn creeps back in the evenings when I read by lamplight and pull a soft throw over my legs.
We've been away for the week, off in the wilds of Vancouver Island, with no cell coverage or internet available. It was rather nice to be away from it all, particularly with the horrors and ridiculousness on the news these days. We were cozy in our trailer/caravan with lots of good books and delicious food. The sun stayed hidden for most of the trip, but the rain held off until Wednesday.
Two days of hiking in the wild gave us plenty of exercise. One day we hiked to Baby Bedwell Lake. Internet access would have been nice for just a few minutes to check the trail. It was a challenge, and labeled as HARD. Prior knowledge might have made us think twice. Steep terrain with big rocks here and tree roots there. A very few level sections. We made it to the lake, ate a quick lunch, and began the descent without much of a rest because it was starting to rain. The lake is somewhere on the mountain in the above photo, taken after the hike.
In our two days of hiking we didn't see any bears on the trail, for which I am extremely grateful, although we were prepared with bear spray and an air horn. However, while driving back to our campsite, we met up with this rather large black bear ambling along the road. He was in no hurry to get out of our way and we followed him slowly for some distance. He kept looking back at us and finally moved off into the forest.
Several Stellar's Jays loitered around our campsite, flying about while we sat reading outdoors. They are handsome birds, and can be quite cheeky, but didn't try to snatch anything from us.
One easy hike was to Lower Myra Falls, seen above. We were able to walk far out onto the rocks on either side of the falls. Now look below...
to see the difference 24 hours of gentle rain made. The falls were much louder and fuller. We went back the second time knowing there would be a difference in the amount of water. Fortunately, it was a short and easy hike. I'd like to go back in November and see what the falls look like then. I think all of the rock visible in the photo would be covered with thundering water.
September showed up right on schedule,
and lasted a whole month.
Jenny Wingfield
As I write this post, I'm aware that there is something afoot with Blogger and no one is able to leave comments. So read and enjoy! And write on your blog how September is beginning in your corner.
