Wordless Wednesday - 136

Wylie Kinson says Normally I'd be all over this lovely winter scene, but srsly soooo sick of this season.

Janet says Winter can be so beautiful...Looking out a window!

Anne MacFarlane says Lovely picture. Winter sucks.

Thursday Thirteen - 77 - 13 Reasons Why Fall is My Favorite Season

1 - Yes, the glorious color of Fall makes my heart sing inside like a symphony. Here's a Thomma Lyn style photo essay of my walk home from the bus, so I can take you through my woods to see the wonder of it all.


2 - Once I get off work, I walk along the Halifax waterfront and get the ferry over to the Dartmouth side. The bus that rolls up in just a few minutes is a different one than I take on my way into work. In the morning I get the bus that goes right past my place, but after work I end up in the subdivision behind my own.

This is the cut-through that takes me from the street into the path system that winds all through the neighborhoods here. It's like having a narrow park stretched for miles and miles, tucked between the backyards of two streets. In fact, if you think of the letter H, and imagine each column of the H as two streets, there is woodland in between the two columns, with the crossbar acting as entryways into the woods. The people here make full use of this path system. There are always dog-walkers, joggers, bike riders, walkers and kids playing. And after work, people strolling home with briefcases.


3 - Once I get onto the path I hang a left and head this way. Out of range of this photo on either side, peoples' backyards are visible through the trees, but there's still a sense of cocooning into the woods as I walk along.

This section is a good example of the recovery the forest is making from Hurricane Juan, which tore up these woods five years ago. This area was once towering fir trees, which all became a tangle of trunks, roots and evergreen boughs. These days the forest has become a young hardwood area. This happened completely naturally, which has been a source of wonder to me as I realize it's not every day a person gets to watch a forest rebuild itself.


4 - When I get to the tree on the right side, behind the spray of red leaves, I usually turn right and make my way through a charming path that leads to the backyard of my neighbors, Heather and Bernie. They invite everyone to cut through their yard, as their house is at the curve of our street and halfway between access points onto the path. They have a beautiful garden with a little pond, grapevines, ornamental poppies and colorful bursts of perennials.


5 - But we'll keep going along the path. In only a few steps we get to this open area that took a lot of the remains of the downed trees. City crews fed the twisted wood (that couldn't be carried off by the locals as firewood - the locals who carved up the trees with their own chainsaws so people could get back onto the paths) - the rest went into huge woodchippers and got spread all over this section. It's a bit boggy naturally, so it was a helpful addition to the woods.


6 - This part of the path isn't paved and is bordered by grasses and purple asters.



7 - Here's a swath of asters along with rosy raspberry bushes fronting a stand of young maples and beech trees. They've grown above my head in only a few short years.



8 - Heading into the woods along the path.



9 - Gorgeous bronze-colored ferns.







10 - These are the stately firs that survived the hurricane intact. In the foreground is the ballfield to which the path leads. It's part of an elementary school playground. Our house is beside the ballfield.



11 - Just past the ballfield and an excellent playground is my bus stop where I catch my ride into work. Or rather, I stumble aboard and promptly go back to sleep until I reach downtown Halifax.


12 - We're coming full circle. I took the picture from the sidewalk next to our yard. The pine in the foreground and the line of maples within the black fence is part of our woodland garden. In the distance you can see my bus stop.


13 - Back home - that's my side woodland garden to the right, and our white house is visible through the trees.

Hope you enjoyed our trek through the woods. And I hope you're able to get out and enjoy the Fall colors in your area.

Alphabet Meme

Two months ago I tagged myself for this meme from Julie Says. Guess that gives you a small window on my world. I file it in the having-so-much-fun-time-flies category. Honestly, two months is nothin', honey.

How this Alphabet Meme works: if you'd like to play along, let me know in the comments and I'll drop by your blog and give you a letter. Here's what Julie did with P.

Here are ten things I love that start with 'T' -

1 - Toys


My favorite toys when I was a kid were my horse and Johnny West tack. It wasn't a Barbie horse but I used it for my Barbie, which wasn't a Barbie but a P.J. doll. This is my real horse and Johnny West out of my photo archives, and that's my sister's Jane West. There's a whole series of photos we took with our Barbies on my sister's Barbie boat. Check out the saddle bags and the delicate reins and halter. All perfectly detailed. The horses's neck could go up and down so he could graze. He was perfect. I'm quite shocked that I can't remember what I named him.



This is a picture of P.J. that I took from Ebay. The Christmas that I got the horse, I also got a red Jeep and a turquois horse trailer. Also not officially Barbie stuff but scaled for me to use with my Barbie family. That was The Best Christmas Ever.










2 - Tune that starts with 'T'

'The Man I Love' by George Gershwin

I loved this song before I met my husband, and when I did meet him those lyrics came true.


Some day he'll come along,
The man I love
And he'll be big and strong,
The man I love
And when he comes my way
I'll do my best to make him stay.

He'll look at me and smile
I'll understand ;
And in a little while,
He'll take my hand ;
And though it seems absurd,
I know we both won't say a word

Maybe I shall meet him Sunday
Maybe Monday, maybe not ;
Still I'm sure to meet him one day
Maybe Tuesday will be my good news day


He'll build a little home
Just meant for two,
From which I'll never roam,
Who would - would you ?
And so all else above
I'm waiting for the man I love.

Have a listen - The Man I Love





3 - Tornados don't appear in Nova Scotia


I'm completely petrified by tornados. One of the best things about living on Canada's east coast is the lack of these killer storms.

Sure, we get hurricanes. Hurricanes aren't much fun. You do get a fair amount of warning before one of those. Tornados, not so much. Here's some footage of a tornado if you like to freak yourself out.





4 - Toronto!


I moved to Toronto when I was 21 in 1986. Spent my 20's and the first part of my 30's there and had the time of my life. I love big city living - I'm an urban girl, through and through. Just returned from a trip there to celebrate my parents-in-law's 50th wedding anniversary.










That is one happy TTC rider. (Toronto Transit Commission)











Here's me happily chatting with my sister-in-law Anna, with family and friends in the background. This was later in the evening when there was room to blink.


Here I am with two of my sisters-in-law, Violet to the left and Anna to my right. On the wall behind us is one of Violet's paintings. I'll be featuring both of my artist sisters-in-law in future Thursday Thirteens.










The cameras were flashing and the Smiths knew what it was like to face 'Entertainment Tonight'. Clockwise from left, my husband Brad, Brad's dad, Brad's mom, Karen, Ken and Jeff (in front.)


Here's me trying out the timer on the new camera. I've managed to marry into a family of giants. Hanging out with the bro - Brad and I had dinner at his brother Jeff's. You see why I miss Toronto so much?



5 - Trifle



My mom makes an awesome trifle. She has a glass trifle bowl just like this one. She normally puts different fruit in for color. My mom is all about color. Normally hers has strawberries, blueberries, cherries, kikw fruit and pomegranate.

Basic Trifle Recipe

I LOVE it when my mom makes trifle.



6 - TV show




















The Colbert Report

I usually watch this late at night before I go to bed. Mom will ask me the next day, "What were you laughing at last night?" It's always something on Stephen Colbert's show. Like one of his three-line opening zingers, when he stares down each camera set-up: "Pope Benedict, you'll always be Cardinal Ratzinger to me."

7 - Tickets to shows


I love tickets to shows. I've saved a lot of them over the years. Generally I put them in my photo albums as mementos, which I've always done. When scrapbooking came along, I realized I'd always been doing that before they came up with a term for it.


I don't save every ticket stub, but 'Beowulf and Grendel' was special to me because a grassroots movement of Gerry Butler fans helped a small independent film get wider screening. Power to the people!

8 - Theatre


I love going to the theatre. Live theatre, cinema - I'm there. I've worked at several theatres, including this one. I met my husband Brad here. It's no longer standing, although it was a handsome space, used often by local Toronto television if they needed to shoot interviews in a nice older theatre.















There was something about this doorman/usher...


This is me at the candy counter where Brad and I started chatting while waiting for the next show to come in.


Our manager, Dick Dalhouse is kneeling by the podium. That's me in the front row, far right. Brad is in the back row, center.




9 - Turkey


I'm not a huge meat-lover, but when it comes to turkey, I am there!













10 - Trees


I love being out in the woods.

















Spring flowering trees and shrubs make my heart sing.








Fall leaves in their glory are my favorite thing in nature.











Favorite tree of all - the Christmas tree.