Fall Meets Winter

My mother and I went to the cottage this past weekend. It was a weekend with a few chores and lots of relaxing.

When we first got to the cottage we pulled our chairs up close to the fire to stay warm while the cabin heated up. We even ate our soup in front of the fire. And drank tea and ate cookies in front of the fire. And read decorating magazines in front of the fire.

We raked the driveway because the leaves get slippery when they compact.

We collected twigs to make a craft at our art groups annual Christmas craft party which is coming up at the end of November.

I know it looks like mom did all the work while I took photos, but I did help. Honest!

And we admired the changing seasons. It was definitely fall meets winter (poor flowers).

I've always wanted to get a photo of leaves falling from the tree. I'm not sure this photo is exactly what I envisioned, but I was still happy to be able to snap the oak leaves falling against the deep blue sky.

I had never been to the cottage at this time of the year so it was my first time seeing the tamarack/larch trees in their fall glory. They were spectacular with their needles turning a beautiful golden colour against the green spruce and fir trees. 

By the way, do you call them tamarack or larch where you live?  My understanding is that out west they are larch and in the east they are tamarack, but growing up with a father from British Columbia and a mother from Ontario I heard both. I have always liked tamarck/larch as they are so unusual. They are one of the few coniferous trees (meaning they have cones and needles) that shed their needles in the winter. I love that they seem a bit mixed up ... that and their soft pretty needles.

It wasn't just the tamarack trees putting on a show though. I found this tiny oak tree growing at the side of the road with the most gorgeous neon red, orange, and maroon leaves. They honestly looked like they had been painted.

  

While most of the trees had lost their leaves, there were a few hold-outs.

I'm always surprised by how little colour there is in a winter photograph. Don't they almost look like they are black-and-white (especially in comparison to the golden larch trees and crazy neon oak leaves)?  

Something tells me that we will be seeing a lot more scenes like the ones below.

Hello winter!