“… i spill into the kind of silence only Khalil Gibran would understand.” – Sanobar Khan, Turquoise Silence
The leaves on the trees are murmuring among themselves underneath the bright sunlight – we’ve just come back from a tree-lined trail walk down to Lake Ontario (in Ajax, Ontario), a lake so blue and large, it makes me feel like I’m looking at the cobalt hued Pacific ocean back in Vancouver. We had a canine companion with us, the family’s white labradoodle, Beckham and with the colourful fall leaves crunching underfoot, it felt like home.
The feeling of home is my solace and so is the act of writing down my thoughts, it feels comforting to reflect on the last few days as I write down these words – we had a wonderful visit up north, the mini road trip there and back reminding me of our road trips down to San Francisco. In fact, some of the vistas that filled my eyes were echoes of the open countryside that we loved seeing in Oregon and California. There were too many barns to count, often sitting near beautiful homes wearing various shades of brown, red and grey! Some of the homes had large bear and horse figurines on their properties letting us know that we were definitely in the country. Another special country touch was observing wild turkeys congregating beside the highway, their black/brown plumage hard to miss – we later learned that they were re-introduced back into the wild and they sure seem to be flourishing!
Up north found us in Eagle Lake near Haliburton staying with Terry’s family for a night or two in a cozy wooden A-Frame home surrounded by beautiful forest – it was a chance for us to catch up and also meet Terry’s grand-niece for the first time. Our days were spent eating delicious food and sitting on the deck breathing in the cool fall air surrounded by the unique call of the raven. On our last day, we explored the town of Haliburton, made our way up to the local look-out and took some pictures – our goal was to capture the haunting colours of the Haliburton Highlands, we were lucky, the changing foliage was not at the 100% it is now but there was enough colour to remind us of the potential beauty to come. I will never forget our last evening there – sitting around the outdoor fire pit as night fell, the cold sparkle of stars reigning over us, drinking dark red wine while waiting for the chicken and beef burgers to cook. A souvenir of nature, the smell of wood smoke weaved through my hair and settled on my jacket, taking me back to those moments until that primal outdoor scent faded away…
This post is dedicated to a dear neighbour, Susan Johnston (May 03, 1943 – October 02, 2016) – her parting words to all who loved her, ” Don’t be sad for me, I’ve lived a good life.”
OH Kim and Terry. What a lovely holiday. Your writing is so visual. I can taste everything. Love your photos. Nice to have you back. Thank you and good evening. Big hug
LikeLiked by 1 person
So glad you enjoyed the read (and the photos, too) – we had a wonderful holiday and I’m glad I can share it with you here. Sleep well, dear neighbour!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Brings back memories for me. Love the color, that exhumes from the page. Born in Montreal, My Dad from Ontario, and lots of visits, all the way up to North Bay, the color is what always returns. The dark dense green forests, wildlife, looking up at me , interloper that I was. So happy for your wonderful memories you are collecting. They are what will keep you happy in old age.
Love and Love this,
Your Mutie.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you, Mom! As I look through my journal notes, I am amazed at how much of Ontario we were able to experience – there is a Canadian wildness there that is so different from the West Coast of British Columbia!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love this post. I live in Labrador City, NL. Winter arrived here last weekend. It’s so nice to enjoy these beautiful Fall photos. 🙂 I also love your writing style. 🙂 Wishing you a beautiful weekend!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for stopping by – I’m so glad you enjoyed reading my post and your comments have warmed my heart. I hope you have a great weekend, too!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
OH Kim, how sweet of you to dedicate your post to Susan. She was such a joy in our neighbourhood. It is hard to think that she is no longer here. She stood up and proud right to the end. I never notice that she was ill. Her kindness and her warmth will be missed RIP Susan.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank for leaving this sweet note, I will never forget her kindness and our last hug, I can still feel her warmth!
LikeLike