21 October 2012

I Will Take the Sun.... (gallery walk scenic route)




Yesterday I posted several photos of the scenery Kim and I explored while partaking of the Annual Gallery Walk.  Today is the conclusion of the scenic route we enjoyed.
I will take the sun in my mouth
and leap into the ripe air
Alive
with closed eyes
to dash against darkness 
E.E. Cummings



 On our way to the Gallery Walk, a tour of the downtown art galleries, we passed a little bar of sorts with the most interesting stools!



Above and below are photos of some Maples in the vicinity of the downtown/west area of the city.  One in particular was planted in 1910!









Heritage Maple 1910.  Where two large branches join the trunk, a little mountain ash has taken root.









 Angled to the side, I saw what Kim saw.  A large face is evident in this growth on the trunk of the silver maple.


 A bright red door flanked by equally brilliant planters just shouts "personality!"  I love the bravado!




As many of you will remember, I have a fondness for wrought iron so I had to take a photo of this gate.

 Mountain Ash are so vibrant this time of year!
 This beautiful home has already been adorned with some Halloween cheer.  Too bad so many street signs dot the intersection around this home.




A sumac grows in the right hand side of the bed near the steps of this duplex.  Sumac are not 100% reliably hardy here in zone 3, as a landscaper advised me years ago when he came to the garden centre to purchase another for a client whose sumac didn't survive the winter.  They must really love sumacs.  I've always thought they'd be perfect near a pond, lending the architectural lines so often enjoyed in a Japanese themed garden.

Autumn has barely become evident.  We've had a very late and gorgeous Indian summer but now Autumn seems to be confused with winter as evidenced by the flurries we saw this morning which melted within hours of falling. I hope Old Man Winter is not too impatient and stays away for a good while yet.

How's the weather where you live?  Did anything exciting happen this weekend?

11 comments:

Karen said...

I thoroughly enjoyed the walk, too! The maple is huge and the face is really evident in the burl. The restaurant decor is really neat, too, cute idea! I wish I had the ambition to decorate for Halloween. Lovely homes in this post.

Our weather has been rather gray and gloomy except for this weekend which has been a most welcome respite from drizzle. We need the rain, but after a few days, I am longing for the sun again. No snow yet, and like you, I'm hoping it holds off for quite some time. Have a great weekend!

Shirley said...

Karen, I love to walk through these older neighbourhoods and would love to live there, doing a little remodelling while keeping the integrity of the period intact. I'm sure you would too!

I'm glad to hear the snow is holding off for you so you can enjoy your immense and very beautiful grounds. I love to read your updates and look forward to seeing what you do with planters for the upcoming seasons and holidays. Take care!

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

Thank you for this lovely post. I love seeing the fall colors, and really loved those ancient trees. Beautiful!

FlowerLady

Shirley said...

Flower Lady, I'm so glad you stopped by! These old maples and oaks really make this area beautiful! As the leaves litter the ground and I walk through them, crunching as I go, I am so thankful for the simple beauty of nature.

Anne said...

that was a lovely walk, we had the odd flake but it is forecast for during the week,so luckily we have all the garden off now. nothing interesting happening here

Shirley said...

Dear Anne,

Hey Mom! Glad to know it's not snowing in southern Alberta yet. We are forecasted to receive some in the next week too. Did you make jam this year?

A Bit of the Blarney said...

Weather is glorious here but the trees have already peaked...Still I love the fall!!! You pictures are grand. Thank you!!! Cathy

Shirley said...

Cathy, welcome back to the blogsphere! I hope all is well. I enjoyed your mosaic, particularly the photo of the oak leaves with the acorns. We do have oaks here but I haven't happened upon an acorn lately.

Take care!

eileeninmd said...

What a lovely walk, the first shot and art piece is one of my favorites. The trees are looking beautiful there, wonderful post and photos.

Shirley said...

Hi Eileen! I'm so glad you stopped by!

The first shot with the art installation of pansies is quite a nice surprise on an urban corner. The other side of the piece sports hollyhocks and a credit to the community for participating in Capital City Clean Up.

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

Wow! Some of those trees are enormous! I love seeing your Fall beauty. We are right at peak color here and enjoying nice temps in the 60s! We went to the Arboretum yesterday for the Chrysanthemum show which was nice! Happy Fall!

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