Letting Go To A West Coast Autumn

I HAVE been partial to autumn as long as I can remember. There is something ancient about the fall air and how it creeps back into daily life like a rediscovered suspenseful novel that gives you a chill.

Cozy scarves and sweaters return to the forefront of closets and it is the start of neglected umbrellas popping up more often in BC.

The natural world becomes more animated. Leaves start to curl and pull away from their branches. They bounce along the streets and gather in corners on windy days.

The ocean waves at Crescent Beach are more sudsy and buoyant and, when clouds clear, the sky hues sometimes turn the water an iris blue.

Luckily, I like the extra rain that falls and how it makes the sunny moments more precious. There are more puddles to step into such as this one (pictured above) that reminded me of a heart during a recent walk.

I do miss the longer daylight hours. But sunsets turn brighter shades of yellow and orange to dazzle the eye in autumn. At Kwomais Point Park I discovered a dramatic battle of contrasting colors one evening.

It is that time of year when essentials such as benches at Elgin Heritage Park get repaired for the soggy months ahead. It is that time of life when memories get foggy and we forget where we dropped off our hats.

Although plants are fading, the jack-o'-lantern in my garden is boldly back.

I know gray and brooding days are coming but right now flowers are still blooming thanks to the muggy hot summer we just had.

Sadly the hydrangea cannot last. But by clearing a path and letting go of the past autumn paves the way for new beginnings that one day will be grasped.

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Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

A Cheerful Thought Can Illuminate The Way

A cheerful thought, like a single flower, can brighten any day.

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Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

Caught With A Snap At Elgin Heritage Park

HERONS can frequently be found at Elgin Heritage Park where I recently spotted this handsome character.

The bird lurked slowly and methodically by the shore of the Nicomekl River. It had an unwavering stare and a long beak shaped like a sword or (in my world) hedge clippers.

The bird's legs were as thin as reeds.

As it diligently stalked something in the water, I was stalking it from behind the prickly brambles hoping to snap some pictures from up close.

The heron's reflection bobbed a bit in the gently lapping river. I wondered how life looked to the creatures beneath the water and if they mistook those skinny legs for branches or marshland grasses.

The bird hunched over ...

at times seeming more focused.

Its long neck quietly curled back ...

into pillow-soft shoulders.

Skulking in its feathers the way Dracula might do in a cape ...

the bird suddenly plunged its beak into the cool river.

Despite wiggling and flapping the small silver fish was snapped up and swallowed in an instant. From swimming in a shallow pool of water to being snatched for lunch, the fish served as a cautionary tale.

Expect the unexpected, things are not always as they seem and (because the next moment is unpredictable) the time to dive deep into life is probably now.

To see more sights from around the globe visit Our World at the sidebar.

Visit Postcards From Penelope Puddle to view more BC scenes.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

Cruising Down Memory Lane At Crescent Beach

THERE IS NOTHING quite as likely to bring out the girl or boy in us as a trip down memory lane to explore vintage automobiles with an umbrella in hand for shade on a sunny day.

Polished and sparkling like gems, the cars of days gone by were neatly displayed at a recent show at Blackie Spit Park in Crescent Beach. Several hundreds of visitors ogled the rainbow of colors and curves.

The emerald beauty (below) reminded me why our love affair with the automobile is not dead. Although the resurgence of the bicycle that I wrote about in the previous post is real, how could we not be gripped by the allure of traveling greater and greater distances in the comfort of a family automobile?

A car for every home meant a garage for every home designed to sit prominently at the forefront. Friendly front doors receded into the background and streets grew broader and longer. It was heavenly not to be squeezed into stuffy trams and streetcars. We were the kings and queens of our homes and now of our very own transportation. We could even watch movies privately with our friends on the big screens created in open fields for our cars.

How wonderful when we realized we could put the top down and feel the fresh breeze ruffle through our hair.

And how glad we were when cranking a motor into action became rare.

Unlike the bicycle that was also evolving there was no pedaling necessary as more powerful engines did the work to take us from here to there. Over time we learned how to go further faster.

Trunks made it possible to take our possessions on ever-lengthening journeys.

Ordinary folk could explore the wider countryside to their heart's content and stop for family picnics on their own timetable. Soon mothers and all the children needed their own cars, bigger garages and more roads.

A car ride was as harmless as a spin on a bike but we came full circle. In an effort to ease the burden of bottlenecked roads and fume-filled air, many of us took a step back into the trams, trains and buses we left behind.

The marriage of car and bicycle added motorcycles to our options. A serious need to redesign roads for safety developed, and is growing, as more bikes (pedal-powered and not) whisk around traffic jams on congested streets.

But with over one billion cars traveling down the roads of our planet it is not too surprising that the automobile still holds the most clout to bring out sweet ensembles (above) to play classical music in tribute of the classic car.

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For a look at my pictures from last year's car show visit HERE.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms