Autumn (in pictures)

Tip of the day: do you know those Silica packs you find in all your brand-new leather items (like your purse or that new pair of shoes)? Don't throw them away! If you have sterling silver jewelry (or just silver plated) - place a pack in your jewelry box, it will keep the silver from tarnishing.

The weekend of Thanksgiving Day was the last beautiful one, the end of the Indian Summer. Which means instead of cleaning the house or baking too much (I did both quickly Monday morning) we ended up hiking in the neighbourhood.

We are blessed to live in the Niagara Escarpment region - with hills lushly covered by beautiful vegetation and parks that allow everyone to spend some time connecting with the Nature. Well - sometimes the same parks can be too crowded (as it was the case the weekend before last), but you can still get off the trail and take that unused one (which we did, to breath in some silence).

I am mountain person - I like beaches too, but I never could spend too much time on the beach, it is too slow and almost boring for me. Oh, yes, I can go swimming, and I can make sand castles, and I can pick shells... but nothing compares with a good hiking! Going up and down the hills, listening to each sound and trying to find out what animal might be hiding behind it... resting on a rock at the trail side, hearing a creek running through the forest...

Back in Europe I used to go hiking with my mom, mostly in the Spring and Summer. The forest was full of spring flowers and we will always come back with our arms full of wild arrangements that will lighten up our living room for weeks.

Here - we still hike in the Spring (but not as much), some during summer (we are away camping), and a lot during Fall. Especially the last weeks of September, early October - when the foliage is changing - it is an amazing show of colour and light.

I love picking up leaves - I have a huge collection of pressed leaves :) - and acorns alike.

Today's post is just about natural beauty - the does in the bush, the colour of the leaves, the stillness of the forest. I am sharing these autumn pictures with you - maybe it'll bring you some peace in your busy day (and some colour, it is pouring here :().

How do you recharge your batteries?