Saturday, Oct 10 – as beautiful as beautiful can be. Today – rainy and cold with horror-movie winds. So glad we went for a walk yesterday, to enjoy what might be the last really leafy autumn day in Whitemud Ravine. So sad that I raked. The yard is solid yellow again.

It was also probably the last day to wear shorts, although I tend to push it. It was 25C. Just gorgeous. The ravine was full of people. And white dogs. It was a white-dog day.

It was also a chipmunk day. I brought a bag of seed and nuts. Tom and I sat at the top of the hill (near the rickety stairs) and watched the chipmunks, red and white-breasted nuthatches, and a few chickadees have lunch. It was a sweet moment, of many sweet moments.

We then got a bit lost. Around the curve at the top of the hill near Rainbow Valley Road, we followed a trail by the creek (which has a really cool, waterfall-like water outtake valve) into a knot of spruce trees and thorn-covered wild rose bushes (I did not escape without a few thorns in my paw). It didn’t seem passable past a certain point, but a couple we chatted with on the trail, and then later on the bridge, were able to cross a dry creek bed back to the main trail. Ah well. Next time. It was wonderful to discover that lagoon-like spot with the ‘waterfall’. With the sunlight and the gentle spill of the water into the creek, it was very blissful.

We spent another blissful moment sitting on the ravine-edge bench near Westbrook, taking in the green and gold landscape against the blue sky.

Pure bliss.