Hiking in the Laurentians

(From October 6) One path leads behind houses, the other up the mountain. We chose the path on the right - perhaps the road less travelled.

The trick is to find the marks on the trees. As you approach each mark, you should be able to see the next one.



But don't just look ahead. There are many treasures hiding down low.



This ghost of a leaf clung to the moss.

The trail markers were not always easy to spot. Especially when mushrooms almost obscured them...

I loved the way this moss laden old tree trunk snaked along the forest floor.



From a distance this huge boulder looked like a small house. We couldn't imagine why it had been built in the middle of the woods only to discover its true identity.



It's hard to imagine a bluer sky or more colourful leaves. We often had to stop to gawk.



And what do you see here? I pictured a nerve cell with its dendrites reaching out to make connections.




The colours change each year and each year I am enchanted by their transition.



These large fungi looked like an art installation. I loved their rhythm.



Back down at the lake the next morning we took a last look before heading home.

A Season of Colour

Autumn is a glorious season with leaves flaunting their changing colours. Reds and oranges, yellows and the remaining greens. Each day brings new changes to the palette.



Change creeps in. Bits of leaves with dabs of paint - not yet fully transformed.



The reds are often among the first to appear.



The forest is home to many deer - silent, watching, aware.



We walked along the Parc Linéaire - le P'tit Train du Nord. Admiring. Breathing in the smells of autumn.

In the Laurentians

Every summer I spend a week at CAMMAC, a music camp in the Laurentians. While most years I post photos of all the activities, this year I decided to just post photos of the many moments of peace that being in nature provides.

The daily schedule is quite hectic with classes, practice time, concerts ... so it is important to steal moments of tranquility, like this moment at twilight when the moon could be seen overhead.



This bell has been a fixture at the camp. It is rung to call the participants to concerts and other events.



Many swimmers take advantage of the lake - some even doing a cross lake swim at 6:30 in the morning. With all the rain we have had the water is very high and the small beach is non-existent.

Wildflowers abound along the road. I like to walk up the road to get a little quiet away from the bustle of the camp. You can always hear sound during the day on the campsite as people spend time practising for the following day.



This dragonfly also took a moment to relax.

Walking an focusing - a form of meditation. Taking time to notice the details around us.



Early morning sun reflects on the lake. There is something about being by the water that is calming.



Even rain can bring moments of contemplation. The sound, the feeling that being quietly indoors is enough.

Music was never far from the many moments of the day. Music, too, has its way of replenishing the soul.

A Spectacular Fall Day

Photos: October 14, 2016

We woke to a spectacular fall day. The sun slowly burned off the mist which hung over the lake and in among the mountains.



It bathed the hills in colour. Photographs do not do justice to the colour. It is like being in a work of art, in a place of magic.



It is as if each night Mother Nature goes out on a painting spree, dabbing colour here and there until mountains are all ablaze.



We walked in the forest; its floor is carpeted with leaves that have already fallen.



We hiked up into the mountain, following the blow and white stripes on the trees. They mark the trail of the Sentier Intervillages. With the leaves covering the trail, it was essential that we watch out for the markers. The occasional leaf would flutter down, drifting on the air currents. We were away from cars and other signs of civilization.



Growth and decay - the cycle of the seasons.



The small-leafed trees shimmered in the breeze. Autumn is a time of change, a time of transition, a time of riotous colour to be followed by sombre November.



Quiet descends on the lake in the evening. Time for the harvest moon to come up to light the night.

In the Laurentians

Photos: October 13, 2016

Growing up, my family spent summers and weekends in the Laurentians. I was always able to see the change of seasons away from the city, looking over a lake. This kind of view speaks to my core; it is a part of who I am.



We arrived in Ste-Lucie not long before sunset. The beauty around us will be there in the morning.

Fall Comes

Photos: October 1-3, 2015

That splendid seasonal display is playing out. We managed to get away for a few days to the Laurentians where the wonders of the season were lit by bright sunshine.



What a spectacle! Time to stop and stare, admire, drink in the beauty.



We were walking along the P'tit Train du Nord, formerly a railway line, now a long park stretching and connecting across the Laurentians. Cyclists, walkers, dogs... a smile as you pass.



The milkweed has burst, sending out the seeds of next year's growth. It creates natural sculptures.



What a glorious time of year! Each day the changes are noticeable.



But it is fleeting. Each moment to be treasured; each day to be enjoyed.

Laurentian Lake

Laurentian Lake, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

Photos: September 25, 2013

It doesn't matter how many years I witness the change of seasons, each time it astonishes me with its beauty. We took a day to drive out to the Laurentians to enjoy the leaves. To me this is the height with the bold reds contrasted with the remaining greens.



It was a day of taking time. Time to sit and take in the view.



Time to meander along country roads and stop to enjoy nature's gifts.



Time to walk and talk.



Time to enjoy the fading evening light before a lovely dinner. And then back on the road to home.