Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, autumn, fall, inspiration, nature, photography, Thoughts on October 14, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Mr Man and I were out for a hike a few weeks ago when a barred owl flew across the path. I hadn’t expected to see an owl in daylight, but there it was. We watched it for a moment as it nestled into the crook of a tree, and went about our way.
This is what it might have been like to stay.
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Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, autumn, fall, inspiration, nature, quoteandaprettypicture, Thoughts on October 13, 2025| 1 Comment »
For those who have experienced the joy of being alone with nature there is really little need for me to say much more; for those who have not, no words of mine can ever describe the powerful, almost mystical knowledge of beauty and eternity that come, suddenly, and all unexpected.
— Jane Goodall
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Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, autumn, fall, inspiration, quoteandaprettypicture, Thoughts on October 12, 2025| Leave a Comment »
“The autumn stars had come out, incredible in number and brilliance… the whole sky seemed to tremble, a shaking of diamond chips, a scintillation of sunlight on a black sea.”
— Ursula Le Guin, The Dispossessed
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Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, autumn, fall, inspiration, quoteandaprettypicture, Thoughts on October 11, 2025| Leave a Comment »
After an extended flirtation with unusually warm weather, the seasons have well and truly turned. Fall has arrived, and with it, bright blue days and brilliant colors, crisp air and the urge to Get Outside before the snows come.
This is my way of saying that I’m going to be otherwise occupied for the next few days enjoying the weather. I hope you have a chance to get out and enjoy the season too.
In the meantime, I leave you with quotes and pretty pictures!
“If the leaves are changing, I feel poetry in the air.”
— Laura Jaworski
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Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, fall, maps, seasons, Thoughts on September 25, 2025| Leave a Comment »
The leaves here are beginning to turn but the full glory of fall has yet to arrive. When will it come to your area? If you’re in the US (or can extrapolate to Canada), this map can help narrow it down.
2025 Fall Foliage Map & Peak Leaf Color Guide | The Old Farmer’s Almanac
Wondering when and where to see the best fall colors in 2025? Our Fall Foliage Map tracks peak leaf season across the U.S….
See when fall foliage could peak in your area – NPR
Trees shed their leaves in order to store and recycle valuable nutrients (in their trunks and branches) before winter’s ice and snow can rip them off. As temperatures drop, chlorophyll — the pigment that makes leaves appear green — starts breaking down, revealing the yellows and oranges they’ve had all along.
Like many of us, leaves hide their layers. I try not to forget it, and that all of this beauty and color has been right there, all along.
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Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, fall, Thoughts, Writers on September 24, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Yes, the wind blows colder now, teasing the last summer petals from their stems.
But oh, the sky!
“It was the golden time of year. Every day the leaves grew brighter, the air sharper, the grass more brilliant. The sunsets seemed to expand and melt and stretch for hours, and the brick façades glowed pink, and everything got bluer. How many perfect autumns did a person get?”
— Elif Batuman
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Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2024, fall, nature, Thoughts on October 18, 2024| Leave a Comment »
One great thing about fall is that it’s apple season. Not that the modern world doesn’t have apples year round, but what better time to enjoy this fruit? Maybe it’s just me and my apple crumble fixation.
That said, my love of apples has nothing on this guy’s:
Apple Rankings by The Appleist Brian Frange – Comedian Brian Frange
Brian Frange is a comedian and writer who has been yelling about apples for years…
Start by entering an apple type, scrolling down to browse, or heading over to the list of Apple Rankings, and enjoy the detailed yet humorously opinionated descriptions.
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Posted in Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2024, astronomy, autumn, equinox, fall, fall equinox, seasons, Thoughts on September 22, 2024| Leave a Comment »
Yesterday, we headed out into one of the many beautiful trail systems dotted around Ottawa. The day was bright and the paths were carpeted in a lovely array of gold, orange and red leaves. It felt like a perfect way to usher in fall, but it turns out we were a day early.
Today, however, we can celebrate the Autumn Equinox, when night and day are (more or less) equal, and the sun shines directly down streets set east to west, as they do in places like Chicago.
Autumnal equinox 2024 brings fall to the Northern Hemisphere today
When is the first day of fall in 2024?
A carefully worded answer is that on Sunday, Sept. 22, at 8:44 a.m. Eastern daylight time (5:44 a.m. Pacific daylight time) autumn begins astronomically in the Northern Hemisphere, and spring in the Southern. At that moment, the sun would be shining directly overhead as seen from a point in the equatorial Atlantic Ocean, 461 miles (743 km) south-southwest of Monrovia, Liberia.
10 Things About the September Equinox
Here are 10 facts about the first day of astronomical fall (autumn) in the Northern Hemisphere.
Welcome to fall!
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Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2024, fall, inspiration, nature on September 4, 2024| Leave a Comment »
Nights are cooler, the afternoon sky is a crisp blue, and the outermost leaves of the giant maple tree across the street are tinged in red. It must be time for fall foliage predictions!
Fall foliage map: When and where to expect autumn colors
Click through for animated maps and links to more info, explainers, and a printable coloring book for the kiddos (or you, I don’t judge!).
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Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, beauty, Canada, fall, fall foliage, home, inspiration, nature, poutine, Thoughts on September 7, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Canada is a global leader in many arenas: friendliness, humor, dishes featuring cheese, gravy and potatoes.
Come fall, it also leads the way in terms of natural beauty.
The leaves on the maple across the street are beginning to turn. Thanks in part to my father falling in love with the Appalachian mountains on a job interview, I’ve watched this dance most of my life. First the green fades into yellows and orange and reds, slowly and then fast, until every vista is filtered through a rainbow-colored lens.
The change depends on a number of factors such as precipitation and temperature, but check out this map for a prediction:
2023 Fall Foliage Map & Nationwide Peak Leaf Forecast
More on the map and how it was made:
See When Brilliant Fall Foliage Will Peak With This Interactive Map
According to the map, fall foliage season began on September 4 and will end on November 20.
For comparison, here’s the Farmers’ Almanac weighing in on dates by state: Fall Leaves: America’s Top Destinations.
When will peak fall happen for you? Soon, the trees whisper. Soon.
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J.R. Johnson 
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