Fall Leaves and Football, Fireflies and Firepits, Full Moons and Fast Food, and Frozen Ponds
Combining the best things about North America.
After my jaunts through the USA, Canada, Thailand, and Europe, it’s time to return to North America for a bit as, currently, it’s my favourite place on this here planet!
It’s a feast for all seasons.
Fall
Let’s begin with fall considering that it’s my absolute favourite time of year.
I’d never seen such an exquisite natural array of colours before I experienced fall in Southern Ontario. As I make my way around my neighbourhood on morning and evening walks, or head out into the countryside for a drive with friends, I am in constant awe of mother nature’s beauty.
As the trees shed their leaves, it reminds us all to shed what we no longer need.
Football
Along with fall’s exquisite bounty of changing colours comes another season that I adore: football season. I’ve not made any secret of the fact that I’m in love with American Football.
Whilst I have been to a college game as well as the inaugural game of the ill-fated AFL in early 2019, I have yet to attend an NFL game and it remains one of the items on my strange and possibly odd bucket list.
Frozen Ponds
As fall eases into winter, the temperatures up here in the Great White North drop below freezing.
Before coming to Canada I had never encountered a frozen pond. I did enjoy staring at a “slightly frozen around the edges” one in Colorado Springs in January 2019, but walking on a fully frozen one — never!
I got my wish and fulfilled another strangely odd bucket list item. For a good laugh, watch below.
That yell of accomplishment was purely spontaneous and heartfelt.
Full Moons
Eventually, the harshness of the Canadian winter blossoms into the new growth of the spring, and full moons become more visible.
I have been obsessed with watching the full moon rise for years now. Being a Cancerian, the moon feels like it’s a part of me and I can’t keep my eyes off the orb as it begins its journey into the night sky.
As much as I try to catch them during the winter there is often too much cloud cover, so as spring settles in so does my enjoyment of catching her splendour as she rises.
Fast Food
While I try to minimize my processed food intake, I can’t resist indulging A&W’s Beyond Meat© burger combo a couple of times a year.
Having been obsessed with Hungry Jacks in Australia (basically rebranded Burger King), and Carl’s Jr. for a moment in the US when I was twenty-one, A&W has become my indulgence of choice up here where the northern lights glow.
As far as I’m concerned, they have the best-tasting takeout veggie burger of all the fast food chains.
Fireflies
As much as I’d love to have a camera that could capture the fireflies that zip around my backyard in the summer, sadly I do not. I don’t ever remember seeing them as a child, so when I first saw them lighting up my Southern Ontario backyard in the warm summer nights of 2020, I nearly lost my mind!
I stared transfixed, marvelling at the beauty of my own private light show.
Firepits
Along with the fireflies, it is the firepit that is possibly the best thing about this house. I rent a basement apartment in the southern suburbs of London, Ontario, and sitting around the firepit at any time of year (bar the dead of winter) is without a doubt, one of my favourite things to do.
And what goes best with a summer firepit? S’mores of course!
This right here makes me smile every time! Two muskokas, a flaming fire, and beautiful weather.
Beam me up Jesus!
As I prepare for my next journey in a few days, I can’t wait to get back home in May to ease myself into one of those chairs, a Bud Light in hand, some music emanating from the stereo in the shed, and a wistful smile on my face as I stare into the beautiful abyss of the fire awaiting my firefly light show.
Bring on the summer!
Thank you JoAnn Ryan for these beautiful pictures as you ease your way home.
Just like Allisonn Church, I enjoy taking pictures of both fungi and fires (as you can see above).
