focus

      Yup! More leaves. Presently it's almost impossible for me not to take photos solely of leaves. Autumn in southwestern Canada is like a novel in which I don't want to skip any chapters, a single word! But the best part is that Fall here is this thick, meaty tome of a thing which just goes on and on and gets better and sadder in all the right places. I have the comfort of knowing there is time to enjoy it and that if I do miss a word or two, sleep in and miss the perfect morning, it will still be there the next day.
      Let me explain why I'm so thrilled with this. Fall in Yellowknife is beautiful but very short. It begins at the end of August and within three or four weeks we'll have experienced full green-leaved trees, yellow-penny birches and bare and waiting for winter. What's good about this is that it forced me to enjoy each day as it was happening. Last year I was seriously bummed about fall. It was over before it started and I was irritated with myself for being miserable about it because if there's anything that can't be changed it's weather (and age - but that's a different post!). I want to hug and kiss grey days, search for their not-so-glaring qualities. September 2008 I was housebound by rain and wind and stood watching helplessly, camera with the flu, as tree after tree was robbed of gold.
      This year I feel I was given autumn in quintuplicate to make up for things. (Thank you!)


      I don't know where Mark and I will be a year from now. We could be here, we could be there. Each place brings its gifts, its sorrows. If we find ourselves back in the Knife I hope the wind will stop fidgeting long enough to let me to show you how lovely autumn can be.
      That said whilst I am here you will forgive me for photos of leaves, leaves, leaves!