A Warm Welcome From The Mountains

     Happy Monday - may it be a smooth day for us all! 

    Once again, the mountains welcomed us in the best way the Rocky Mountains possibly can. It was a breathtaking, warm day and even the breeze was not chilly. Last year, we stumbled upon a beautiful view, with spots to have a picnic, so we knew we wanted to make a brief visit there, before heading on into Banff. 

It did not disappoint. You absolutely cannot top a mountain view like this! Look at those colours! 

Autumn truly is the best time to visit the mountains, because you get all these warm colours, which are my colour palette through and through. 

"Over every mountain there is a path, although it may not be seen from the valley." ~ Theodore Roethke

This is one of my favorite photos of the week. I just love how the trees are framing the mountain perfectly! Someone really should watercolour this for me. 

This trip was extra relaxing, because not only did we pack the majority of our food, the few times we did wander downtown Banff, we knew where our favorite spots were, and what time of day to go. 

Can't believe I managed to capture a bird up in the right-hand corner! Very Canadian vibes here. 

Not gonna lie. We had Beavertails twice, because you can't get them in our city, and we are obsessed. 

We stayed at the same hotel as we did last year, because we really loved the location, and we wanted a king suite again, so we had a place to cook our food, etc.

Plus, they have an amazing grotto style hot tub, and we are all about soaking! This is 32 indeed! 

Our room filled with sunlight each day, and the chair was a nice place to sit and read. Outside our window, there was a pretty tree, filled with yellow leaves. 

Thanks for coming along on the first part of our trip! More coming soon! 

Exploring Horseshoe Canyon

      Guess what? We did a road trip to Banff again this year, for our joint birthdays. Our day of travel, we got a really early start, and the weather was beautiful.

So, when we arrived in the Alberta Badlands, we had a pitstop at Horseshoe Canyon and spent a little time walking down into the Canyon, to take in the incredible views. I have been coming to this spot since I was a child, and so I have plenty of memories in this beautiful place. 

As we were slowing making our way into the Badlands, I was snapping photos out the windows, because the views are so unique. 

At one point, the road winds alongside a small river (creek), which ranks high in my favorite things. 

"When he first returned to the Badlands in the summer of 1884, the austere landscape seemed to mirror his melancholy." ~Doris Kearns Goodwin

We arrived at Horseshoe Canyon, and began our exploration of all the various vantage points. To be honest, there isn't a bad one, and it really does capture the imagination. 

"All the earth colours of the painter's palette are out there in the many miles of badlands." ~Georgia O'Keeffe

The fall colours were in full swing and they added so much to this view! 

The stairs heading down into the canyon - there is a lovely trail you can walk along, but be forewarned, there is NO breeze in the canyon, so bring plenty of water, snacks, and so on. Despite it being mid-October, it was sweltering! 

So much love and appreciate for this scenery, and for the fellow Murdoch Mysteries fans, this brought up some good memories of that phase of my life! 

Spot Raccoon in the distance? Pictures truly do not capture how massive the hills are! 

Happiest when discovering new little things and making good memories. 

I picked a few of the weeds to bring home with me. I didn't see any signs saying I couldn't pick a few of the now dead blooms, and I really wanted a tiny piece for my bookshelf, that doesn't disrupt the natural environment by its removal. I know some people bring home pieces of the sand or rocks, but I really don't feel comfortable with doing that, so I never have. This is the first and only piece I will ever take.

One of my favorite things was stumbling across these tiny, gorgeous, purple flowers! Talk about blooming where you are planted! It is NOT an ideal spot to grow, and yet here this guy is, going for it! 

I will be returning soon with more of our amazing road trip to the mountains adventures! 

A Day At Robertson Valley Farm

      Hi Guys! Oh my goodness, a trip to Robertson Valley Farm, is always one of my favorite days of fall. It's really the only place I buy pumpkins because they have so many varieties and great quality at totally fair prices. 

When you arrive, you see this gorgeous, tree-lined road, and on top of the fence posts, are pumpkins! I am totally storing that idea away for the future. Hehe. 

You can't get a more perfect road. Driveway goals! 

Here is the tiny shop, where you pay for your pumpkins and anything else they may have. They used to have a vegetable stand, but now they just do pumpkins for a couple weeks in the fall. 

I love how the blue light came through and made it look like Practical Magic! 

They do have a few little spots set up to take photos, if you like. However, every corner you turn, there are more photogenic sights. 

Let's grab a wheelbarrow and head out to the barns and fields to pick our pumpkins and squash! 

This is the barn where they bring in tons and tons of pumpkins and squash, and you can wander the aisles choosing from every type of size, colour, and shape. 

Little tractors are coming in constantly, bringing more selection to you! 

"The pumpkin grows silently, flourishing in its own time—an emblem of patience in a hurried world." ~Unknown 

Here is my wheelbarrow full of pumpkins, including the GIANT pumpkin I mentioned in my last post that we turned into puree. LOL! I told you it was HUGE! 

I love Goblin Pumpkins and always get a few every year. They do eventually turn more orange but remain all knobby and adorable. 

Then we headed off to the sunflower fields. They have rows and rows of different varieties, that come in all shapes and sizes, and you can pick your own! 

I chose to not pick any this year, because honestly, sunflowers do not last long, maybe a day or two, and they make quite a mess. 

"Sunflowers end up facing the sun, but they go through a lot of dirt to find their way there." ~Unknown

I was so pleased that a few types of bees were buzzing around me, completely unbothered by my presence. One did like the smell of my body spray and landed on my overalls a few times, but he quickly went on his way. I love bees and am not scared of them at all, so we have a good relationship, and I am able to capture lots of close-up photos because of it. 

"Her smile put the sunflower to shame." ~Unknown

Can't believe I got to capture 2 types of bees sharing one sunflower! One of my favorite captures. 

Spotted another wee friend while we made our way through the rows of sunflowers. 

He is a very patient guy, hauling my pumpkins around, and never rushing me. 

They also have an incredible flower garden, where you can pick your own bouquets! We wandered through for quite a while and even later on in the season, there were many beautiful blooms. 

Some people called them Coneflowers, which is the English name, but I know them as the Latin Echinacea and highly recommend everyone have these growing in their backyard for cold and flu season! 

Spot the sunflowers, spot the Bekah standing there staring at them. 

Another darling bee paid me a visit, all covered in vibrant, yellow pollen, preparing for winter. 

It was just endless stunning sights, and I really wanted to capture it all! 

"A flower blossoms for its own joy.” ~Unknown 

You know I made Raccoon take some photos of me in this laneway, rocking overalls I haven't worn in ages and ages. It felt good to be pushing myself back out of my comfort zone again and finding my roots. 

As per usual, I can never decide which ones I love best, and so I post them all. This will probably be how I am until the day I die. LOL 

Thank you for coming along on this quintessential autumnal outing!