Seasons

Gee, looking down the recent posts, it seems I've been in a bit of a funk lately. I haven't, actually, though my heart has been stretched of late.

My prodigal daughter is on her way home. (Rejoice!) So today, I'm going to focus on gratitude. 

Our neighbourhood is a counterpane of beautiful colours, and our back yard seems to have confused its seasons.

This is from the planter I bought in June. Isn't this supposed to be a summer flower?

Our clematis seems to be having a second wind.

And look! A bud!

Elsewhere in the garden, however, fall is taking hold.

The Japanese maple has turned a vivacious fuchsia, a regal backdrop to our noble stag.

Here's a pic of the stag in its broader context - a panoramic montage of 15 pictures, showing most of the back yard, including the cedar shed Steve built, the sapling pear tree, the red maple, and the "Fat Albert" blue spruce.

The pool is all covered up for winter, and already filling up with water and leaves.

Here's a slightly closer picture.

Can you see the stag?

If you look carefully at the top of the shed, you will see a weather vane.

A border collie

I've been meaning to write about this weather vane for more than a year now! 

Steve's grandfather, Robert "Bob" Calvert Sibbald, was a breeder and trainer of champion border collies out in Matsqui, B.C. This weather vane was made for him in 1944 by his neighbour Martin Naujok. Ironically, the two men had served on opposite sides in the same theatre during World War I: Martin in the Imperial German Army in Bulgaria and Bob in the Imperial British Army in Macedonia. 

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So much to be grateful for today: our daughter - all of our children, the gentle fall weather we've enjoyed so far, the tranquility of our back yard, our family history, and our family today.