Fall Colours

The last few days have been just perfect with temperatures in the low twenties and the night time cool for sleeping.However Mother Nature has a way of creeping into our life with her paintbrush and beginning to once again paint a masterpiece. The plants and trees around our home are beginning to show signs of fall and some flowers are trying against odds to keep blooming Our yard has a variety of vegetation and this year we are seeing our young chestnut tree producing nuts which I will plant if the squirrels don't beat me to the punch and snatch all the nuts away for winter.

We love the many rich colours and the last roses which try valiantly to keep blooming. There is something refreshing about the turn of the season as we know that soon snow will cover the land and the plants and seeds will be hidden until spring and begin the renewal process all over again.Nature has a way of making every season special and fall is no exception. Canadians are fortunate to have four distinct seasons and each has its own merits to make people happy.

Fall season can have a lengthy warm time and beckons people to go out and enjoy the good weather before the  onset of winter.

Prime Minister Asleep At The Switch...Again

During the past few days our Prime Minister showed the world that he really was asleep in representing Canada on the World  stage. He was in New York at the UN in a room adjacent to the General Assembly when he should have been addressing the world body to state Canada's vision for world peace and supporting world goals in the environment. Also what better platform for him to speak on behalf of our Canadian citizens held in Egypt and Russia at this time.

What was he doing at this time? Meeting for a photo op with Mr. Gates ,a person who has real concerns about the welfare of the women of the world and we all know howour PM  feels about woman's rights just check his record in Canada.

Every member of the UN had an opportunity for its leader to address this world body to express concerns and support the work of the UN. Our Prime Minister missed the past three years and has shown a hostile attitude for the work of the UN.The countries of the world used to hold Canada as a great member of the world order but since his lack of leadership in world affairs has diminished so has the respect of the world for him and unfortunately Canada. We even lost the vote for membership on the security council to a third world country and embarrassed our standing at the UN.

With great world issues being discussed at government bodies all over the world our PM porogues our government while he is able to get up enough nerve to face the House of Commons to talk about his abuse of power and the multitude of scandals flying about his leadership. There are no words to describe his total disregard for the democratic process and the elected body in particular. It was sad but fortunate that the USA delegate Mr. Kerry spoke to the UN about our citizens overseas who languish in prisons without aid from their country.

The Greenpeace episode with Canadians involvement was a perfect time for our Prime Minister to speak up about the freedom of the Arctic region instead of just playing dumb. Could it be because he has little use for bodies of advocates which tend to safeguard the environment and its inhabitants? Do we have any real power to look after our Arctic territory and our citizens who lawfully ply the waters.? There are so many issues that this man could be working on and with the help of parliament succeed but it seems his agenda is personal and not that whiich important to the people of Canada.

Perfect Golfing Weather

Theresa and I love to golf in the early fall as the weather is usually perfect. With the temperature around the twenty mark and perfect blue sky with not a breeze what more could you ask? Our golfing is strictly for exercise and fun so the score is kept only for the habit from the past.

Few people were on the course at Century Pines so named for the grand old pines left from the lumbering era. They escaped because in those days the logs had to be perfect and these survivors are not. They are weather beaten and have a few crooks along the way but majestic as they reach for the sky. Some day this beautiful golf course on the moraine will probably fall to the earth movers as progress will require the land for buildings. What a shame.

Along the way today there were birds a plenty but one in particular took its position seriously and would not be moved in spite of the activity around it. Theresa took a few pictures and the bird seemed to pose for her but never left its perch.

Our game took second place to our enjoyment of the flora and fauna surrounding us on all sides. This course is owned by a man who has landscaping as his means of earning a living and all his courses earn praise for the care he demands for the upkeep of his property.

Tea For Two

A short time ago Doris had her 96th birthday. Daughter Lynda gave her a special gift of tea for two at a Streetsville Tea house. It is difficult to buy a gift for the elderly but a day away at a special restaurant was appropriate as they would have some time to talk and enjoy a afternoon tea.

Lynda has the ability to motivate people as she has the gift of conversation. For Doris who is a good listener it will be a real treat. She was up early preparing for the outing and with Theresa's help found the perfect outfit for the occasion.

The hours of shared time between the two made a perfect gift for Doris.

Halton County Green Program

I used to take my garbage and redundant objects to the dump. No more dump as the facility operated by the county is a 2013 marvel in efficiency and recycling. It is actually a pleasure to visit the facility once in a while just to see how your tax dollars are being used.

From the moment you enter the gates until you leave there will be processes to keep you interested. At the recycling area there are several staff guiding clients to the various specialized containers to place your objects. Everything has a place and each container is filled and removed for resale to companies all over the province. This facility has reduced the amount of landfill need by thousands of tons yearly.

Three specialized programs are present. The Salvation Army has a building prepared to accept any good items that can be used. The toxic waste program accepts all items for disposal like batteries, paints and fluids. Good paint is labeled for reuse and anyone coming to the facility can take three items for free.

The big program is the mulch give away twice a year. Every week the yard waste is collected and composted on site and twice a year the residents are invited to come and take seven bags of mulch free. Theresa and I have used this program ever since it was established and have witnessed the huge growth in the interest of the residents. Thousand of tons have been recovered by people like me and there is still enough for the municipalities to  take care of their needs.

All in all the people in our area are buying into the program and there is still more room for the ones who have not to join a great Green effort to make out community a better place in which to live.

Cleanup Time

The first really cool weather has swept over much of Ontario and it is Mother Natures way in signalling that it is time to clean up your yards and gardens. Trees have to be given a very good drink to hold them through the winter and maintain healthy roots. Lawns could use some care with a winter fertilization. Trees and shrubs like to be mulched and some need a haircut.

I prefer to get my garden beds ready for spring planting in the fall and to this end I bury dry leaves and some good cow manure in the vegetable plots. Strawberries have a habit of spreading all over the place and it is a good time to weed out the old plants and nurture the healthy plants from the runners.

I have made bad choices when pruning fruit trees so I am a little cautious now when I put the pruning shears in my hands. Bulbs are seeking a new home so plant your bulbs now and make sure the squirrels don't watch your planting or you might not have  a good showing in the spring.

Garlic likes to be planted late in the fall so watch for  a warm day late in the fall to make sure the plants do not grow too big before freeze up. I use the regular grocery store garlic and have never been disappointed. Very white Chinese garlic takes well to our area as it is grown in the same latitude as Ontario.

Rhubarb can have a great head start if you give the plants a good covering of manure in the late fall. Loosen up the earth around the plants and give them a good watering before freeze up for best results.Clean up time has its rewards and gives you a time to be creative in planning for the next year. One task I take great pride in is wintering my pot flowers. I just cut them to about ten inches and place them in the garage after a watering. I have a 75% rescue rate over the past years. Actually I have some flowers that are six and seven years old. Geraniums winter over best.

Apple Picking Time Again

I like every season of the year but harvest time brings a certain sense of accomplishment for the farmer in most of us.I planted a Spartan apple tree four years ago and it flourished. The area where I had room enough was protected from the cold winds and receives extra water from the run off from our back yard so the tree was spoiled.

This year we looked forward to a crop but nothing like the several bushels of apples we picked this morning.Deep red in color and hard with pure white flesh makes it a favourite with many.Our other tree is ten years old and quite ugly with a conservative leaning to the right but being a Northern Spy it is the very best for pies and apple sauce. Their lasting quality enables us to keep fresh apples until after Xmas by storing them in the garage.

We are half way  through the month of September and it is beginning to feel like fall as the temperature reached a low of 6 the other evening. I go into a cleanup mode and prepare the gardens for next spring. My biggest challenge this year will be the strawberries who have gotten out of hand this summer and I could not identify a row if I tried. I have to pull out the old plants and organize the rows again to facilitate picking.

There seems to be so much to do all of a sudden but the chores are really a labor of love as it brings us back to earth in more than one way. Mother Nature has a way of rewarding her friends so we who garden and work the soil have a front seat.