Canadian Autumn Vignette 1 - watercolour

Fall is a busy season. Canadian Autumn Vignette 1 – Pumpkins have arrived from the farmer’s fields and they are ready to be picked up by eager families.

For today’s Throwback Thursday, I am remembering when I painted this little vignette. We were getting ready for our Rhine-Danube River Cruise in 2016. I had painted several little watercolour and ink scenes like this one before leaving for Europe.

Fall is a busy in-between season.

Fall is a busy season for everyone, but especially so in countries where the seasons change so drastically.

If you live in a country that is always temperate, you will not have to find your winter boots, mittens, hats and coats, and clean and store your summer clothes.

If you have children, they will have outgrown last year’s boots and winter clothes. What fun it is to drag them to a shopping mall to have them try on boots and coats! You will not know this joy!

Most likely, you will not have to winterize your home (hubby takes care of caulking and shutting off water valves and draining pipes). And probably, you don’t worry about salt and sand supply for your driveway and porch.

Chances are you will not change your daily routine very much from one season to the next.

For those of us who live in colder climes, there is plenty of work to do.

But it isn’t all drudgery and boredom.

Louise’s to do list before the snow flies:

– try Mom’s recipe of tomato and apple pie to get rid of most of this season’s tomatoes (done)

– collect fallen leaves to paint (done)

– press colourful leaves for next year (to do)

– invite family and friends for a dinner party (done)

– begin a knitting project (done)

– empty garden: freeze kale (almost done), boil beets (half done), pick sage and rosemary and make a rub (to do)

– buy sugar pumpkins, cook, freeze pumpkin flesh for muffins for Zack (not done)

The early days of fall are days filled with activities that signal the end of one season and the beginning of shorter days leading towards winter.

It feels a bit like a race against Mother Nature: will everything get done in time?

We can be lulled by the warmth of the sun into believing that summer will last a little longer, but then we would be deceived.

Once all chores have been checked off the list, then it is time to get ready for Christmas.

Yes, Canadians do think of Christmas in October. It is the best weather (not cold enough to freeze hands yet) to string all those outdoor lights along the roof.

Fall is definitely a busy season, but I love the changing seasons.

I wouldn’t have it any other way.

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