Fall Again

Tags

Alberta, beauty, Calgary, Canada, changing seasons, creation, Diana Schwenk, fall, nature, peace, Tourist in my own city

There is treasure in the pathless woods, there is rapture in the lonely shore, there is society where none intrudes, by the deep sea, and music in its roar; I love not Man the less, but Nature more.

Lord Byron

There is nothing quite as centering for me as nature, and one doesn’t have to travel to the middle of nowhere to see it. Nature, it seems, regardless of how we dispose of it, comes back again and again.

Below, photos I took last Sunday during my urban walk…

It’s fall again…

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

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I Wanted an iPad, But The Galaxy Tab S2 Works Great!

Tags

changing seasons, Diana Schwenk, fall, friends, Hump Day Chronicles, learning, living in the moment, photos, Purpose, work

“I want an iPad mini 4 for work,” I said to my boss one day after having decided to take the social media portion of my job up a level.

“Trouble is we have PCs at work and iPads aren’t that compatible with them,” he replied.  So my boss did a bit of research himself and sent me to talk to his contact, Adam at Memory Express.

Well between the two of them, they convinced me the Galaxy Tab S2 was the way to go and I am pretty impressed with it so far.

So here, for your viewing pleasure are some of the photos I’ve taken over the last little while. I’m still learning about, and experimenting with the Galaxy Tab and hopefully my skills will improve with time.

Here’s my friend Susan with her totally hippified car

I took this picture after Susan facilitated a workshop on trauma and addiction for me and my co-workers last week.

Jo’s bike

Cindy filling out the memory book

I took these two photos recently at a celebration of life event honouring my childhood friend Josee.

I met Michaela in Red Deer recently

On a walk with Elizabeth

selfie with visiting blogger, Elizabeth

Visiting friends in Olds

Annie visiting from Scotland

Blurry George visiting from Scotland

Catching up with Terri who was visiting from Winnipeg

 

I’ve traveled to meet with them, or they have traveled to meet with me. It’s been a catching up with others month!

And below are some fall shots I’ve taken in my neighbourhood over the last few weeks.

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~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

How’s fall treating you in your neck of the woods?

Fall in Calgary #NotTooShabby4October

Tags

Alberta, Calgary, Canada, changing seasons, community, compassion, courage, Diana Schwenk, fall, Homelessness, Hump Day Chronicles, life, living in the moment, love, summer, Tourist in my own city, winter

Warm as summer on my skin but fall on the ground on 4th Street SW, Calgary AB Oct 10, 2015

Were it not for the leaves changing colour and the trees dropping their leaves, I’d have thought it was summer in Calgary on Saturday.

These are the fall days I hope for. These are the moments that make me forget we’ve already had snow.

These are the type of memories that carry me through the long and cold Canadian winter.

I hadn’t been out for a good walk in quite some time. As luck would have it, I had some errands to run and the weather was glorious.

I started out with a light jacket that almost immediately found itself tied around my waist.

A man passing in the other direction said to his companion, “Whoa, it feels good to be in the shade,” when he found temporary relief from the sun in the shadows of the tall buildings on 17th Avenue.

17th Avenue closed at 8th Street for the Thanksgiving weekend. The work needs to be done, but local businesses can’t be too happy about it.

After picking up most-delicious-looking pastries at Sourdough bakery and stashing them in my fridge so I could bring them with me the next day for Thanksgiving dinner, I headed downtown to run some more errands.

Volunteer, Heather agreed to pose for this picture – Thank you Heather!

Something was going on at the Lougheed House.

I went to investigate.

A temporary Firefighters museum was set up in honour of Fire Safety week.

Among other things, I learned that if a building is grounded, a lightning rod can be more dangerous, than helpful.

A photo of a photo of a firefighter…

A gas mask from the good ole days…

Old tools that kinda remind me of old dentistry tools I’ve seen…

At Central Memorial Park checking out the free book they gave me at the Firefighter’s museum. And YES, I’m wearing flip-flops!

After I’d completed my errands downtown I headed back home. It was so wonderful to feel the sun on my face and arms. I stopped often to shoot more pictures.

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The changing seasons remind me of the changes and transitions that happen in life.

Some are good, we welcome them and if we have any sense at all we enjoy them while they last.

Others test us, chill us to our very souls, make us wonder if we’ll be strong enough to get through them. But even these pass and leave us amazed at how strong we can be.  And if we have any sense at all, we learn from them and bring forth new growth.

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

If you live in Calgary, did you get a chance to hang out outside this past weekend? What was the weather like in your city? What’s your favourite season?

May your joys make up for your sorrows

Tags

200 words, Alberta, Calgary, Chateauguay, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, fall, happy, joy, life, photos, Quebec, sorrow, summer, Tourist in my own city, winter

I never get tired of the blue sky – Vincent Van Gogh

I grew up in Chateauguay, Quebec. Summers were humid and stifling hot. It was hard to sleep at night.

Winters were brutal. The bitter cold and snow were made worse with months of dark skies overhead.

Autumn was my favourite season – Indian Summer in all its glory – warm days and cool nights. Maple trees bursting in colour, more brilliant than any summer flower.

Autumn made up for it all

Calgary has a dry climate – Thank God! But summers are shorter and cooler. Winters seem to drag on forever. Over the years, I’ve seen it snow in every month!

But no matter the season, Calgary has the most sunny days of any other city in Canada.

330 of 365 in fact – and this means days upon days of blue sky.

Calgary’s blue skies make up for it

Even in winter, we are blessed with summer sky most days..

Carl Saffron building, Calgary AB

Old City Hall, Calgary AB

View from Hope Street, Calgary AB

Where you choose to live and why, comes with its high points and low points. No place is perfect.

In the same way, life comes with its share of joys and sorrows.

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

May your joys always make up for your sorrows

Fall Out My Window

Tags

changing seasons, Diana Schwenk, fall, going with the flow, happy, Hump Day Chronicles, joy, letting go, life, living in the moment, sad, summer

Not ‘fall‘ or ‘jump’ out of my window.

But fall, the season, as seen from my window.

I’ve read so many posts from a handful of you recently about letting go.

Letting go of the outcomes.

Letting go of the things I cannot control.

Going with the flow.

Riding the wave and enjoying the scenery.

So although the end of summer has caused me sadness in the past. Perhaps even had me momentarily thinking about jumping out of my window, I’m gracefully easing into fall this year.

Looking back, it was a great summer.

We had lots of good weather and I spent a great deal of time outside.

Looking forward, I anticipate a good fall.

Discovering ways to enjoy the outdoors, dressing as required to stay warm.

Living in the moment.

Below, some pictures I took on the first day of fall and a bonus end-of-summer creatively crazed selfie in poor light….

 

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

Looking back, how was your summer? Looking forward, what are you anticipating?

Embracing What Is…

Tags

beauty, being in the now, changing seasons, Diana Schwenk, fall, Hump Day Chronicles, living in the moment, memories, summer, the past, yearning

I REALIZED THE OTHER DAY that I’m not lamenting the end of summer as I usually do…

What lies on the other side of that gate?

Maybe it’s because I was able to spend every sunny moment of the summer enveloped in its warmth.

Maybe it’s because I am getting better at living in the moment and am enjoying this new season.

Maybe I finally realize that the end of one thing marks the beginning of a new thing; and that can be a good thing.

The passing of one glorious season leads to the birth of another.

All I have to do is walk through that gate and behold the beauty of what is.

So I’m letting go of summer and opening my arms and heart to embrace fall and all its beauty.

~

SOMETIMES WE HOLD ONTO the warmth and familiarity of yesterday…

Maybe we have wonderful memories that make us smile

or we remember loved ones who are no longer in our lives.

It is good to reflect and remember but we can’t live there forever.

Time goes on with or without us

and while we long for what was, what is  passes by without notice.

How sad and wasteful it is if in our yearning for what was  we miss the beauty of what is.

Just as with the passing of summer into the coming of fall, I rejoice that my yesterday, with its joys and sorrows, has brought me to today.

I want to embrace the beauty of what is.

How about you?

Below are some more photos I captured on my walk through my neighbourhood yesterday

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

Are you longing for what was?

or embracing what is?

Bye, bye summer

Tags

Calgary Stampede, changing seasons, Diana Schwenk, fall, memories, summer

The view from my balcony

One yellow, one green

Fall and summer and in between

Bye, bye summer, how great you’ve been.

I love summer. I love the sunshine. I love the heat.

But all good things must come to an end.

So in an effort to console myself, I went for a walk, camera in tow, to capture the beauty of fall.

With every picture I snapped,  I was energized by the beauty around me.

Taking a camera made me look – actually look at the beauty around me.

I took 70 pictures and saved the best ones for you.

My neighbour’s yard

I love my neighbour’s house. I even like that this fence is in dire need of a paint job, it looks more vintage this way. It’s a 100-year-old house which means it’s been around as long as the greatest outdoor show in the world; The Calgary Stampede and Exhibition.

The curb in front of my place

An old hotel converted into condos at the end of my street

You might recognize the tops of these buildings as they’re featured on my banner photograph at the top of my blog. I once got a glimpse inside and it has those old elevators with the gate that you have to pull open and the apartments have hardwood floors and 7′ ceilings.

Summer still holding on

These flowers continue to hang on, mostly because, although it’s autumn we are still having summer like temperatures. It was around 25c (77f) this day. These flowers got me thinking about how I’m holding on to the summer of my life. At 49, it would seem I’m more in the fall of my life now…well really, really early fall!

Look at that berry!

I’m no photographer but I was very impressed with this photo! I like how clear and crisp it is in the forefront and how it blurs in the background. Wish I could say that was intentional but…

I have noticed how all the photogs mention what type of camera they have and although I’m not in their class by a far shot…I have a finepix Z, it’s set to ‘automatic’ and slides nicely into the front pocket of my jeans! 😉

I remember blowing these seeds when I was little

Blowing these seeds, holding buttercups under my chin and chewing on the sweet nectar of clovers all hold the most wonderful childhood memories for me.

Hey, I guess that’s when I was in the spring of my life. 🙂

Looking up through the branches

I stood under this tree and aimed up. You can’t really tell by this photo but the sky was completely clear.

The dead wood adorned

Don’t tell anyone, but I actually stepped onto private property to take this shot. I just love this dead piece of wood in their front yard and how pretty it looks with the yellow leaves.

A solitary leaf rests on the roots of the tree

A solitary leaf under the tree it probably fell from. I tripped on these roots and became aware of this leaf as if it was vying for my attention so I snapped a picture.

joyful colours hug the trunk

This is one of my favourite shots of the day. I love the colours and couldn’t have set it up to look prettier if I tried!

oops is that my shadow bottom right?

These brilliantly red berries caught my eye

These berries look juicy enough to eat but they’re poisonous from what I’ve heard. Does anyone know what they are?

One of the side streets near my home

Yes, summer is ending and I’ve been really sad about it. But on this day I’ve seen the beauty of autumn and have marveled at it. And just like fall reveals new wonders, perhaps there are wonders yet to be revealed in the autumn of my life.

What is your favourite season?