We made our annual trek up to the 'lookout' this past week.  It seems we went a tad too late as many of the branches in our vista were bare, but it was stunning, anyway!  We brought along our town's new funeral director (who is also the youngest daughter of a dear friend and classmate of mine from theological school) as it is always fun to experience the view through new eyes!

We live in a highlands region in Ontario's 'near' north ~ meaning not nearly so far as the true north (strong and free), but north enough that city dwellers 'down south' think we are at the end of the known world.  Our winters are terribly long, and the months of November and December are desperately dark (dusk is falling when the kids get off the bus!) but January usually brings a hard, deep cold and a sparkling sunshine that lasts for a couple more months, and the growing warmth of the sun is bliss (when you are out of the wind off the lake).
All of this means we treasure each beautiful autumn day with its brilliant clear blue skies and low sitting sun.  And the colours, well,the colours in our forests are simply divine.
Our trip up the hill is always an adventure.  This year, Rowan carried a bag and collected many found treasures on the way.  Twice we moved quickly through the overwhelming pungent scent of bear spoor, reminding ourselves to 'look big and scary' should we meet the depositor (there have been nears in town already this fall,and here we were in the woods!).  We spotted some 8 different types of mushrooms and found what looked like hull-less acorns, glowing green with purple spots (iphone camera was not up to capturing them).
 We brought along the dogs.  Archie was surprisingly delighted with crashing through the brush for a herding dog.  Hooligan, of course, was in bird dog heaven but had to remain on leash almost the whole hike due to the lack of brain combined with the sheer drop off along which the path winds, separated by only 10 feet of bush.
You can just feel Hooligan's enthusiasm for the view, can't you?
♥