Out in the sun

Reindeer and Christmas Tree

Every year the Eaton Centre outdoes itself with beautiful decorations. This year is no exception.
Enjoy.

Fall is still here

I thought Fall was over but went for a short drive and found the most beautiful colours. I am inspired to quote "To Autumn" by John Keats:

SEASON of mists and mellow fruitfulness!
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eaves run;
To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,	5
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,	10
For Summer has o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells.

Returning from a fall mini vacation!

Photo from the 401 as we drove back from Pigeon Lake. The rain soon cleared and the temperature dipped.

The Word on the Street

Yesterday The Word on the Street - National Book and Magazine Festival happened at Queen's Park. It was a beautiful sunny and warm day. The park was filled with children, families, singles,couples who crowded the tents. The trees are beginning to drop their leaves and people were sitting on benches under large colourful umbrellas. Some of the outstanding tents I went to were: The Toronto Public Library where I signed their Project Rescue to save libraries in Toronto from the City's proposed budget cuts. The Remarkable Reads tent; Toronto Book Awards Tent; Great Books Marquee. Book Club in a Box - Discussion  "Guides to get your book club buzzing". Wiley's "Dummies 20th Anniversary Tent". I also visited the tents where the authors were reading from their books - these tents were so crowded I didn't get to hear the readings but did stand on the edges just to watch. A great experience and lots of fun. We ended up in Yorkville and had what may be our last ice cream of the summer sitting on a bench watching the world go by. FOR PHOTOS SEE SLIDE SHOW ON LEFT OF SCREEN. (Enlarging the slide show photos will take you to Picasa - to return to Blog, click the lefthand arrow in the upper lefthand of the website browser).

Fall is here

Today is the last day of summer. I had planned to say goodbye to summer with a poem but all the poems about the end of summer are sad. I know Keats "Ode to Autumn" by heart, but it is a bit too heavy for my blog. I'll just say, I LOVE THE FALL.  And to prove this, here is a photo I took last fall which should put us all in the mood for a mellow, moody and golden autumn.

Hot Off the Presses

My friend Rod Andrews has just published his first book "Ten Bridges Seven Churches No Stop Light". Rod lives with his wife at their B&B in Pigeon Lake which they literally built from the ground up. In his "spare time" late at night Rod wrote this book. It is country strong, crisp and evocative language, true small town Ontario and a delight to read.  I heartily recommend it. You will laugh and cry and shake your head at the stories that Rod tells so well.  I thoroughly recommend this book. It is available on Amazon at http://www.amazon.ca  Buy it - you won't be sorry.
Also you can check Rod's website at www.sawmillbooks.ca  Please also view the Video Bar on the righthand side of this blog - you will see Rod's Press Release Video featuring the Windshield Wiper. story.