At one with Nature

There are people they say that can feel it in their bones when it's going to rain. You may say that that those people are old and are feeling arthritis or the change in barometric pressure but I'll tell you that there may be something else involved. Those people are at one with nature and their bodies and minds can sense things that most of us can't, or could we and we have just lost it? Today was the first snow fall in our area. Snow that actually stayed on the ground. At 6:30 a.m. Brian came to our room to ask us to look out the window. Why you say would a kid wake up at 6:30 a.m.? The only explanation is that he felt the snow. That first snowfall is something that as a kid (and sometimes as a grown up) you look forward to and when it happens you can feel it. How many other things have we lost the feeling for because we are too immersed in our daily routine?

There could have been a couple of photos that went along with this post but neither Silvana nor I were awake enough to have the sense to get the camera.
Brian at his window sitting on his toy box staring at the snow and whispering the things he will do when he gets out there.
Brian at the garage door in full winter attire holding his little red shovel wondering when the rest of us will be ready to go out and shovel.

Never enough Candy!!

As long as you are old enough to understand the pleasures of candy you are willing to go the extra mile. This year the kids were able to go that extra mile. Part of it was due to the allure of the sweet confections that were being handed out but I think the bigger part is that they are older and able to physically go the distance. We ventured way past our own street to houses that looked promising in terms of the candy they would give out. I remember those days when you found out the house a few blocks away was giving out chips or chocolate bars. I don't think that really exists today as almost everyone is giving out the same stuff. I wonder what our kids will say they enjoyed about Halloween when they grow up.

A conversation between Brian and his cousin after Halloween.
So Brian what were you this Halloween?
A Power Ranger.
What colour?
Blue.
What was Angela?
A Pumpkin witch.
What's the difference between a Pumpkin witch and a witch?
Pumpkin witch has pumpkin in it the other one is just witch.

James Gardens 2007

A few weeks after the fact for the post but we did make it to James Gardens again this year. Once again we lucked out and had beautiful weather. So much so that we did a little walk/hike along the Humber River. I got to see some of my old stomping grounds which included places I lost at bike tag or wiped out in the woods with my no speed bike when everyone else had a ten speed. The fall colours were amazing in the woods and the pictures do not do it justice. We even got to walk over the bridge that leads to the valley. For those of you that lived in the area you will remember the pedestrian bridge under the Dundas street bridge. Its a fun little tradition we have doing this on a yearly basis. The addition of the hike was nice as the kids want more than just pictures now. With digital pictures comparing the pictures the last few years has made it even more enjoyable. We print out a new family 8x10 or 5x7 every year and replace the previous year. Maybe a digital frame would be good so we can put them all on and watch them cycle through. For now I'll just look at them online.
See for yourself how we are changing in a collage of the last 4 years.