What an exciting night we had. Last night was a sleeping challenge. Not often we find it difficult to fall asleep, or wake up suddenly and then struggle to fall back asleep, but last night was one of those. And to add to the misery of interrupted sleep, first Jillie and then an hour later Jackie, decided they must, absolutely must, answer the call of nature. Which meant, of course, trudging downstairs while shaking ourselves into a dressing gown, and thus clad, venturing outside. On a frigid night, no less. 

The day was incredibly blustery and cold, overcast and dark. So the piping hot soup I prepared full of fresh harvest vegetables was a good choice, as was the still-warm cheese-and-chives-fragrant cornbread, the corn kernels mixed into the stiff batter giving it an extra moistness and slight crunch. Irving slipped a few pieces of cornbread to the puppies, as usual. Maybe that's what got them going later during the night?

Today was to have been an all-day-sun kind of day. Still cool, with a high afternoon temperature of 13C, but the wind wasn't as temperamental as yesterday's. The backyard doesn't look very inviting. Quite frankly it's a mess. Although the fencing crew doesn't work Sunday and didn't show up Saturday leaving their equipment in the backyard for their return, the fencing that did get erected looks fine. Taller than our old fence and nice and bright. 

Irving decided to take his reciprocating saw out and take down an old Alberta spruce that wasn't getting any sun. When it was planted it had ample sun exposure, but over the years the purple smoke tree and the magnolia have grown and spread, their crowns soaking up the sun, the spruce getting none at all, so it was left with a little cap of green. It was too close to the incoming fence, so down it came.

In the afternoon we shoved off to the ravine.  Uncertain whether it would rain, though all indications seemed to be it would, we dressed appropriately. The forest canopy is fast thinning out; the deciduous part of the forest exposed to such high winds yesterday, lost a huge proportion of their fall-turned foliage, making the piles on the forest floor more colourful and denser than before.

There's days of rain again in the offing the early part of the coming week, so it and prevailing winds will make quick work of what's left on the trees. The colour will quickly fade and turn that dark, dirty grey and begin crumbling. Dark and dismal for the following weeks into late November. That's the pattern of oncoming winter. 

Because it's Sunday, and the spectacle of fall colour beginning to ebb, quite a few people were out hiking the trails with their dogs. Good thing Irving always takes ample large cookies along with him; they're called upon frequently. Although the dogs, especially the larger ones, are fully invested in playing, as though the atmosphere is conducive to cavorting about with their pals more than usual, they never mind taking a break to await a cookie or two or three.

When we returned home a quick look around the garden that I further denuded myself yesterday afternoon revealed that the little carpet roses are nowhere near finished blooming. That one little plant produces pink buds that turn into yellow or pink or ivory flowers; a more delightful little shrub couldn't be found. And the begonias don't fail to surprise us with their insistence on remaining fresh and beautiful. True floral troopers.