
A Blue Jay sighting on a recent neighbourhood walk.

This frog and its mates have probably burrowed into the mud at the bottom of a lake and are preparing for the winter. Although with the temperature icy cold one day and warming up the next, I wonder how all animals that hibernate will survive. I know people don’t know what to make of this weather pattern…

Spiders are often associated with Halloween. In myth, spiders were believed to be the companions of witches, and linked to death, poison and things that go bump in the night. I happened to see this non-venomous orb spider on a fine sunny day. It didn’t pose a threat to me unlike the unfortunate insects in its web.

One of several entrances to The East Memorial Building, a federal government office building, with federal heritage status, in Ottawa, Canada. Its construction began in 1950, and it is an example of Classical-Moderne design. Like many of the older federal buildings, it has a wonderful bas-relief over the doorway.


Not too far from the centre of the city is this wonderful reserve that I visit often. As the birds get ready for their fall migration they often stop here before they fly south. They seem to like this old tree too; every time I visit I’m happy to see that it’s still standing. A pleasant place for all before the real cold sets in.