It’s been a while. Fall seems to be behind us already and we’re back in the black and white season. A little bit of colour is still lingering, yet soon that will also disappear. After that, the only colours here are the ones we bring ourselves as Nature no longer deals it out. Except, perhaps for blue, white and grey-black along with gorgeous sunsets and sunrises.
This is the time where many people start having mental issues, natural light is diminishing, warm sunlight is getting scarce. At least the “warm” part in it is. So here is some colour that can still warm the heart.
When winter finally cedes to spring, we all sigh a breath of relief. Many people around me say that when winter is finally over, they can start living again. Yet, this year, many stayed inside for fear of catching the virus. It will have made for a very grey year for them. Yet Manitoba has been not too bad until now. We still have the right to go out in nature, enjoy the weather, warm or chilly, we can still meet some friends (resident family +5 “strangers”). Hosting parties of 20+ is no longer allowed. The short summer is gone, long gone.
Spent Goldenrod
Well, I am a family man and a photographer. Social life hasn’t changed much for me since this pandemic started. As such, I may be considered one of those “losers” without a social life if one is to believe the memes on Facebook and Twitter. I am happy to be as I am. Loser or not. 
Aster
As a photographer (ok, part-time photographer), I like to look at the beauty in life. I won’t look or dwell on a possible virus infection. Neither will I visit places where I could unwittingly spread such a virus. When I was a kid and I had the flu or something else one could catch, I was not allowed to go and see my grandparents. Not fun, but common sense, right? Today is the same, except that I am not sick. I see that others will consider me a Typhoid Mary nonetheless. For that reason I stay away from anyone who doesn’t trust me enough to get close. That doesn’t have to be kissing distance though (thank God for that! 
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Smooth Carrion flower berries
So what am I after in this morose time? Beauty of course! The colours of Fall are beautiful and can be found anywhere. Even in a city park or an overgrown backyard. On the side of a busy street or in a park outside of the city.
Traces of bear claws
Places where nobody in his or her right mind would go, even for photography. Like the place where I found the above log. Fresh bear scratches and bear scat indicated that a bear was probably close by. I have to admit that the “atmosphere” in this place was kind of menacing, yet I felt it was necessary to take this picture anyway. In the end I had seen no bear, just some traces of its existence not too far away.
Milkweed Seed pod
It’s interesting that when you walk in a park somewhere, with other people, you never notice many details. Yet, add a photographer to the group and a camera in your own hand and you start to see all kinds of details where before it had just been a pleasant blur. Milkweed seeds, just burst out of the pods and ready to fly.
Washed out seeds
Washed out seeds, no longer able to fly.
Viburnum or “Kalyna”
Viburnum or “Kalyna” the national berry of Ukraine. It’s also called cranberry, but from what I have eaten as cranberry, this is most definitely not the same. The Kalyna I know has healing properties. It is commonly used to cure hangovers from vodka. Filled to the brim with vitamin C, a handful of berries is mixed with boiling water and some sugar. You then drink it steadily over the space of about 30 minutes. Your pounding headache will be gone by that time. Yet, it has some less appealing properties too. First off, it smells like dirty feet. Butyric Acid could be responsible for that. The other, not so appealing property is that is lowers your blood pressure significantly. Drink more than a cup of this mixture and you might find yourself in an ambulance with blood pressure in the 70 over 50 area. Not a good place to be.
Common Inkcaps
The first signs of the “Black and White” season to come is in these Common Inkcaps, devoid of colour, showing only grey and black. I am not convinced that these are edible, although I might find people who will. For me, they are good photography subjects only.
Colours of a bygone season. Gone far too quickly for sure. Fall (se) colours? Plenty of colours, all from Fall, but all real and unaltered for display purposes 
Until next time…