There was a time when fall pictures came to shooting fallen leaves on the ground. With or without my shoes in the shot. After that came the photographic years in Canada. Fall shots became better and more varied.
But despite the beautiful falls in Canada, the flamboyant colours stayed out of reach. On the prairies it seems that winter tailgates summer dangerously closely.
The few days that fall is available are usually also very windy. Fall colours are hard to come by, except in private gardens where hardy trees and shrubs have been planted for this purpose only. That is, of course, not a subject I would want to shoot 
.
Kyiv, Ukraine
So, coming from some fallen leaves to nice fall shots has taken some time.
The Maritimes, however, have a longer period of fall, or transition between summer and winter. Here, the colours are present and often screaming at you to be photographed.
Milton, NS
Take the lead picture of this post. That is only a few steps away from my house. Anyone would want to live in a place like that, no? Well, perhaps a few feet higher than the water level might be a good idea. Fiona and another storm did put my sump pump on trial… 
Mersey River
Driving around in this time of the year is complete pleasure. Wherever you look, there are different colours. And it’s not as if you have to drive for hours to see something outstanding. The distances on the prairies were quite a lot more, let’s say, stretched. Getting from one place to another usually takes hours.
Location “lost”
Here in Nova Scotia, it takes minutes. All the pictures (apart from the “shoes” picture, that was taken in Kyiv, Ukraine) were taken within 25km of my place. Soon I will be travelling some larger distance here in the province to see what beauty can be found elsewhere.
Beech Hill Farm road
Sometimes, the road to a beautiful place is a bit muddy and in questionable state. But it’s all worth it. All for the sake of a nice picture, right?
Fall is also the time when rain and wind are more prevalent. Puddles on roads that previously were dry and dusty. More car washing involved.
Ten mile Lake
If it is to get a nice picture, or a series of pictures, I hardly go out for one shot somewhere, distance is not really an issue. Bad weather *should* not be an issue. After all, Nova Scotia is a very lush, green province. All that greenery does not come from rocks or desert sands. There has to be rain in abundance.
Ten mile Lake
Yet the past summer has been dry. So dry that there are hardly any mushrooms out this year. Lakes are at a lower level than normal and so on. Things will change over time. The time has come again to take pictures and preserve what we see for future generations.
Port Mouton
And if future generations don’t care, then it will be for my own memories. After all, it was me taking the pictures and my camera storing them.
Fall time, the time of the year when one wants to take stock of what the year has given so far, and for some, fearing what is yet to come. As for me, this is the time for Thanksgiving (Canadian version). I give thanks for all the beauty around us to be seen and photographed.
Until next time…