For Two-Legged Charlie

My friend Charlie (the man, not the dog) phoned from Alberta to give me heck this evening for posting two grumpy blog entries this past week – one complaining about Hallowe’en and the other about the Olympics. He and I don’t see eye to eye on those two topics apparently. But since we've known each other for something like 40 years now, I also know he was just looking for something to tease me about.

However, he has a point – I try to keep this blog a happy, or at least restful and non-controversial, place.

And so, for Charlie (the man, not the dog), here are some things that made me smile today:

A bit out of focus, but silly old Oliver started my day with a laugh when he wandered under the breakfast table and couldn’t find his way out.

And I was too late with the camera to catch another amazing sunrise, but these shots on the water just after dawn brought me happiness too.











On the Wednesday Walk today, I spotted this translucent, lacy mushroom (toadstool?) amidst the fallen leaves.

And the abundance of golden maple leaves on the ground reminded me of one of my favourite pictures from when Charley (the dog not the man) was a puppy.

We walked the “pond hike” at the end of Escarpment Way – a rather long uphill climb up part of Maple Mountain – and the fallen leaves blanketed the path with beauty.

The light shone through the trees creating patches of sunshine and shadow. I think this was my favourite photo of the day:

Tarben made me smile, as he always does:

But perhaps the biggest smiles of all came on the drive between Crofton and Duncan. It is apparently a long-standing local tradition to take one’s jack-o-lantern out along Osborne Bay Road the day after Hallowe’en, and place it there for all to see. Osborne Bay Road is a pretty fifteen minute drive, lined with trees, boulders, fields, and very few houses. And for every one of those fifteen minutes, jack-o-lanterns peeked out from every stump, every rock, every cement barrier on both sides of the road.

Some locals have apparently named the stretch “Sleepy Hollow”. Ghostly or not, the sight of bright orange faces with big grinning mouths watching the parade of cars whiz by – well, one can’t help but smile.












A little community spirit, a little bit of fun – and the inspiration for a blog to please a two-legged Charlie.