In the back yard here, there is a gigantic oak tree that has grown almost symmetrically round. When I wake up in the morning, with the freshly-risen sun striking it, it looks like it is on fire--a truly glorious sight. Talk about a great way to wake up.

This post is for Colleen. I know she didn't get to enjoy a proper fall this year, as apparently all it did in Yellowknife is rain, so I am sending her some vicariously over the internet. I took these photos last week, reveling in a season that is finally finding it's rightful place among my favourite things. Also, I thought to show you what they mean by "mountains" around here.

These shots were taken about five minutes from down town, up the highway--not quite at the top of the "mountain", but definitely a great view:





There are so many cool old houses here, many of them not in great shape, many of them that have been kept in fantastic condition, like this one, which is currently being used as a bed-and-breakfast:

While that "Greco-Roman, columnar style, with wrap-around-porches as far as the eye can see" look is fairly common here, not every house has so much class:

This house is cool, but with the cotton-candy shades on it, it looks like it just jumped out of the pages of "Hansel and Gretel." Cute. Apparently, it was a restaurant for a little while, but not at the moment.

Today, we are experiencing a "massive cold front" which the weatherman is apparently blaming on the Canadians. If only he knew that the Canadians would gladly trade our +12C for the -21C they were experiencing this morning, if it was truly up to them!

(By "this morning", I mean Thursday morning, as I was unable to upload these photos over the dial-up at home, so had to wait until I got into town to do it.)

Stay warm, friends!