Even though I arrived in Canada during the transition between Winter and Spring, Autumn weather reminds me of my first impressions of this country as a future resident and citizen. The undressing of the trees after turning amazing reds, oranges and yellows is something I had matched in my image of a "Canadian Landscape" more than ice, snow, or igloos. The cold that makes you feel alive, the reality that this IS a different world and that your life is going to be OK in this land. Taking a bus through a city full of colour and people walking on the streets with their sweaters and jackets... a few with gloves and scarves, which sometimes are still not needed. It is a fashionable season I believe. I love how the leaves create little by little or suddenly due to the rain a carpet that will keep the soil nourished during the coldest season to come.
This year I kept seeing a red tree at the "Commons" bus loop at YorkU and meant to take a picture of it. When I got around it the day was gloomy and dark. The result is below on the right. Then rain came and I knew the next day my red tree was going to be naked. It was a gorgeous sunny day so I hope it didn't have much cold. Some of the yellow trees that form a corridor still have their foliage, but had shed enough to make a carpet fit for a royal parade.
As you might have guessed I spent most of my time at YorkU or on my way to of from Yorku. So most of my views of fall have come from the Keele Campus where I practically live during the week. Here are more colourful photos of my Canadian alma mater. And a view from 12 RR (aka my old apartment in North York). It is impossible to see it in this picture, but the Ross Building at YorkU were visible from the balcony on clear days.
And this last picture is a panoramic view of the commons bus look with Vary Hall in the background, right in the middle. On of the pictures I am more proud of. It is a pleasure to try to capture the beauty of fall in Canada. Toronto, being a huge metropolis has tons and tons of trees on the streets, on parks, and on trails. I hope this little set of photos can convey the feelings that this nature's show provoke in me.
6 comments:
Beautiful pictures! As far as seasons, I like Fall and then Winter. In that order. Ironic isn't? I mean, granted where I grew up these two seasons are my favorite. Los Angeles is not necessarily known for its cold weather, but it is getting colder and we couldn't be happier. If you know any five-year olds this is the time to collect different types of leaves (with all the different colors you can find) and make a collage while talking about how a tree changes throughout the year. Sorry. That was a teacher moment. Anyway, as a kid, I used to like to walk to school especially during Fall so I could crunch the leaves using my boots (sneakers were not as effective). The crunching sound made me happy I don't know why. Around here, there are some neighbors who are beginning to use their chimneys and that smell of wood burning accompanied by a hot cup of coffee/chocolate is always a good thing. :-)
Those pictures make me consider going to Canada, but thinking about winter and summer are too far from our land of eternal spring
I'll promise to share some photos from the actual weather in Guate. We complain about a cold 12C morning :)
@Carmen... once again, people think we should hate the cold being from the tropics and all, but we don't. Teacher moments are always welcomed, and so are references to crunching leaves and hot chocolate (particularly if it is from Antigua or Mixco).
@Mau... I always think, at least up here I can get inside and be warm... 12 C in Guate can be pretty chilly... especially at my mom's :-D aka the freezer house. Ah, and about Winter... just check my new post. Sometimes it comes before it should... but is always beautiful, like living inside a snow globe.
Manolo!
I am so happy to find this, I attended York 90-94 in the Fine Arts building, thanks for sharing recent pics! Can't say I miss the winters at York though, some serious wind tunnels run through those buildings. Are the tunnels still open underground? I know they closed them during my time there for safety reasons. Such a shame, it was the only way to get from Vanier to anywhere without losing the tip of my nose.
CancunCanuck you wouldn't recognize today's York, with new buildings in front of the Fine Arts building called Accolade East and West. The underground passages are still closed (I don't even know where they are) and wind tunnels... the worst are on the way to the PS2 now called William Small Centre (was it already built in 94?) which is the way to get to the Tait McKenzie Sports building and the main computer lab.
Nice to know you are also a Yorkie!
I figured York had changed a lot, thanks for showing me some pics of the old alma mater. The underground tunnels were really quite amazing, filled with both graffiti and real "art" and poetry. We would wander around down there for hours checking out the newest "installations". Too bad some nasty guys had to ruin it for everyone by attacking women down there, they really were a great way to get around campus and they acted as an unofficial art gallery. I wish I had had a camera way back then.
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