Color Hunt in Mid-November

Today was a gorgeous cherry on top of the sun-day season we've been enjoying this November. The temperature was warm enough to thrill, and chill enough to charm. I went on two walks. On one of them, I remarked to my walking buddy that it would be nice to can some of this sunshine to bring out on the grey, dreary days of fall that are sure to come, and soon. In lieu of that rather ludicrous idea, I decided to hunt for some last vestiges of autumn color along the path as I journeyed on my second walk. Those spots of color I "canned" with my camera, so now I have some bits of color to bring out and enjoy during the drab days ahead.

I went to one of my favorite local trails, the Mill Race Trail, for my color hunt. This lovely path spans the distance between the St. Jacobs dam and the village of St. Jacobs. The mill race, after which the trail is named, is pictured above. This canal was made by diverting water from the Conestogo River, and years ago it provided the power for turning the waterwheel at the mill in St. Jacobs. The mill race lies on one side of the trail and the river runs on the other side. 

One main color to show up on today's palette was sky blue. The clean and stark white of the birches also took my eye. White birch trees are a nostalgic item for me, since I grew up basically surrounded by them.

There weren't many colorful leaves left anywhere, but this yellow one lay a bright gem on the forest floor in the afternoon sun.

I think the reds were my favorite color swatches today.

There are chickadees galore along this mill race path. Visitors have treated the birds to sunflower seeds so frequently that now they've got the birds eating right out of their hand. I just loved this perky little fellow. Look at that jaunty tilt of his head!

The wildlife pics I took aren't very stunning for color, but I think they are beautiful, nonetheless. And the mallards' heads are definitely a colorful metallic green - if anyone wants to know.

Shh, don't tell anyone, but I thought this muskrat was kind of cute. I mean, who could actually look this guy in his shiny dark eye, and not think so, too?

Stately beauty.

Would you call this red or pink? Or other?

I liked the shadow of a leaf on another leaf.

This maple leaf turned arrowhead is beautiful in its own way.

I was fascinated by the various ways these flowers go to seed.

Some more blues. (The kind you want to get.) This time it was river blue instead of sky blue.

Berry good-looking.

The effect of the brilliant white light through the cedars was almost otherworldly. 

And when I got home from my walk, another spot of color greeted me from our front porch. The last of my Russian Sage dried bouquet sits in an old metal maple syrup bucket, with bright orange mini pumpkins clustering around. 

Maybe tomorrow or next week there will be snow swirling in and muting the colors in our world, but today I went on a color hunt, and reveled in the bounty. 

What's coloring your world right now?