Autumn Hikes Under Brilliant Cascades of Colour

At the close of a hectic week in the bustling city of Halifax there is nothing more relaxing and mind-clearing than a hike. Nova Scotia is teeming with trails; ocean hugging, ambling creekside paths, craggy rock escarpments or deep woods mystery. Whatever mood takes you, whatever scenery calls, choice abounds. One is out of the city in the blink of an eye and trail bound in moments. The sounds of the highway fading in just a few moments.

Yet all these trails are bordered or bedecked with autumns cascading colours. Along the Cape Split trail you climb under deep green firs and pines into a yellow-hazed canopy of poplars and beech tickling the heart and chuckling in a soft breeze. Skies are crisp blue, clear and filled only with possibilities.

Along the shore trails one moment you're idling under a scarlet fall of red maple leaves and mottled brown maples, broken here and there with a brilliant sliver of yellow. Along lakes stand sturdy walls of conifers accented by yellows, browns, reds and oranges, sometimes the shoreline seems to shimmer and laugh as the leaves let fall their summer burden preparing to settle in for the winter snows to come; their long languid sleep at hand.

One is taken to smile at a bounding Nova Scotia duck toller retriever, tail wagging, perhaps a stick in mouth seeking a lakeside to leap into. The air often crisp with the loamy scent of the fallen leaves underfoot, the gentle crunch of pine needles releasing just a hint of pine into the air.

No matter your mood, an autumn hike in this province can only leave your mind refreshed. Perhaps the only yearning that of a steaming mug of tea a hot apple cider or seeing the tired, content smiles of the kids wrapping their hands around a heavy mug of thick hot chocolate. Just another one of those small things in Nova Scotia that makes it a jewel on Canada's east coast.

(Photo Credit: Peter of the Port on Flickr)

The Unveiling Canvas of Autumn in Nova Scotia

I felt the crisp, fresh breeze of autumn drift up from the harbour yesterday evening. It seemed as if Mother Nature was gently lifting the first corner of her fall canvass, giving us just a hint of the brilliant hues that would soon dress trees and bushes.

A breath of that cool, invigorating air and floods of memories stirred in my mind and sliver of contentment traveled up my spine. Autumn stirs this province from the lazy late summer heat and sets the pace for the winter to come. Steaming mugs of hot cocoa after a crisp evening walk in the park. The delirious mess of the kitchen from pumpkin carving and the scent of roasting pumpkin seeds.

Soon the Annapolis Valley will hear the laughter of children dashing about the Corn Maze. The local farms bustle with people out to pick their very own pumpkins straight from the field. Kentville and Wolfville homes and places decorate their lawns with fancily dressed pumpkin people. For a warm evening barbeque there's always the Pumpkin Beer of Propeller Brewery, yet another unique flavour of Nova Scotia.

The long anticipation of the Thanksgiving turkey dinner. The kitchen filled with family and friends preparing the meal while the house overflows with the melodious scents of cooking turkey. Plates filled with turkey, butternut squash, potatoes, carrots and turnip, heaps of stuffing and ladles overflowing with gravy. A crisp Gaspereau Valley or Jost wine to wash it down.

Sweaters become warm companions, while jackets are shaken from their summer slumber in the closet. Shorts and t-shirts are laid away for their hibernation. Lawn chairs and umbrella's are tucked and rose bushes wrapped. Leaves carpet the lawns and the sound of raking fills the Sunday afternoons.

Perhaps most pleasant of all is the daily, changing canvas of Mother Natures trees. Some brilliant yellows, startling reds or the occasional mottled brown of the oak. This is autumn in Nova Scotia, where memories of laughter and pleasant evenings warm a heart on a chilly winters day.

(Photo Credit: laszlofromhalifax on Flickr)