happy

My favourite weekend of the year is almost over. There's just something about Thanksgiving weekend. It's all about autumn colours, family, food and hiking. There isn't a single commercial element to it, which may be part of the attraction. American Thanksgiving's proximity to Christmas and the fact that it's already winter here in Canada at the end of November (which means endless gloom and rain on the wet coast) means that I'd rather have it now, at actual harvest time.

Saturday we made the return visit to Lindeman Lake, about two hours' drive up the Fraser Valley. It was cold this year, with a brisk wind, but the colours were the stuff Disney's made of. It's a good hike the five or so kilometres up and to the far end of the lake, but then there's the reward of a beautiful, isolated beach at which to picnic, and the easier hike down. I was like a kid in a candy shop, getting lost with my camera. My co-hikers almost went back to look for me, convinced I'd been eaten by bears as punishment for gawking violations. I know it's like postcard overkill, but check out these photos.

I spent Sunday in our sunny kitchen, making the Thanksgiving feast while watching old Woody Allen flicks, followed by food and frivolity with family. Today was for ODing on pumpkin pie and uploading Saturday's photos to Flickr.

Either someone's been spiking my coffee or I have been exposed to a particularly virulent strain of Pollyanna virus because it's all good (which is bad, because I'm losing my edge). I'm actually ready for the long months ahead now.