For everything...there is a season

Photo Randy Vanderveen, Saskatoon Island Provincial Park Despite its early appearance, these coloured leaves serve as a reminder for area residents that autumn arrives in less than a month.

This is the time of year when things begin to change more rapidly than any other time.

It seems that once late summer hits the Peace Country, autumn unsheaths its claws and takes hold of the area.

Fields begin to turn ripe ready for harvest, leaves turn colours and fall and birds begin gathering in preparation for their southern migration.

While some of that is beginning to happen, this summer's wet cool stretch has also resulted in delays.

For example some berries and wild flowers are still out in abundance this year, despite usually being gone by early August.

Many area farmers are still working on taking down their hay crops and may be forced to move from haying to harvesting within a short time period if the warm weather holds and the usual September rains hold off.

Photo Randy Vanderveen, Saskatoon Island Provinicial Park Saskatoon berries wait to be harvested by birds, bears, berry pickers or coyotes as they hang heavy on the shrubs in the provincial park named for the berry bushes.It is always a time that can make for dramatic photos, although in the plains of the Peace Country the burst of colour from trees is usually short-lived.

It is also a time for people in the area to get back to the busy hustle and bustle of life whether that is school, harvest, yard work or readying the house and RV for the return to cooler days.

Take the time to enjoy the view and the fruits of the season.

Photo Randy Vanderveen, north of Debolt A barley field is getting close to being harvest ready. This year many farmers who are raising barley will have their work cut out for them as the crops in many areas of the Peace are extremely lodged. Photo Randy Vanderveen Saskatoon Island Provincial Park A snowshoe hare appears unhurried as he grazes by the road side in Saskatoon Island Provincial Park. •••

You will probably notice updates coming a little sporadic in the next few weeks as we undergo some changes.

Various aspects of life seem to run neck and neck and often one takes precedence by a nose.

Please be patient, I will try and get back to a routine of posting regularly in a month or two. Thanks for dropping by.

Photo Randy Vanderveen, Grande Prairie, Alberta Sometimes priorities in life seem to run neck and neck with one having to take precedence by a close margin.