This year, I didn’t even notice fall had started. It was still nice and warm around the September equinox, and the trees were summer green. Then the weather got cooler, trees started changing colours and rain showers made us appreciate the change of season.
That and “pumpkin everything”, of course. But Halloween and fall-themed pumpkins started to appear at the end of August—marketers are always a step ahead. Now, if you listen to them, you’d do your Christmas shopping already, before moving on to Valentine’s Day chocolates and flowers.
This is going too fast. I want to pause and enjoy fall before it gets too cold outside.
So I went out on the path behind our places and tried to capture the beauty of it.
Beautiful shots
I was wondering if this is the Rideau river pathway
No, just the path behind my place. Part of the Experimental Farm path 🙂
Ah mon Dieu, c’est tellement beau! 🙂
Ça te manque, des fois, les couleurs canadiennes?
Rhâââ ! I just stayed 8 days waiting for a load in Houston, it is awfully hot here. (30 to 35°C)
I miss that weather already. Next time, I’ll ride along! We won’t talk or interact, promise.
It is not possible for now because the truck I drive has a too small cab. When I go back in Canada next week, I’ll try to buy a truck with a big cab.
It’s hard to picture how small “living space” can be in such giant trucks… but yeah, I know it’s small. Can I ride with whatever you’re carrying?
Problem is that I pull essentially flatbed trailers, so, you’ll be outside all day and all night.
In fact, it is not only that the cab is small, it is too that it is not well though. People who conceive it do not use it.
However, I hope that next year, I’ll get a truck with a huge cab (and still legal for Canada, it is a problem compared to USA, but manageable). With shower, microwave oven, A/C independant of engine, etc.
The actual problem is that trucks are all built in US, so, when you buy one, you have to do the conversion. When the loonie and the US dollar were at the same value, it was ok, but since the loonie lose so much since january, new truck prices in Canada have raised of 20 to 25%. And all my savings are in Canadian dollars, so, damn. That’s why I am planning to buy a used truck, but it is not an ideal situation.
I didn’t think of the conversion issue. That sucks. I know, the US aren’t as affordable as they used to be a few years ago for us.
By the way, I wanted to ask you two questions:
1) Are there items/products you always pick up in one specific place you are send to? For instance “oh oui, every time I go to the US, I buy… a gun.” (Okay, probably not, but you know what I mean, some foods, brands, etc. only available in one specific province/state).
2) What are some of the most affordable provinces/states from what you’ve seen traveling around the continent?
One of my regular escort buy cigarillos (a specific brand) in North Dakota, it looks they are far cheaper than in Canada. There are a few states where, like in Alberta, there is nmo sale taxe, like Montana.
Problem is that I don’t go often anywhere else than truck stops, and prices are always the same (and then, it just depends of the taxes).
However, for living, California is expensive, especially big cities, and Texas not that much. In North Dakota, in the Bakken formation around Williston, housing is extremely hard because shale oil exploitation. Just a few examples, but it seems that it can greatly vary even in the same state depending of economical context.
Another thing, public policies can screw a state. Public services in Kansas are in the process of being destroyed by the governor Brownback, who follows the Ayn Rand/libertarian program. And Walker has turned the progressive Wisconsin in a social nightmare.
If you just want to be a tourist, journeying in the wild west is pretty cool, lot of nice sceneries. But closer to Ottawa, the Adirondack mountains in New York state are very nice too (in the quadrilatere delimited by I-81, I-90, I-87 and the St-Lawrence).
If you ever have the time, you should write a book about all your work trips. You gained such unique global insights into the continent… it’s fascinating. I’d read it!
We explored the Adirondack a few years ago, going to Lake Placid. It’s one of my best road trip memories, the scenery was amazing.
I’ve heard housing in California was really really expensive, mostly because of all the tech companies. It always surprises me that housing can get so expensive in such a big country where building new residential areas isn’t as difficult as, let’s say, in France or in Japan.
Are truck stops different than the relais routiers in France? Is the food any good?
Generally speaking, truck stops here are better than in France, because here still a lot of drivers are long haul drivers, staying on the road more than 2 weeks. In the standard truck stop, you’ll find a laundrymat and a restaurant, which are not common in Europe.
And diverse other shops, like hair dresser, cellphone shop, eventually massage room, a doctor in big ones …
For food, it depends, there are big chains of trucks stop, habitually associated with a restaurant or fast-food chain chains (Flying J with Denny’s, T/A with Country Pride, Pilot with Subway and McDonald, Love’s with McDonald, Subway Carl’s and Arby’s, etc) and smaller one with local food. Note that last time I eat in a non chain restaurant in Springfield, CO, I was sick during the night. Not sure it was the food, but it is a possibility.
I have this vague memory of retro relais routiers in France, must have seen them when I was a kid. We rarely took holidays back then, certainly not driving long distances.
Chain restaurants are sometime the best option around, especially in the US. Weird to say, I don’t like chain restaurants… but sometime there isn’t anything else available but a pizza-to-go place. Any chain you like/dislike? I have great memories of Ruby Tuesday but I was pregnant so I was pretty weird (well, I’m still weird, but not as picky about food). I kind of like Denny’s too, although I haven’t been in years.
Wow, that’s where you live? It’s beautiful!
That’s the perk of living close to the Central Experimental Farm. You’re in the city but there are lovely paths all around!
These photos are stunning. Autumn never looked this good.
Love the title too. Very well thought.
Thank you! It’s a lovely fall, the colours are stunning this year.
So beautiful! I miss falls like that. The colorful leaves, the smell of fireplaces, the crisp air…
It’s a lovely season in Canada 🙂
Oooh – love those photos from low down to the ground. You are right – we had our first snowflakes today! I am trying to enjoy this season as well.
Same here… and hail too!
Love the changes but hate the cold weather. Oh crap i already started complaining!
Sane here 🙁