Fall is a Time of (Quick) Change in this Part Canada

Well it is almost October and up here in Canada, Fall is here and it is here NOW. Compared to most of the United States, our Fall in this part of Canada lasts only about 2 months and then the last month to month and a half (although technically is still "Fall") looks a heck of a lot more like winter. We get snow in this part of Canada usually by the first week of November and it doesn't go away until mid-April on average. Sometimes the snow and cold weather linger into the early part of May but that is pretty rare.

While our Fall is short and winter comes early, the "change" is truly beautiful and it occurs rapidly. Our "Fall colours" only last for 2, maybe 3 weeks and then all the leaves fall. This doesn't make it any less beautiful however. While I am used to winter, snow and cold because of where I live, and I don't mind winter too much, the fact it comes so early and leaves so late can be a little depressing. On the positive side the fishing is great at this time of year and since I love muskie fishing, I try to get out at least two or three times before the snow flies. It can be cold in the boat especially when the wind blows but the fish are hungry and are usually in the mood to bite. This guy certainly was and my buddy Marc caught him trolling last week. He was about 40 inches long and he weighed somewhere in the range of 15-18 pounds. Once we got him in the boat we took a few quick pictures and released him back into the lake. Maybe we'll catch him again next year!

I am not looking forward to winter this year, at least not now anyway. My kids love the seasonal change of course. Playing in the leaves is one of their favourite things to do in October - as it is for just about every kid I'm sure. I remember loving it as well when I was a kid so I guess some things never change and in my opinion, that is a good thing. Since we have two dogs one of the important things to do in our yard is making sure you clean up the doggy d00-doo BEFORE you rake the leaves. If you don't well, I'm sure you can figure out the potential consequences.....

Hockey season is also just about to get underway and boy, I hope the Maple Leafs actually do some this year. Making the playoffs would be a good start. They have not won the Stanley Cup since 1967 so hell it's about time don't ya think? Anyway, hockey means winter so I guess that I don't want to rush things as pretty soon, the beautiful fall colours will be gone and the land up here will look a lot like this- yikes!