Even though the temps were ridiculously warm on this November 5th, 2022 – I mean, c’mon! When was the last time it was 25℃ on this date? (I always use the “feels like” rather than the posted – it was officially 23℃ but, whatever.) My goodness. I googled it and it happened – never! Yesterday’s temps broke the previous record. It was still 23℃ (yeah, yeah, yeah 21℃) at 5:30 pm, for goodness sakes! And yet, I still needed to almost physically kick my butt out of the house. Mind you, I DID go run for the first time in five weeks in the morning so it’s not like i had completely wasted the day!
I knew I wasn’t going to be productive in the house so, further to a loving nudge, I picked up my camera bag, filled my water bottle and out the door I went. I hadn’t been to Michel Chartrand Park this year and, even though I knew it would be very “peoplely”, I went anyway. Maybe there was still something to see and I could get out of these annoying doldrums.

The light was beautiful. As for the colours, they were a mixture of pale yellows, beiges, browns with pops of bright here and there. The muted beauty of November.
“The thinnest yellow light of November is more warming and exhilarating than any wine they tell of. The mite which November contributes becomes equal in value to the bounty of July.”
~Henry David Thoreau
My mood was steadily lifting as I made my way to a special section of the park (where I brought my mom and a friend at two different occasions) knowing that I would find me some chickadees. What I found was a noisy young family that followed me from one section to the other, annoying me to no end. I finally sat down on the bench and waited for them to leave. It wasn’t too long, thankfully.
The chickadees, who had been invisible up to this point, sang their chickadee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee announcing their arrival. It was the first time I had one land on my hand and just hang out, looking straight at me, then cocking its head from one side to the other, inquisitively. Was very cool.
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Another family came by with three little kids. They watched in awe as the birds came and left from my hand. I asked them if they wanted to try, getting a nod from Mom, first. I put a little pile of nuts in each tiny hand. I told them they had to be really still, otherwise the birds would not come. The youngest one was a little, shall we say, in the way, and scared off any chickadee brave enough to think about coming close.

I dunno… those little critters don’t look too trustworthy
The parents pulled him a little away and the older two patiently waited. I asked the mom if I could take pictures and she acquiesced. Just look at that face!
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Her brother was just as thrilled but he was behind his sister and turned his face and I couldn’t really capture it 🙂 The parents thanked me for sharing nuts and the experience and I left feeling a helluva lot lighter.
Which way to go next? All the cool inside trails were closed because of the danger of falling dead trees so I was obligated to go along the regular road-like paths with all the other peoples. This main path goes around the outside, making a full square. Still, I held hope that some of the inner trails would be open and maybe I could spot a deer. Nope.

What about me? What am I? Chicken liver?
I walked along, looking for colour, for something, clicking here and there: people walking, berries that popped, leaves still hanging on. and minding my own business, if you will. However, I started hearing this insistent chirp. I looked up and this nuthatch was basically giving me hell. Or begging. Maybe both!
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I continued towards my car, still thrilled that I was walking, dressed in shorts, on November 5th, and it was nearing five o’clock! Crazy. Snapped a few more photos and will leave you with these last ones. I love how the little bit of colour really popped.
Thanks for hanging out with me. Hope I didn’t keep you too long!
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