Thursday, November 24, 2011

Fair November Weather in Mississauga Ontario: My Kind of Fall!

This November, the weather here in Port Credit (Mississauga) has been fair, and generous with mild days. Though occasional storms have blown most of the fall colour off the trees, a few hardy yellows and reds are still to be seen. Here are a few pictures and a video of the scene outside.

Early Morning Frost at Saddington Park Port Credit
 I took this picture of the frost on the lawns at Saddington Park for those used to frost-free climes. The air temperature early one morning froze the dew where it lay, turning the green lawns white till the sunshine melted it.

Golden Yellow Maple Leaves Mid-November
 The white of the frost made a nice contrast to the bright yellow leaves of this small maple tree. Even the picnic table at Saddington Park is covered in white, as were the cars parked on the street. Potted geraniums on the balcony are still lavishly blooming, as frost hits the low-lying areas first.

Port Credit Fall Colors ~ The End of the Season
Two weeks ago, these trees on the west bank of the Credit River were still putting on a good show of fall colors. As I look out today, this view is all branches and twigs. All I have to do is wait six months or so, and these trees will be all lush and green.

Yellow Maple Leaves Port Credit
I'm not sure what type of maple tree this is, but whatever it is, it's one of the last maples to lose its leaves each year. When other trees are down to bare branches, this maple variety is a blaze of deep yellow.

Maple Leaves with Black Fungus Freckles
 Take a closer look at this golden yellow maple: The leaves are dotted with large black spots. A local gardener says these spots are from a fungus infection; to control it, one must rake all the black spot leaves and compost them.

Mute Swans and Canada Geese Credit River Mississauga
 All summer long, this 'family' of mute swans has been a cohesive little group of 7 or 8 hanging around the mouth of the Credit River and east and west along the Lake Ontario shoreline. One swan seems to be in charge of the group; this swan-leader seems to act as a look-out for the rest of them, and is the one who decides when it's time to move on.

Storm Front Moving Across Lake Ontario
Looking south over Lake Ontario a few weeks ago, one could clearly see a coming storm heading towards Mississauga. Though there have been a few strong fall storms in November, overall it's been a great month, weather-wise. As far as I am concerned, it could stay this way until Spring!

Here is a video I took yesterday: The calm after the storm. The afternoon and night before, the winds were howling, driving heavy rains and almost all of the leaves off the trees.