You may have noticed I changed my blog to lovely autumn colours and with this want share a few activities of the fall.

This summer I have again been involved in a local fruit rescue group 

http://operationfruitrescue.org/

OFRE rescues unwanted fruits from private property where homeowners have registered their trees/bushes with us and the proceeds get split between the homeowner, pickers, and fod bank or other charitable group.

My garage has been storing apples and little red/green pears with me wondering in what direction they should be used.

Announcement went  on facebook:

"Want to hone pie making skills. I am looking for some volunteers and trying to source the apples for 24 pies for next Saturday morning at 10 AM. This is for a community dinner for two churches in Old Strathcona, HTAC & Trinity Lutheran. We would be working with two very experienced ladies and probably able to take home a pie for your family "

Four boxes of apples got donated from OFRE!

A week ago Saturday,

a number of us got together in the church basement kitchen and made 35 pies!

The process was delightful and definitely an assembly line, with some peeling

( this is my favorite recent purchase apple corer from Bosche ) and others washing and then in a mix of tapioca, sugar, cinnamon ready for two layers of pastry

Yes, some dough was frozen and individual pies taken home.

This is one I made yesterday for our writers group with apples, pears and cherries, all local!

Other activities have included the grand daughter and her friend making mini-chocolate cup cakes in my kitchen with very pink icing and silver sparkles.

The girls had fun in the process and later sold them at the church rummage sale.

Will finish by wishing you all a  SAFE  and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!

With a friend did the same dog run near the river Saturday morning but earlier,

about 9 AM not noon.

The light was a lovely morning golden

and the dogs enjoyed a good run

and

I toted the camera

.

 I love the prairies where I live, the arctic where I occasionally work, and the Rocky mountains and Vancouver Island where I occasionally retreat. But sometimes just a change in routines, such as a new place to run the dogs can capture some of that joy felt from other times.

Such was my yesterday run with dogs, a crispy morning walk near Capilano bridge, the river valley in Edmonton the North Saskatchewan. With frost on the ground

and dogs chasing seagulls reminded me of arctic beaches in the summer!

Except this was right in the city center. There was a sandy edge on which the dogs had a great run, sometimes just being goofy and the seagulls rather non plussed. Do love some of my shots.

Hope you too can enjoy brisk autumn bike rides or walks that can get into your soul.

• 4 cups pears, coarsely chopped or coarsely ground
• 2 cups pitted Evans cherries coarsely chopped
  
• 1 cup apples, cored and chopped
  
• 1 cup chopped rhubarb
• 1/2 cup frozen saskatoons or blueberries ( added only at last minute )
  
• 1 (1 3/4 ounce) package powdered fruit pectin
• 5 1/2 cups sugar