Hello October! As spring ramps up in the Southern Hemisphere, I’m sure many folks can’t wait to get back to their favorite outdoor activities and hobbies. Here in the cold north, most of our outdoor sports and pastimes are ending or adjusting as the changing weather and cooler temps of Autumn close in.
A hobby a day keeps the doldrums away.
Phyllis McGinley
Hiking, biking and walking are still doable in Northeastern Washington with cool sunny days, but colder nights dictate warmer clothes. My last day on the bike was in Sacramento in November 2020 when I visited the American River Bike Trail for the last time.
Hiking
Last week, my good friend and her fiancé visited here from Sacramento. We hiked around the area that included The Bowl and Pitcher and our local trails.
Make a commitment to having fun. See your best friends and make time for your hobbies and passions.
Robert Holden
Enjoying hiking with my friend from Sacramento 
Aero loves to hike with us
Shopping/ Exploring
We visited GreenBluff, a farm area featuring over 60 local growers, wineries, breweries and other venues. Autumn is a great time to visit and purchase famous Washington apples while getting in the groove for harvest-themed activities and food, like pumpkin donuts and sparkling mead. Did I mention shopping is a legit hobby?
Kayaking
Last weekend while outdoor temperatures were still in the upper 70’s and low 80s (25-27 C), lines of vehicles drove down the main highway to get their last warm days of kayaking in. Although I did not get out on the water this time, I managed a few trips over the summer.
More watercraft were out enjoying the late summer weather.
Late summer on the lake 
Late Summer Fishing
Other Hobbies
While many of us think about what defines a hobby, our blog and the photography that goes alongside the blog are year-round hobbies that engage us in many ways. From these, we get creative with poetry, writing, visual art and other fine arts that keep the creative juices flowing.
Photography
Of course, you know I’m all about photography. With mobile devices, snapping a pic is easy and provides hours of fun. Creating the blog signatures is also part of the fun!
I spent last week leaf-chasing. With my dogs leashed to my left arm and phone in my right hand, I found beautiful Autumn scenes within my own neighborhood and beyond.
Many photographers experiment with filters, apps, and other creative measures to enhance their photos. I put some of my existing images through a mobile app called Painnt. Hope you enjoyed them throughout this post.
Learning a New Language
As of today, I have logged 673 days in a row learning German on Duolingo. I actually began in August 2019 but managed to accidentally skip a day. The streak before that was 50. You’d think with all these days logged I would know more. But given a decent context, I can understand some spoken words and read a variety of words. I can also correct some of my hubby’s German to a small extent, with his excuse being that I’m learning high German, LOL. Not bad for him speaking the language since birth. He also speaks Spanish fluently. I’m just relieved that I can speak English fluently 😉
Wildlife Watching
My love of the outdoors involves seeing as much wildlife as possible. So far in the Spokane/Nine Mile Falls area, I’ve seen a few bald eagles, two moose (while kayaking), heard the bugle cry of an elk late one night, and adorable flocks of quail. We see white-tailed and mule deer almost daily.
Volunteering
Volunteering is a wonderful hobby that benefits both the giver and the receiver. In our new community I have had several opportunities to volunteer. Over the summer, our church operated a free weekly day camp at a nearby school. My job was to help prepare 180 sack lunches every Wednesday. Two of the days were hot dog BBQs on site. This month, at our local nursery/farm (down the street!), we are volunteering each weekend as they host their annual Harvest Festival. Saturday was our first day and it was a blast, meeting neighbors, and just being out in the Autumn air. We are going to get some free trees for our efforts!
Yay for Photo Challenges!
Today I’m sharing this post for several other photo challenges including Becky B’s October Squares, where past meets present. In many of these images, I present “bright, trees, blue, lines, perspective, and time.”
Also, JohnBo’s CellPic Sunday, Cee’s Flower of the Day, Jude’s Life in Color, Jo’s Monday Walk, and Dawn’s Festival of Leaves
Last Week’s Linkers
Sunday Stills is a wonderful community of bloggers and photographers who desire to connect with one another. Below are the last week’s links from 29 bloggers who shared their favorite Autumn and Spring photos.
Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
Easin’ Along Image shared in comments
Hugh’s Views and News Image in Comments
NEW TBL
It is in his pleasure that a man really lives; it is from his leisure that he constructs the true fabric of self.
Agnes Repplier
I hope to see you next week for the Monthly Color Challenge! October is all about Burnt or Blood Orange with shades in between! Have a great week.
Please bear with me Sunday as I am away from the internet for a few hours while we volunteer for a local Harvest Festival, as I mentioned earlier. I will share about that next week!
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