I am hopelessly in love with autumn. Everything is beautiful and cozy. It’s also endlessly busy, which makes being home all the more sublime. A boiling kettle might send me into a frenzy and a blazing tree against a blue sky renders me helpless. When I’ve had my fill of home, I have certain things that I love to do.

Art tours

Nothing says fall like the Sudbury Art Council’s Studio Tour. Every year I embark on the tour, making stops around the city. Doing this, I am exposed to the best artists and crafters in Greater Sudbury who are eager to discuss their work and their process. My favourite place to stop is on Lakeview Drive, at Batik artist Ann Suzuki’s home. Always there is a basket of crisp apples to munch, and the same artists are there every year —Sam Monaghan, a potter from North Bay, Irene Plavins, a maker of buttery leather purses, Sandy Cline, a soap stone sculptor are but a few. And every year, I get to visit with Ann, an old friend, in her studio overlooking Bethel Lake, and with the fire crackling, we get to recount our news since last we met.

The Fringe Tour, held on Cedar Street at visual artist Heather Topp’s home, is also a great event. Artists like photographer David Wiewel, and jewelry maker Jenny Lavigne display their work while delicious food is served. It’s on the same weekend as the Studio Tour, so I always make time for both.

Hikes

Now is the time to get into the woods. Onaping Falls has one of the most beautiful hikes in the city and is guided so it’s impossible to get lost. Except for that one time, when I dragged my friend Sherri, a reluctant hiker, into the wild. After promising her a low impact hike of maybe 20 minutes, we proceeded to get lost for the entire afternoon and almost missed thanksgiving dinner. Still, it was beautiful, despite our rumbling stomachs and aching legs.

The drive to the Cup and Saucer trail on Manitoulin Island is worth it, since the hike is so gorgeous this time of year. The view is revealed after a clamber up smooth, moss-covered stone, and is more than breathtaking.

Rising above the tree-line, you can see all the way to Killarney and on clear days, the smoke stack in Copper Cliff.

Music

The Sudbury Symphony Orchestra, Silver Birch String Quartet and other notable choirs and performers in the city are gearing up for their 2012-2013 seasons. I love nothing more than walking downtown to attend a performance at St. Andrew’s Place. In our city, we have such high calibre musicians, that it would be a crime not to attend. Their programs are available at different locations, so make a note to check them out.

Theatre

The same goes for theatre. The Encore Theatre Company just held a cabaret evening to announce its 2012-2013 lineup. Thorneloe Theatre at Laurentian University also has thrilling live theatre, as does our Sudbury Theatre Centre. Dare I say theatre tickets make great Christmas gifts?

Anne Boulton is an avid gardener who lives in Sudbury.