Mer Bleue Hike: A Few Photos

"And so I go into the woods. As I go in under the trees, dependably, almost at once, and by nothing I do, things fall into place."
- Wendell Berry, A Native Hill

home

birches standing tall

silhouette of a Northern Flicker

trout lily

hiking compadres

trillium

This Week's Photographic Play

overripe fig on windowsill

Mannie (the mannequin)

wedding invitations ready to go

springy goodness I

springy goodness II

She puzzled for hours...

... till her puzzler was sore.

Finally! Now that this damn jigsaw puzzle is finished I can get to the rest of the items on that Pondering list of mine.

It is a cool puzzle though don't you think?

I'm such a geek.

The Inaugural Trek

We got our new snowshoes out this morning and spent over an hour trekking through the woods at a park less than a five-minute drive away. How convenient is that?!

A few pics ...

D lacin' up

Steph's girly snowshoes

silent snow

Nature's latticework

berries

All Decked Out

D & I all decked out for our night at the National Arts Centre to see the Cos -

isn't that the coolest fedora?

Peace

leaf on my doorstep (Nov. 2007)

I am cocooning. I am sensing a need to slow down, to enjoy my home and its comforts. I am carefully evaluating my commitments and outings, choosing to stay in, lighting candles, writing, connecting - with myself, D., friends, family and the Divine. I am making space. I am creating, cuddling and basking in comfort and Love. I feel at peace.

Dearest November

Dearest November,

Dreary and grey, you lead us into the darkness of winter

Necessary to re-embrace the light come spring.

Vintage Treats

vintage patterns & transfers

Another year, another Ottawa Vintage Clothing Sale. Purchases this year include:

• two pairs of sheer white gloves - one with tiny black polka dots and another with an argyle design
• one funky orange plastic hand-shaped ring holder with blue flowers and a butterfly
• one silver bracelet with red crystal that perfectly matches the vintage ring I bought last year
• one Irish linen tea towel
• two Simplicity dress patterns from the 1950s, one apron pattern from the 1940s and one package of golden metallic transfer Christmas motifs

Fun, fun, fun!

ps - D. came with me this year. The deal: I paid his entry fee and he'd leave for coffee when he got bored, leaving me to browse to my heart's content. He even managed to find a cool hat before scooting out!

A Walk in the Woods

It's food for the soul I tell ya. For the first time in four months, D. and I loaded Cassie into the car to hit the trails for a morning hike and oooooohhhhhh so lovely it was.

I inhaled deeply, soaked up the sun and entertained a chickadee on my palm. I felt buoyed.

Here are a few pics:

blue skies

brown earth

a spot of red

golden curlicues

golden sun

Scenes From a Window Bench

Still nursing a cold I haven't been inspired to write much of anything these days, but I did take a few minutes to play with my camera while enjoying a breather in one of my favourite spots: my dining room window bench. Here are a few favourites ...

angled view

reflections

Cassie's dish

focused frame, blurry Cassie

focused Cassie, blurry frame

... with maybe a few more to come in a later post.

Superhero Photo Challenge: Counter This

My first ever response to a Shutter Sisters challenge goes to Superhero, who challenges us to find ordinary magic on our kitchen counter. Here are a few things I found:

Grateful Friday

evening sun in Gananoque town park

A few things for which I am grateful on this sunny Friday:

• the vibrant colours of fall
• having the day off with no plans
• an email from a dear friend sending me strength and love to accompany yesterday's comforts
• a few hours spent working on my creative space in the sunroom
• Squam (yes - still Squam! :)
• an early morning walk and breakfast outing with D.

'Til the next time ...

Quebec Pics Part II: Simplicity

To offset the ever-present stimulation of Quebec City's textures and colours, my sometimes overwhelmed senses sought respite:

après-latte

red hydrant

white grill

black grill

silver and red

Quebec Pics Part I: Colours, Layers, Textures

What struck me during my visit to Quebec City - Old Quebec in particular - was the dizzying array of colours, textures and layers. These few pictures are but a sample of the visual stimulation that sent me into a clicking frenzy:

rooftops

stone and sky

layers

épicerie of yore

contemplative colour

And a bonus pic for Cassie:

Dog's Lane

Random Accomplishments and Observations

I applied for my passport today; it's been on my to-do list since March 2007. As the teller gave me my receipt, I grinned, leaned in and said "It's my first one, I'm excited."

A young girl on the bus wore a t-shirt that said "Model Citizen" on the front. I thought it was pretty cool. When she got off the bus she threw a piece of paper on the sidewalk and walked away. My illusions were shattered.

I caught my reflection in the door window of an ATM vestibule and noticed I was wearing a deep, sinister frown. There's nothing bad enough going on in my life to warrant that. After that I consciously walked with my eyebrows raised. I preferred looking like an idiot than a grump.

After much - and I mean much - deliberation, I put a digital camera on hold at Future Shop for pickup tonight. I realized that I enjoy doing research for electronics about as much as I enjoy going to the mall. But I am looking forward to my new toy. :)

When I stop trying to control people and situations around me I'm a lot more at peace, and a lot more fun to be around.

When I get my black Jacob cardigan and my black consignment shop sleeveless top dry-cleaned as separate items it costs me $16. When I present them as a sweater set it costs me $10. It really is a nice sweater set.

When I start writing about the price of dry-cleaning, it's time to go. 'Til the next time ...

Scenes from a Sunday Bike Ride

D. and I took the bikes out for Sunday Bikeday along the Ottawa River Parkway today. We played with my camera ...

rest stop view of the Ottawa River

lace

action shot

savetheparkway

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