May 31/11

From one of the worst springs ever to a 35 and above degree day.  Absolutely crazy how hot it is!!  Nothing else to do other than try and cool off by the pool.   Priceless...

May 30/11

These are absolutely my favourite flower ever!!  Peonies...this is a peony tree I have in my backyard.  I wanted to take a picture because the flowers only last for a couple of days.  They are huge!  It's different than a peony bush...which I think is why the flowers are so large. I have a solid pink one too, but this striped one is my fave.

Favourite

May 29/11

Our son Adam and his girlfriend Crystal came over today and brought the newest addition to their family...meet Willow.  How cute is she!!  She is 13 weeks old and loves to eat anything!  She found a couple of beer caps in our gardens and was trying to eat them and was eating mushrooms that have grown because of all the rain we have had.  So cute...who couldn't love a face like that??

May 28/11

I love water...it's so relaxing whether it's a waterfall, a lake, or even just a small pond.  Something about it is so peaceful.  I was at the shore of a pond and thought the water was so clear that I took a picture.  And it was.  The only way you can tell there is water is in the shadows of the rock.  Nice.

Clear Waters

May 27/11

This is the best reflection picture I think I have taken.  I love that the sky is so clear in the water...everything is.  Photography makes me happy...to be able to look back on something like this is so worth it.

Perfect reflection...

May 26/11

I wanted to take a picture of my wisteria.  The last couple of years it has been damaged by winds and frost so it's nice to see it this year.  There are many more flowers ready to bloom.  They hang like grapes in clusters.  The best ones I have ever seen are in California...just beautiful.

May 25/11

Talk about busy bees...this bee was floating so fast from flower to flower I'm surprised I got the picture.  You can see that his head is covered with pollen (click on the picture and it will enlarge).  As bees move from flower to flower, they carry pollen with them, fertilizing nearby plants.  Very cool, that I can capture this in a picture with my 75-300 mm lens.

Busy Bee

May 24/11

I took this picture last night when the "storm warning" was in effect.  The sky looked amazing.  We didn't get any hail or even a thunderstorm that they had predicted which was disappointing to me.   I love thunderstorms.  I used to live right by Lake Erie, where I could see the thunder and lightning storms over the lake from my window.  I am always in awe of the power behind them and could watch the storms for hours... Can't wait for the next one!

May 23/11

I love the way the sun makes these leaves almost transparent.  Again, lighting is everything!!

Sunlight

May 22/11

So anyone that knows me, knows I love making handmade cards.  I just got this amazing little machine called a "cuttlebug".  Dangerous, because I know where a lot of my time is going to be spent now.  Very cool machine.  This is my first card using the embossing function.  So much fun creating!!

New Toy...

May 21/11

Oh my goodness...the sun is shining today!!  Yayyyy...have cut the grass, opened the pool...and all our spring flowers are out in bloom.  On May 1 I posted a picture of a redbud tree just getting ready to bloom. It is out in full bloom now...I love the way the flowers line the bark of the tree.  All the branches are outlined with flowers.  Also my lilac and spice viburnum are blooming.  Both of these have the most wonderful smells ever!!  I love spring days and long weekends!!

Spring Flowers

May 20/11

This is part of my son-in law's family's property.  We were there right before the sun was setting...beautiful...

Waters Edge

May 19/11

This snail was climbing up our door at work today.  Such a long road to nowhere...not sure where he tthought he was going :)  Kind of like me somedays...just going and not really thinking about it.

The road to nowhere...

May 18/11

This is one of the nicest gifts I have received.  I love the message to "breathe".  No matter what we are going through, take a deep breath and breathe.  Everything will be ok.  There is a song by Ingrid Michaelson called "Keep Breathing".  It's worth listening to.

Keep Breathing

May 17/11

I said before that I was going to try and post a picture of myself every month so that i could keep a photo record over the year of me!  My daughter actually took this photo with my camera on our recent walk.  She liked the way the sun was backlighting me.  It is a very cool effect that can be used with many subjects.

Me in May

May 16/11

I actually took this picture in California this spring and had forgotten about it.  I like the depth in the picture and the different transitions...makes for an interesting photo. It was at the Robert Mondavi winery.  Mmmm...glass of red wine sounds good!

May 15/11

You must know by now that I really like antiques.  I found this fixture at the antique market in town.  It hangs in our entryway... I love old things being re-used!  It was another rainy day today so I took the time to edit my picture to make the sky look blue.  If it can't be reality, at least I can make it look like a nice day!!

Everything old is new again...

May 14/11

Guess what...it's raining again and rain is in the forecast for another 3-4 days.  Ughhhh...I've got so many things to do outside!

May 13/11

I had to take a picture of these tulips.  They line the driveway of my neighbour's home.  I'm posting this in memory of my dear neighbour Irma who passed away last month.  She would spend hours every year weeding her gardens and making sure all the flowers were taken care of.  Even when she was sick she would be out taking care of her tulips.  When these came out in bloom, it was like they were lifting their heads and saying "you did a great job".

In Memory

May 12/11

So, the blogger site had an "interruption of service" yesterday and I was unable to add a new post. It's back up and running so here is my picture from yesterday!  These are in my garden and are called bleeding hearts.  They are special to me because they came out of my mom's garden...I think of her when I see them.

Bleeding Hearts

May 11/11

It's time to start cutting the grass again.  I have mixed feelings.  This time of year I like doing it.  It's like painting (I like that too), you get instant gratification...you immediately see the results of what you have done.  However, in midsummer when it's hot & humid, I don't like it so much.  It is nice to see everything green again though :)

Green, green grass of home...

May 10/11

This is a bird house I have hanging in the back yard.  I love it when paint starts to peel and outside things get that weathered look from the sun and elements.  Needless to say, this feeling does not apply to PEOPLE who peel and look weathered.. wear sunscreen people!!

Weathered and old...

May 9/11

It was a busy day at work, so on my break I took a nice walk outside.  We have a "natural habitat" setting around our building so it's nice to be able to see lots of birds and plants.  These are just some of the things I saw today that I thought would be worth a picture!!

Nature

May 8/11

How cunningly nature hides every
wrinkle of her inconceivable antiquity
under roses and violets and morning dew!
- Ralph Waldo Emerson


A single rose can be my garden...
a single friend, my world.
- Quotes Leo Buscaglia.

A rose is a rose is a rose...

May 7/11

I've posted another picture of my spring flowers coming out in bloom.  I'm so excited to see everything coming out of the ground and for spring weather to be here.  I love these grape hyacinth.  They are so small but have such a nice flower on them.  Purple is my favourite colour of flower...

Grape Hyacinth

May 6/11

Our pair of morning doves are still in our yard.  I just love to hear them cooing.  I took this picture and then right after cleaned and filled up the bird bath with water.   I just turned it over after winter and already the birds are wanting to use it.

Where is the water?

May 5/11

I went for a walk tonight on my daughter's country property.  It's so relaxing and peaceful.  I saw these colourful branches in the midst of those not in bloom yet.  It stood out like it was saying "look at me!".  It reminds me of how certain people stand out in a crowd.  They are just "colourful" people in the midst of others... I sometimes wish I was like that, but I'm not...and that's ok.  We all have our way of painting the world with our own colour.

Paint with Colour

May 4/11

Finally blue skies...I had to take a picture because I don't know how long it will last.  Can't wait until the warm weather comes.  The sun really makes you feel better doesn't it?

Blue Sky

May 3/11

It's raining again  :((  I just really liked the colours in this picture...

May 2/11

I have to remember with all this rain, the old saying "April showers bring May flowers".  I went outside a few moments ago and took this picture of a bush getting ready to bloom.  How pretty!

May 1/11

What started out as a really nice weekend is ending in more rain.  I've can't ever remember a spring like this, being so cold and rainy.  My picture shows the raindrops on a redbud tree.  The raindrops actually remind me of little mini lights on the branches.  If you look close you can see the starting of the pink buds that will soon cover the branches.  I will post a picture of it out in full bloom as the tree is beautiful in the spring.

Rain rain go away...

April 30/11

The windstorm we had a couple of days ago must have loosened this bird's nest enough that I found it on our back patio today.  Also a broken egg :(  It makes me sad for the mother bird.  All that hard work on making the nest that she thought would protect her eggs.  I'm not even sure what kind of bird it is with the spotted egg.  If anyone knows, comment and let me know!!

Broken

April 29/11

The sun was setting and it cast a beautiful shadow on our fence of a dogwood tree we have.  I love the way it replicated the tree exactly.  The colours are very much the same as the candlelight picture, but because of the sun...cool.

Sunset

April 28/11 Finally!

Well I got home last night around 8pm fully expecting to be able to post my pictures.  We were home for about 10 minutes and the power went out again!  Still wasn't on when I went to bed.  So...this morning I can finally post my pictures from the last couple of days.  This one is from Thursday, April 28th as we sat in candlelight for the night.  I have to say that not having any electronic devices for a couple of days definitely put me in withdrawal...

Candlelight

Power Outage

Well...our power has been out since 7:15 am yesterday morning.  It was still off when I left for work this morning (I am posting this from work).  Because of the wind storms in SW Ontario there are many areas with no power.  So...I couldn't post my picture yesterday, but I did take one!!  Hopefully the power will be on when I get home and I will show you my picture from yesterday and today!  Have a great day!

April 27/11

This picture is special to me...my ancestors built this huge stone home in the town I live in.  I have always felt that it's a part of my history, yet now it is in major disrepair.  I have been taking some pictures of it lately as I'm sure it will be only be a memory one day.

The Bowlby House

April 26/11

In honour of Earth Day this past week, I went and bought this beautiful, reusable, to go mug for my coffee each morning.  I have been using cardboard cups and thought this would be much better.  Earth Day started in 1970 and now includes many countries.  It led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency. The Clean Air Act, Endangered Species Act and Clean Water Act are all products of the 1970 Earth Day.  I'll do my very small part...

My pretty reusable mug

April 25/11

It's another rainy day and it made me feel like baking.  I made butter tarts out of a book I have had since 1979.  I have made these many, many times and they always turn out.  I'm posting the recipe they are so good.  If you don't like raisins, substitute nuts like I did today.  Mmmm, can't wait to have one!!

BEST EVER BUTTER TARTS  (yes that is the name)

Line muffin tins with pastry (I use frozen tart shells)
In small saucepan melt 1/3 cup of butter (no substitute for best results)

Remove from heat and add:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup syrup (corn or maple)
1/2 cup or more currants or raisins
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg slightly beaten

Fill tart shells and bake at 400 degrees until brown and bubbling well.  Enjoy!!

Best Ever Butter Tarts

April 24/11

As you all know, I love cats!  This is Steve (last name Yzercat)...such a cute cat but with a lot of attitude!!  He belongs to my son Tyler and Dayna.  He loves them, but not so much other people.  But he is so good looking!  I think it's great for people to have pets as it teaches them patience, kindness and love.

I dare you...get closer....

April 23/11

This is a huge swing shovel...probably 4 or 5 people could fit in the shovel itself.  I thought this picture in black & white would be cool.

Wanna Play in the Sand?

April 22/11

I had this flower in an arrangement outside all winter long.  I took the arrangements apart and thought it would look great as a picture.  I put it on a black background which I love, as it makes things appear as though they are floating.  I think I'll put these back in next year!!

Floating

April 21/11

This was a view I had on my way to work today and I just had to pull over and take a picture!  The sun was on the back part of the field and I liked the way the trees closest to me were casting shadows on the ground. The colours just really appealed to me.  And it was nice to finally see the sun through the clouds :)

Sunny Fields

April 20/11

I'm on my way to pick up my daughter's wedding albums...she got married last September.  So a quick picture today.  I love texture as I've said before, and I really like close-ups.  So here are both of those in one picture!!

April 19/11

My town is surrounded by small ponds, and I realized today that we often take things for granted.  I can't remember the last time I walked around one of the ponds or even just went and sat by one.  We get so hurried in life that at times we neglect things that can be so beautiful and relaxing.  So next time I get a coffee I think I will go park by one of these pretty ponds and just take my time and reflect...and maybe go for a walk!

Time for reflection...

April 18/11

It snowed again today!!  This has been the longest winter ever. These flowers at work were bent over by the weight of the snow.  Yet, just minutes later all of it had disappeared and the flowers had perked back up...most likely looking for any sign of sun.  Please spring...you can come anytime now.

The Weight of Snow

April 17/11

I have to admit that Mark & myself have become DIY fanatics.  We have always liked doing things ourselves (Mark can do anything).  We decided last week to update our ensuite washroom.  Remember the antique dresser I talked about?  We used that for our vanity and I love the way it turned out.  We put a vessel sink and new taps in...a very inexpensive update.  What to do next??  :))

Updated

April 16/11

Yaaayyyy...I got my camera case back (after being stolen in San Francisco) with all my accessories and my 18-55 mm lens.  Thank you Cindy & Russell for making the trip to the SF Police Department to pick it up.  So I had to take a close up!  This is a bud on my standard spice viburnum tree.  Absolutely the most beautiful smelling blossom ever!  I can't wait until the flowers come out!

Spice Viburnum

April 15/11

I really like adding texture to a room.  It can be in a pillow, fabric, a brick wall, baskets and many other things that add interest.   Texture is the interior design technique that brings a sense of depth and interest, and decorating with texture is the decorating element you see and touch. Texture doesn't come from just what you feel (tactile) but also from what you see (visual).
This picture is a vase that I have...obviously not for flowers that require water...I have dried hydrangeas in it.  I love the weave.

April 14/11

We have been feeding the birds at work and it's so nice to see so many birds.  Today we saw Redwing Blackbirds, Cardinals, and lots of little birds.  There was even a mallard duck which was unusual...not sure what he was doing there. It was a male and he was just sitting in the grass by himself as far as we could tell.  There is also a coyote around our work that we think may have pups.  I would love to get a picture of them!!  Anyway, we have our own little sanctuary...nice to see all this wildlife during the day.

Friends at Work

April 13/11

I love the texture on this garden piece.  His paint is peeling, but I think it makes him more interesting.  I'm pretty sure he was supposed to be for a fountain, but I put bird feed in his hands and the birds love him!
He is very generous...

Garden Winds