August's gifts

Today I'm off to the U-Pick again. Gotta get me some more potatoes, carrots, beans, beets, swiss chard, dill and sunflowers . . . ahhh, life is good.

Blue Skies and the Crazy Days of Summer

It was a warm July afternoon. All felt right with the world. We were getting off the boat to go up to the house for snacks and a bit of a rest when I turned around and saw this. I thought it was beautiful.

One last canola field

. . . because I love them . . .

Throw out a thread . . .

Isn't it amazing? Throw out one thread, see where it lands, carry on from there and look what happens!

Many webs span gaps between objects which the spider could not cross by crawling. This is done by letting out a first fine adhesive thread to drift on the faintest breeze across a gap. When it sticks to a suitable surface at the far end, the spider will carefully walk along it and strengthen it with a second thread. This process is repeated until the thread is strong enough to support the rest of the web.

Credits to my seven-year-old grandson who spied this and shouted Grandma! you had better get over here right now and bring your camera!!

Double the bubbles

Joining in the fun at The Crazy Days of Summer at Project Alicia where the theme today is bubbles. It just so happened that we were playing with bubbles last weekend!

Where there is beauty, there is peace*

My life is not what could be called chaotic. I'm busy and sometimes feel scattered since we keep up two homes. As a result, my housekeeping is not what it used to be. Some days I look around and think about everything that I should be cleaning or doing and then somehow find myself at the computer . . . But it's when I'm at the computer and don't have the energy or inspiration to create, that's when I get discouraged.

So last night just before bed I was laying down and reading the Shutter Sisters' book, 'Expressive Photography'. Tracy's introduction to the chapter on stillness was just what I needed. She writes 'stillness in photography is about the sense of peace and quiet that often exudes from vignettes, subjects, and situations in our daily lives without us even noticing it'. 'It is about that one moment when we are inspired beyond words, when clarity overflows without our questions being answered and we have a certainty in the beauty of a moment . . .'

I immediately thought of these shots I took last week which at the time I didn't think were anything special. Now I know they are, at least to me. Farms, fields, and fences are deeply rooted in my soul and they bring me a certain contentment that no other image can.

*Expressive Photography' by the Shutter Sisters.

Canola country

Our canola fields are something to behold when they are all in bloom. Right now the countryside is a patchwork of bright greens and yellows. Throw in a beautiful blue sky and some sunbeams and it's positively magical. Ahhh and the smell! wish I could bottle it and bring it home . . .

A potpourri of simple delights

Early Saturday morning I packed up my camera in my backpack, put together a little snack and headed out the door. With a feeling of excitement I headed towards town and the BIG garage sale. What treasures might I find today? What new vase or vintage urn awaits? My favourite 'junque' store was letting vendors use their parking lot for the day. I think it was a nice gesture on the store's part because what the people in the parking lot were charging for their treasures was a fraction of what you would pay inside for a similar item! What FUN! I had all the time in the world and $80.00 in my pocket!

. . . is another (wo)man's junque . . .

. . .  a potpourri . . .

. . . artsy . . .

. . . these totally made me smile . . .

. . . keeping a garden angel company . . .

What did I buy? A rather odd assortment: an old window, several chipped and banged up enamel pots, some bejeweled serviette rings, a blue Medalta bowl,a monstrous metal flour bin (how am I going to explain that one to hubby?) and an old wooden box which I have already put my herbs in.

On my way home I just had to stop at our fabulous country store - it's like a magnet and it's only 10 minutes from our house. I tried to pass by but I couldn't. So on the day I thought I was just hunting for 'junque' I ended up buying these cute little nesting tables! I swear, I couldn't have walked away! I had the perfect little corner for them in my kitchen. When I added my bouquet of globe flowers and the sun shone in on it all, I couldn't help but smile, I felt contentment.

. . . love . . .

. . . simple joys . . .

Linking up to SOOC at Murrieta 365

The barn at St. Francis

A barn we travel past twice a week. It sits on an intersection of two secondary highways and I've taken hundreds of photos of it. Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn. I just can't seem to get enough of this old baby. She's a real beauty.

To create this I used a technique called Digital Watercolour Painting by Jan Walker at Digital Scrapper.



Linking up to Barn Charm at Bluff Area Daily

We needed this . . .

we needed this. our lake is happy. our garden is happy. i'm happy

Macro Monday at Lisa's Chaos