A Patchwork Quilt: Made By Design

Every Monday Inchie - February 13th

2012-02-14T12:44:00.000-05:00

I made it! Just a day late, but here it is:

My Monday Inchie for the topic "Glow"

A pretty stick-on flower with a jewel for its centre and a background of crinkly tin-foil, using a gold ink pen to hopefully create a "glow"! MorningAJ was my inspiration for this...check out her Glow Inchie. It's fun to learn some alternative art techniques!

Check out my sister's Glow Twinchie here: it's very interesting!

Sunshine and Shadows

2012-02-11T19:35:00.000-05:00

We had quite a snowfall last night, and today, with temps around -15, it was pretty frosty out there. But a great day for some photos, since the sun was shining brightly.

I got kind of hung up on shadows today.....

...you can tell we are surrounded by trees!

It was almost HOT in the office, with the sun streaming in...

with shadows everywhere

...spooky kind of shadows...

...this is kind of spooky, too. Can you see the c-o-old lovers among the trees?
They're not really there, it's all an illusion.
Let me know what YOU see!

Inchie Monday

2012-02-06T15:32:00.000-05:00

Phew - just made it, with a few hours to spare! Inchie Monday is challenging, but I opted for easy, this week. The topic is Flier (I think Flyer, in Canadian?)

This is a dove I cut out of a greeting card, glued to a piece of black origami paper.

Simple, I thought, but effective.

You can find many more entries here:

(read the comments and follow their links)

"Inchies" and Other Stuff

2012-01-30T17:18:00.000-05:00

(Wow! My second post in just a couple of days - things are looking up!)

I've been inspired by the artwork of ChrisJ, MorningAJ and others - especially their "inchies" (well, "twinchies" by my sister). You'll need to go to their blogs to see what "inchies" and "twinchies" are. Maybe you will be challenged to give it a try, like I did.

This Monday the topic is Smile. Funny that my sister and I both chose cats, although hers actually looks like a cat. Mine could be anything! Bear in mind that this is the first time I have EVER tried to draw something in one square inch of space. It'll take some practice:

Here are some others I had practice with:

Secluded Dwellings

Trees
(those little trees look like skeletons, and the fish look like whales!)

If you have never tried this, you might be surprised at how difficult it is, and how awful they can look when they are enlarged for posting!

Now for a couple of drawings (of normal size) that I did over Christmas. It was great to do something creative other than writing for a change!

This was another try at a painting my sister and I each did, a couple of years ago. I think I much prefer drawing to painting.

This was copied from a cute Christmas card that struck my fancy

I think I will try next Monday's inchie - the topic is "flier" - maybe you'd like to give it a try. You can create it in any medium you would like, including scrapbooking material, stickers etc. If you click here you will be amazed at the creativity involved!

S'no Joke

2012-01-29T16:40:00.000-05:00

Snow clouds

Snow Jewels

Snow Claws

Snow Tulips

Snow Pretty

We've had a quite a mild winter so far, with little snow, so I guess, when it comes, I am able to enjoy it more and see its beauty.

The last three photos were taken just a few minutes ago through the living room window. It's a long time since I have actually seen formations of snowflakes. They floated down and settled so gently - I am sure if I could magnify these photos enough we would be able to actually see some individual designs. So beautiful!

TRADITION....!

2012-01-16T11:44:00.003-05:00

Every year, for the past five years, DOTH (Daughter Of The House) has maintained a Christmas tradition with TGS (The Grandson).

In his stocking each year (yes, he's 14 and Santa still fills his stocking!) he will find a new Christmas tree ornament. Sometime over the Christmas holidays (actually as soon as possible so that he doesn't have a chance to 'cheat' - but of course he never does!), he gets to search the tree for the previous years' ornaments. This year, not counting the current ornament, there were five on the tree. Of course, as he gets older it gets easier to remember. When he was little, a year was a long time to have to keep in memory what the ornament looked like. The fun part of this tradition is that for every one he finds, he receives $20 from DOTH! Let's see how he did this year:

Hmmm... let's see....
(can't believe he is almost as tall as the tree now!)

Maybe down near the bottom? That auntie of mine can be pretty sneaky, but I'll find them!
(He's not allowed to touch the tree, or the ornaments)

Maybe I'll see better from a distance....

Some MUST be in the back....

Yay! I got them all! I'm rich!

Well, we had a discussion after the game, this year. Annually, as the winnings grow, he will 'earn' a lot of money. So DOTH and TGS decided that he will keep just half the money from now on - to be used under his dad's supervision of course - and TGS will put the rest into a 'bank account' for him. He can access the account at anytime - all he has to do is have his dad's permission to call his auntie for it.

I think that's a pretty good deal and a neat tradition. Of course, yet to be determined is when the tradition will end - perhaps when TGS has children of his own, and DOTH becomes TGA (The Great Aunt!) -- well, she already is a pretty great aunt!

Thailand - Heart-breaking

2011-10-28T09:50:00.001-04:00

People row their belongings through floodwaters during an evacuation from a garbage-strewn flooded market in Bangkok, on October 24, 2011. (Reuters/Sukree Sukplang)

Statues of Ronald McDonald and the Hamburglar, outside a flooded McDonald's restaurant in Bangkok, on October 24, 2011. Millions of people in the Thai capital nervously prepared for the advancing and seemingly unstoppable flood waters after a fresh warning for residents to evacuate certain danger zones. (Pornchai Kittiwongsakul/AFP/Getty Images)

A fellow blogger writes this gruesome description of flood waters:

"Flood water contains urine, excrement and used condoms, tampons and sanitary towels. It picks up silt, mud, chemicals and detritus as it gathers pace. It contains rats, fleas and disease-carrying micro-organisms. It could kill if ingested - an easy thing to do when one is swimming for their life..."

There is more, but before you read here any further, please head over to Elizabeth's blog post on the floods in Thailand, to read, or re-read, the rest of what she writes about the situation the Thai people are facing: http://stanforth-sharpe.co.uk/2011/10/20/noahs-got-a-problem/

Then head here, to see more startlingly graphic photos of the floods.

One can but bow the head and pray for Thailand and her people.

THIS is Why We Don't Put Up Our Bird Feeder Anymore

2011-10-25T11:28:00.001-04:00

(our neighbour across the street)

I know all God's creatures need to eat, but these crows, blackbirds, or whatever they are, just take right over and scare off all the other birds -- and they are certainly not anywhere near as pretty to watch!

Been There - Done That...

2011-10-21T15:26:00.001-04:00

My sister, ChrisJ, is part of a blogging group called Coffee Klatch Friday. This week their challenge is to list 10 things they have never done. I am not a part of the group - too busy to keep up with them :{ but I thought it would be fun to list my own "10 Things I've Never Done" and encourage my followers to do the same on their blogs:

I have never...

...climbed a mountain (don't think Snowdonia counts as a mountain)

...piloted a plane (although my sister says she has, at a very young age)

...allowed a spider to live (forgive me, those who feel strongly about such things)

...become fully fluent in a foreign language (English is hard enough)

...taken drugs (I did smoke for a number of years, until I came to my senses)

...dived from a diving board (swimming is hard enough)

...wanted to swim with a dolphin (unlike some who would feel that it's a dream come true)

...driven a motorcycle (especially after riding side-saddle to work on the back of my husband's)

...had an operation (and at the age of 67, I am so very grateful)

...won a school award (I couldn't even finish school)

And now:

10 Things I Have Done That Others May Not Have...

...nearly lost my life at least four times: diving off a boat at the age of 6/at the mercy of a runaway horse/because of a faulty gas furnace/ and a car accident that could have been deadly

...won a trophy in a golf tournament at the age of 10

...worked for my father for 3 years after prematurely finishing school (not the greatest of situations, but so much better than school)

...lived for a number of years in a home on the edge of a cliff 400 feet above the North Sea

...visited/lived in at least 12 countries: England, Scotland, Wales, Canada, United States, Romania, Poland, France, Hungary, Bulgaria, Mexico, Cuba, Israel -- oops, that's 13! Although I understand there is some discussion as to whether Scotland is actually a country?

...published 2 books and many articles

...taken a bird-watching boat ride down the Danube River (few birds, lots of mosquitos!)

...gained four granddaughters in one day (lo-o-ong story!)

...been attacked by a pack of dogs (yes, I had to have rabies shots, but, thank goodness, not the old-fashioned way)

...as a child, hunted down hidden Christmas gifts, opened them and re-sealed them - and cleverly feigned great surprise when opening them on Christmas morning (bet my sister never knew that!)

++++++

Ok, followers and lurkers, now let's hear about yours!

Fall is......well, falling!

2011-10-19T13:11:00.002-04:00

I guess my UK followers call it autumn, but I have always thought fall was the perfect name for this time of the year...and it is probably my most favourite season.

This past week I had the pleasure of driving with a good friend to Orleans, Ontario - just outside Ottawa.We spent four days there, and timed it just right to catch the turning of the leaves. So why did I not pack my camera? Just have to put it down to old age, I guess - but I was greatly regretting that I didn't have it with me. Photos taken by cell phone are just not the same, but they are better than no photos at all. It took me some time to hunt down the users manual and the little SD card conversion thingy that originally came with the phone when I got home, but finally I managed to retrieve the best of the photo selection. I especially wanted to post them before the snows arrive and fall becomes a distant memory.

Little commentary needed really - just that we were drinking in, and rejoicing in God's beautiful creation over those four days - during a walk along the Ottawa River, and around the conference grounds. Truly refreshing!

It was a chilly, stormy day, but we didn't mind!

There is a deer in the midst of those trees, but my phone camera just couldn't pick it up. One morning, at 7:00am, as I opened the curtains in my room, five lovely deer came sauntering up the hill, one behind the other, and headed to the cherry tree. By the time I pulled out my phone and found the photo app, there was only one deer left - the rest had moved on. There were cherries on the ground under the tree, and apparently the deer make this trek every morning for their breakfast, although I only got to see them once. It was sort of like they were going to McDonalds every day for a cherry pie!

This is the actual colour of the leaves - beautiful!

Now I am trying to convince myself that snow can be beautiful, too!

There are hoarders, and then there are HOARDERS!

2011-10-08T20:57:00.003-04:00

My trip to the UK to spend time with cousin snafu and his TBH, along with some cousins second and third removed, would be but a dim memory without photos. And fortunately, snafu -- the great photographer that he is, has posted a great number of photos taken during our 10 days together, along with some terrific narration here (you may have to go back a couple of posts to find the one titled "Kaybee's Visit.') It's well worth reading to get a picture of all we packed into those 10 days...and a great remembrance for me.

The most comfortable home where I was pleasantly hosted for 10 days

Here, I would like to add some of my own perspective and since there was one sight that demanded more photos than any other, I though I would start with it -- Snowshill Manor. near Broadway, in the beautifully picturesque Cotswolds.

Snowshill Manor, by snafu

Charles Wade, who was the owner of Snowshill Manor, was a treasure-seeker who loved buying and restoring beautifully made objects. His family motto was 'Let nothing perish', and he spent his inherited wealth doing just that, amassing a spectacular collection of everyday and extraordinary objects from across the globe. He restored the ancient Cotswold manor house specifically to display these unlikely treasures. Laid out with creative flair, just as Mr Wade intended, the Manor is literally packed to the rafters with thousands of unusual objects – from tiny toys to splendid suits of Samurai armour. The Manor is surrounded by an equally characterful hand-crafted terraced garden.

There are 22,000 items, plus a 2000 piece costume collection. Wade believed that every object was invested with the spirit of the craftsman and the age in which it was created. He raised even everyday functional objects like butter stamps, cow bells and locks to the status traditionally given to paintings and sculpture.

So the visitor to Snowshill can view clocks, bicycles, automatons, children's toys and even 26 suits of Samurai armour. Wade loved colour and, after collecting many examples of early English craftsmanship, he began to look to the Middle and Far East for objects using a bright and imaginative colours.
(gleaned from www.nationaltrust.org.uk/snowshillmanor/)

This describes Charles Wade's journey to collecting:

Viewing 22,000 items is quite overwhelming! But the following caught my attention (it helps to click on the image to enlarge it):

A rather uncomfortable-looking baby carriage

A fascinating collection of ancient bicycles

A quaint Noah's Ark, with Mr. and Mrs. Noah at the front door

The art of 'quilling.'
Every part of the design is created by rolling narrow strips of coloured and metallic paper into various and sundry shapes and sizes. This work of art was apparently created by a nun in her spare time! The photo doesn't do it justice - it is stunning!

One of my favourites -
Wade's pen drawings, done on old playing cards and then cut out.
Must try that sometime!

A knight in shining armour -- suspiciously looking like snafu?

And finally, some lovely views in and around the gardens:

Ready to reap a bountiful harvest of fruit

And finally, a pastoral scene that, for me, typifies the English countryside!

Snafu and TBH -- you couldn't have chosen a more appropriate location to bring me the greatest pleasure.

Thank you!

Sweet Memory!

2011-10-01T19:45:00.000-04:00

I'll be posting more of my wonderful visit to the UK and my UK cousins soon.

But just really wanted my sister to enjoy this one:

I do remember an occasion when my sister, at the end of a visit to the UK, rounded up all the ingredients for an English Cream Tea (scones, strawberry jam and clotted cream) and brought them back to the States with her. Not sure how long those ingredients lasted, but I am willing to bet she enjoyed every moment!

Thanks, TBH, for spoiling us that afternoon - lots of fun!

Farewell to Cuba (amended)

2011-09-13T15:53:00.004-04:00

Well, getting ready for another trip now, going east rather than south, so I will just post some general photos of Cuban scenery, for a finale. You will note that I am a bit addicted to cloud formations!

Our daily view

Aah, life in Cuba -- not a care in the world!

Storm brewing...

...early next morning a red flag is posted - dangerous waters!

Life's decisions - should we or shouldn't we? Those waves look very large!

DOTH opted for calmer waters!

Sunset, on our final evening

And sunrise the next morning as we waited for the coach to take us to the airport

And finally, some shots of the beauty to be found on the hotel grounds

So...farewell to Cuba...leaving with some lovely memories!

(cubatravelmaps.com)

Amendment:

This photo is for snafu. It is a photo of the 'hoppa bus' that we took to tour Varadero. You pay one price - I think it was five pesos (about $5), catch it at close proximity to the hotel and then get on and off at will, stopping off to see the sights, souvenir shop, have lunch etc, and then be dropped off back near the hotel:

Fun Times in Cuba

2011-09-09T13:07:00.002-04:00

One of the highlights of our stay in Varadero was the Catamaran trip.

Well, first, DOTH, being the accomplished sailor that she is, had her own, personal trip on a catamaran. She wasn't allowed to sail it alone, but the accompanying Cuban 'captain' did allow her to take over, once they were away from shore:

Setting off

Away we go!

Heading for the horizon

And back to shore!

The next day, we set off for a trip on a much larger catamaran.

We were picked up at the hotel door by coach and taken to a small seaport nearby, where there were a number of large catamarans moored, with many coaches full of people!

Heading out into the Atlantic, our first stop was a visit to the dolphins in an 'aquarium' somewhere in the middle of the ocean on the way to Cayo Blanco

This is DOTH heading down into the water - about 10 people at a time were allowed

DOTH gets to pat him as he swims by on his back!

And gets a kiss, in return!

Hey, that deserves a reward!

And the dolphin takes a bow!

I didn't go in, as much as I would have liked to. I would need to keep my glasses on if I wanted to see anything, and we had been warned that a dolphin kiss can knock off glasses (and earrings - ouch!). Not a pleasant prospect to spend the rest of my vacation with my specs at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean! By the way, the participants were standing on a cement ramp - quite deep underneath there!

From the aquarium we headed to another spot mid-Atlantic (!) for a spot of snorkeling. Again, not something I can manage without glasses, but DOTH was eager to try out her underwater camera, so in she went:

We were above a coral reef where there should have been lots to see, but apparently not. DOTH has not had her photos developed yet - we will soon see what she saw!
(sorry, forgot to crop the face in the left corner!)

There were other catamaran tourists in the water also

We then headed for Cayo Blanco, which I am assuming means White Beach, as that's what it was. The sand was the whitest I have ever seen.

We were given a wonderful lunch of our choice of lobster tails or chicken, with fries, and were serenaded with some great Cuban music

We then had a few hours to swim and sunbathe - the sun was scorching and the water again like a warm bath

And then set sail for home -- all-in-all a lovely day!

The Cuban Show, continued

2011-09-05T20:42:00.007-04:00

I guess, having never been on an all-inclusive resort vacation in the Caribbean, there were a number of things that seemed surreal to me.

The Daily Routine:

We awoke at virtually the same time every morning to beat the breakfast rush, and get to the beach quickly to reserve our palapa for the day (see below) - no sleeping in, even on vacation (just like Truman, heading out to work at the same time everyday)!

As we left our room and headed to the elevator each morning, our maid (who was terrific) would be working on a room just down the hall. And since our Spanish was limited to one word, and her English was limited to just three words, our conversation was the same every day:

Us: "Hola!"

Maid: "Hola! 'ow arr ju?"

Us: "We're good, thankyou - have a good day!"

(I felt like using Truman's every day refrain: "Good morning, and in case I don't see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and good night!")

The Breakfast Buffet had the same selections EVERY day -- decent food, but by day 7, we'd had enough!

The waiters were the same every day (for the most part unhelpful), and we sat with virtually the same patrons all around us every day. But we never tired of the views from the dining room windows!

This photo of Melia Las Americas is courtesy of TripAdvisor

After breakfast, every day, we headed back to our rooms, put on bathing suits, picked up our provided beach towels and headed for the beach, where we claimed our spot under virtually the same palapa with the same view every day.

The beach was to die for - pure (clean!) white sand, and an azure blue ocean, with (at the beginning of our stay anyway) gentle waves.

Lunch was either the buffet, again the same decent selection every day -- although a little bland, and boring after a few days...or at the snack bar on the beach where one could have a burger and fries - not bad, actually!

the buffet

This photo of Melia Las Americas is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Weather permitting we would stay on the beach until dinner. It was HOT!

DOTH, ever resourceful, had brought a thermometer with her and this was the temp most days:

Almost 113 degrees Fahrenheit, and the ocean registered at around 32 degrees, which I believe is close to 90 F -- so rather than cooling off, it was a little like having a warm bath. I got quite a bad burn the first day, even with lotion. Learned my lesson and slathered it on for the rest of our stay and kept in the shade as often as possible. But believe me, we were NOT complaining. Actually the Cubans were complaining - one of their hottest seasons for a long time, they said. The air conditioning in the hotel was definitely struggling to keep up!

Dinner was also the buffet with pretty much the same as the lunch selection, but we had been forewarned, and to break the monotony, had signed up for some a la carte restaurants on site: Japanese, Italian, Fine Dining etc.

The Buffet

This photo of Melia Las Americas is courtesy of TripAdvisor

These were interesting. One had to reserve well in advance -- we thought because they would be jam-packed with patrons wanting a relief from the buffet - but, no!

For example, in the Japanese restaurant, where the food was terrific, there were only eight of us, all arriving at the same time, out of a 350 room hotel! Remember this is an all-inclusive resort - no extra charge!. Again, it was surreal because there was all the pomp and circumstance over the meal...

This photo of Melia Las Americas is courtesy of TripAdvisor

...with the 'flambe' and the ongoing patter of the chef, wooing us with his fabulous food etc, but so few of us to enjoy it -- after we'd HAD to reserve! Turns out the most likely reason is the sparse availability of the specialty foods in Cuba.

In the Fine Dining restaurant, where we saw people sent back to their rooms to re-dress suitably (honestly!), again there were only about eight of us - and again we all arrived at the same time. Yet we were wined and dined like the Queen of England, with our chairs pushed in under us, and our napkins laid on our laps with a flourish, the food served on covered plates, and an extremely talented, easy to listen to, quartet playing classics throughout the dinner:

This photo of Melia Las Americas is courtesy of TripAdvisor

(not a very good photo, but you can see three of the quartet)

So what was so surreal? One got the impression, as the evening progressed, that the environment, the pomp, all the hard work, the beautifully displayed food on the plates, the extravagance, along with the 'live' music, in all the restaurants, was not so much a desire to give excellent service to the patrons, but was designed simply to elicit a good tip. Which was unfortunate and left one feeling quite uncomfortable. The biggest surprise was when the violinist, towards the end of our meal, approached each table selling the quartet's CD - it seemed SO out of place!

In fact, the whole vacation, along with the side trips, which I will talk about later, really were marred by the blatant request for tips.

I think DOTH and I were finally able to qualify all of this, in retrospect, by remembering, again, that Cuba is a poor country. It was just difficult to stay aware of that, in our beautiful surroundings.

Our room, with an ocean view which we paid a little extra for. The hotel is rated as a 5-star: it is clean, comfortable etc., but not completely up to our 5 star standards

Hotel lobby from the front door looking towards the 'back door' access to the beach

Access to beach from the lobby

I would like to say that I am not really complaining. We did have a fantastic vacation and would highly recommend the hotel to anyone, but it was just a little unusual in many respects.

I will soon be posting some of our more fun experiences for you to see,

In the meantime, if any of my blogging friends have had any experiences like this, or any wisdom to add, I'd be happy to receive your comments!

The Cuban Show

2011-09-02T20:58:00.001-04:00

So Snafu won the distinction of guessing the movie I referred to in my previous blog -- I knew he would! It is The Truman Show, one of my all time favourite movies. Not sure why, because I am not a fan of Jim Carrey, but he did an excellent job in this role.

Truman is the unsuspecting star of a 24 hour a day TV reality show watched by millions around the world. Unsuspecting because he was actually born on the set, and viewers got to watch him grow from a baby to a grown man. They were able to tune in every moment of the day to watch him live out his life. He had no idea that he was on TV. He thought the world he grew up in was the real world and that all the characters around him were real people, when in fact every single person was an actor directed by Christof, the director who 'created' Truman. His environment -- his home, his office, the streets, shops etc were all simply scenery, including the ocean on which the town where he lived was located -- created in the world's largest ever studio. To make a long story short, and not to reveal the ending for those who have not yet seen the movie, Truman begins to suspect that something is not right, and decides to get away from the town. Ultimately, he ends up on the 'ocean' in a sailboat. The director sends a storm, to encourage him to turn back, but he endures the storm and keeps on going, until....he comes to the end of the scenery -- which is where our sailboat photo of Cuba comes in:

That's our photo.

Below is a shot taken from the final scene of the movie:

While we were in Cuba, we saw lots of sailboats off in the distance on the horizon of the ocean, and it became a bit of a joke for us, that we were there, experiencing the "Truman Show" syndrome, which we ultimately called the Cuban Show.

Why?

Well, let me say right off the bat, that this is not meant to be a put-down of Cuba and the Cuban people. Our surroundings were beautiful and the people were also beautiful and so very friendly and we really enjoyed interacting with them. But somehow, it all felt so surreal -- like the Truman Show.

We came to Cuba knowing that it is a communist country, and we have heard much about Fidel Castro, so I guess that immediately gave a framework for what we might expect.

Also, we knew there was much poverty and that many foreigners who go there for vacations empty their suitcases to give as much as possible to the needy people around them.

But our location didn't fit our expectations at all.

We were in Varadero, at the Melia Las Americas Hotel - a five star hotel by Cuban standards, and indeed it was very nice. But everything about our vacation felt like a show - unreal.

We weren't seeing the real Cuba.

In fact, our very first view of life in Varadero, was a bit mind-boggling. Everywhere we looked there were American cars on the roads, dating back to the 50s and 60s. American brand Ford, Chevrolet, Cadillac, Chrysler, Packard and other classic models. And not in a dilapidated condition as you might expect for a poor country, but in immaculate condition -- many with not a dent or scratch, perfect paintwork, original colours, shining chrome. Car collectors in the US would give all they own to get their hands on one of these!

Click here to watch an extensive video of the Cuba's American cars. It's long and well worth watching if you are interested in old cars, but you can get the idea in the first couple of minutes:

http://www.wliw.org/productions/travel/classic-american-cars-of-cuba/342/

Here is a shorter look at some cars. Remember, one in every eight cars in Cuba dates back to the pre-60s!

So what is THAT all about?

Well, as best as I can understand it, the US embargo against Cuba took place in 1960. With no more commerce between the countries, restrictions were placed on ownership of cars in Cuba. Cars owned pre-1960 were allowed to be kept. Any car purchased after 1960 is actually state-owned. So these old cars are being preserved as best as possible, and are passed down through the generations; each one being probably the only car a Cuban will own throughout his lifetime. And even if the only original part left is the chassis, they are loved and cherished and kept immaculate.

So, imagine traveling on the tour bus from the airport to Varadero, past families living in tiny roadside shacks, signs of poverty everywhere and seeing pink Cadillacs and multitudes of other ancient yet beautiful collector vehicles driving all around you -- surreal!

But that's not all about the Cuban Show -- there's much more to come!

A Vacation Quiz

2011-08-31T09:34:00.000-04:00

DOTH and I have just returned from a week in Cuba. We had a super time, and hopefully I will post some pics very soon.

In the meantime, to whet your appetite, we made some interesting observations of the part of the country we were in, and this shot kind-of says it all. It became quite a topic of our conversations, as it reminded us so much of one of my favourite movies (although many have told me it certainly wasn't their favourite!) -- can you guess what the movie is? My only clue is that all is not as it appears to be:

I am betting on snafu for the correct answer!

The Fear Factor

2011-07-27T11:44:00.001-04:00

One of my online friends loves to challenge herself to the limit, overcoming fear and trepidation - I am wondering how she would feel about this feat. The CN Tower, in Toronto (and both snafu and I have blogged about it in the past), stands 350 metres, or 116 storeys, high and one can take the elevator, or the 1267 steps to the Sky Deck and find a beautiful panoramic spread for miles. On a good day, one can see the spray from Niagara Falls.

Courtesy CP24 News

But the CN Tower's latest claim to fame is the Edge Walk. You can find a video here, but don't watch, if you are afraid of heights! TG (The Grandson) and I had queasy stomachs watching this, especially right after breakfast!

Keep watching, as a second video follows the first - sorry about the ad, but it's a short one:

http://www.cp24.com/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20110727/110727_edge_walk/20110727/?hub=CP24Home

Any takers?

Disaster! And Other Stories

2011-07-19T14:58:00.001-04:00

So, DOTH is away and I am holding the fort - but not doing a very good job of it right now.

Well, the drought/heatwave isn't my fault, but knowing how particular she is about keeping the lawns well-manicured I have a feeling she will not be a 'happy camper' when she returns.

parched lawn

Despite getting up at the crack of dawn to water, green is turning very quickly to white -- but at least I am doing better than my neighbour. And we are not over the drought yet - going up to 36 Celsius on Thursday; will "feel like" 46, they say.

Then there's the case of the lilies:

Well, they WERE lilies, on either side of the rock in front of the purple cone flowers -- now they are just bare stalks. I was left with strict instructions to watch for the beetles - the ones that look like ladybugs, but aren't so nice, since they feed on the lilies. I have been very diligent, honest I have, even though I hate picking them off and squishing them, at least twice a day.

No, I have a feeling the naked lilies are the result of.....

the bunny, whom I keep shooing away from the front lawn. I caught him one day (no camera in hand, unfortunately), front paws up on the stalks chewing away to his heart's delight.

Then, this morning, with living room windows open because it's a bit cooler, I heard a squeak, squeak, squeaking. I thought it was children playing but when I heard it again, got up to look out.

Suddenly, out from the bushes under the living room window (foreground)...

bushes in front of living room window

came a neighbourhood cat, chasing...a baby bunny so small it could fit in the palm of my hand, but the exact replica of the larger one - white cottony bobtail and all. They chased around the rock a few times and then took off down the side of the house - no time to get my camera and it all happened so quickly I don't think I could have captured the scene anyway.

So -- now it appears we may have rabbits living in those bushes under our front window. DOTH will be thrilled :{ but at least it accounts for the little pooey blobs I've been finding on both front and back lawn and on the patio.

And -- speaking of poo (sorry), to top it all off the loo has gone on the fritz, so now I am flushing Romanian style - dumping buckets of water into the bowl each time.

Well, let's look back to brighter days. Snafu who was here with his better half not so long ago, posted some great photos on his blog of their time here. But he didn't post this one:

Just wanted you to see what an earnest photographer he really is. He got some great shots!

I took this one, in the parking lot of the same park down at the bluffs:

Doggy Day-Care - this one is worth clicking on, for a closer view

You've really gotta LOVE dogs to do this!

Finally, not the burning bush, but a burning fir tree:

Just the way the early morning sun hit it

Countrified Living -- ah the joys (and the sorrows)!

2011-07-08T15:31:00.000-04:00

He's back...!

...and in broad daylight!

No fear in him, our bird-feeder predator...but at least he has not yet tried to climb up the pole to help himself. He's content with the crumbs under the table!

All those sunflower seed shells make one very thirsty!

But then, the very next day we were asking ourselves...

was he responsible for this?

This was the view from our kitchen window last Friday (trash day), early in the morning:

Just how did that bag of trash get on top of our neighbour's van?

It would have been quite a feat for a raccoon, but this kind of mess is pretty typical of him:

But no...turns out we have some pranksters in the neighbourhood who decided to have a "mischief night" and wreak some havoc in a number of driveways.

Fortunately, DOTH and I were late getting our garbage out that day!

Me peeking out through the office window, at a rose peeking in.

We don't actually live in the country. We are less than a mile away from some really busy streets, but sometimes we wonder...and smile...

A goldfinch enjoying a seed

A nuthatch (or black-capped chickadee) having a harder time - breaking open the shell as he holds it between his feet

A male cardinal and a sparrow "breaking bread" together

A change of diet for the downy woodpecker - a first ever at the bird-feeder!

A baby robin...

with mom (or dad) watching on.

And look who's here...also in broad daylight!

The wily old fox....

...makes himself thoroughly at home on our front lawn.

Looking very refreshed after his nap, he's on the prowl again!

But, oh dear....was this one of his victims?

I'm not sure if foxes eat squirrels, but this was on the front lawn later that day.

Now I am on the look-out for a tail-less squirrel all the time --

or perhaps that's all there was left of him :{

Canada Day 2011

2011-07-03T21:41:00.001-04:00

Friday, July 1st was Canada's 144th birthday. Not sure if it is my imagination, but it seemed that there was much more of a patriotic spirit to the celebrations this year, in general. I think we are beginning to realize just how blessed we are to live in "the True North strong and free:"

O Canada! Our home and native land!

True patriot love in all thy sons command.

With glowing hearts we see thee rise,

The True North, strong and free!

From far and wide, O Canada,

We stand on guard for thee.

God keep our land glorious and free !

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

For our celebration of the day, which is typically climaxed across Canada with a firework display, DOTH (Daughter of the House), TGS (The Grandson) and I headed down to DOTH's sailing club for a very nice, late dinner. Then we settled in, with around 100 other celebrants, to a prime location on the deck of the clubhouse, to wait for the fireworks to begin!

Presented by Ontario Place, a premier waterfront park in downtown Toronto, the display took place on a barge in Lake Ontario just off the coastline of the park.

The CN Tower was all decked out in patriotic colours:

and, although the firework display was disappointingly short this year, still it was quite magnificent.

It was my first time taking nightime photos with my new camera and I had a terrible time finding the right setting, but, right or wrong setting, they turned out not too shabby! Sorry about all the yachts' masts looming in the foreground. Click on the photos for an enlarged view.

About 30 minutes' worth of fireworks at what some have estimated as a $1000 per minute - which TGS, in typical teen fashion, (truthfully) said wasn't worth the money!

It took us three times that long to get home. We left the clubhouse at 11:00pm and arrived home at 12:30am - normally about a 40 minute drive. Traffic was horrendous especially because it was the first really warm day of our summer, a holiday at that; there were a number of other large fireworks displays downtown and some Canada Day parades had garnered thousands of people also. So we crawled home and then crawled into bed, tired but grateful for the country we love.

And now wishing all my U.S. followers a very happy Independence Day - July 4th!

A Sweet Fragrance

2011-06-19T11:22:00.007-04:00

Bucharest, Romania

Summer 2005

We had just finished our church staff meeting when the office door opened and in walked Ani.* A member of our congregation, she was weeping profusely. Her mom had passed away a few days prior. Now she needed to bury her, but she had no means of transportation to pick up the casket, take it to the apartment where her mother lay, and then move her mom from the apartment to the cemetery.

Please bear in mind, as you read this, that, even now, certain areas of every-day life in Romania are antiquated (and sometimes almost barbaric), compared to North American ways. Often there are no funeral services, no peaceful, plush-carpeted, fully equipped funeral homes, no elaborate caskets, no-one to walk you through the process, even if you had the money – which so many don’t – and for many, no possibility to purchase a cemetery plot in advance – only a scramble to find a place in an overcrowded cemetery at the last minute, with sweet talk and a bribe.

We immediately offered Ani the church van, but she knew of no-one who could drive it. The men on our staff, knowing full well the Romanian traditions and superstitions surrounding death and burial, were all suddenly able to come up with previously-made appointments. The pastor had a full day ahead of him, including two airport trips to drop off a visitor and pick up a team, so he called Marie*, a Spanish missionary who works with street kids, to see if she would be willing to take on this ministry opportunity.

Marie confided later that she was terrified, knowing that the deceased, according to tradition, would be transported in an open casket, and she was sure she would panic at traveling with a dead body. So she agreed, but only if someone would travel with her. I didn’t have the necessary papers to drive the van, but volunteered to join her in this mission of mercy. Marie and I had spent many hours together on the city streets in the wee hours of the morning, chasing after delinquent street kids, or taking them to the hospital after a brutal gang fight. We decided to consider this another adventure, as well as an opportunity to bless Ani.

The seats were duly removed from the back of the van to make room for the casket and an odd assortment of plastic chairs and stools (we’d find out later what these were for). Then we set off with Ani, first to the casket-makers, where she had ordered a light plywood, simply-made casket that came in two pieces; the bottom half flimsily lined with muslin.

It was only then that I realized I had set off on that stiflingly hot morning dressed as if I was headed for the beach – beige and brown flowered slacks and a bright orange top! Hardly funeral attire. Marie, never one to fit the norm, was dressed in blue jeans and a sleeveless white top, with tufts of her short hair sticking out from under a baseball cap. What a pair!

The casket was loaded into the van and then we headed to the other side of town to pick up Ani’s mom. In spite of our objections in light of our inappropriate dress, Ani insisted we come up to the apartment with her. The darkened sixth-floor apartment was full of mourners; men in black suits and the women dressed in black from head to foot, including the ever-present head covering. We were introduced to the pastor – his eyebrows slightly raised at our appearance. Ani’s mother, also dressed in black, was laid out on the bed – a frail, sweet-looking 91 year-old.

There was much discussion about how to get the deceased down to the van. The first suggestion was that a sling be made out of a sheet in which to carry her down, but finally it was resolved that two of the men would bring the bottom half of the casket up (via the six flights of stairs, as the apartment elevator was too tiny), place her in it, and then carry it back down.

Since the apartment was so crowded, the pastor decided to conduct an impromptu service on the front steps of the apartment block. So the deceased, in her topless casket, was placed on the steps to the side of the front door, and about 20 of us gathered around on the pavement in front. While some of the family wafted off the flies (no embalming here) and shooed away the stray dogs, the pastor made the most of the fact that many people were passing by on the street, and many going in and out of the apartment block. He preached an evangelical message so impassioned that Marie and I were almost born-again, again! The curious drifted in from a nearby park, and many, dramatically challenged with concern for their eternal souls, were greatly moved.

The service ended and the casket, still with the top off, was placed in the van. Neon-coloured hand towels (yes, hand-towels) were tied around the side view mirrors of the van and accompanying cars with a dual purpose, apparently to ward off evil spirits, and also to alert traffic that this was, indeed, a funeral procession.

Then came great discussion about who would travel in the van with Ani and her mom to the cemetery. Ultimately, five heavy-set women crowded in, precariously lowering themselves onto stool or plastic chair around the casket. Bear in mind: no embalming, it is 35 degrees Celsius outside, and the women had a great fear of draughts – so the windows were open only a crack. It was quite overwhelming.

Marie was actually pleased with the neon-coloured amulets – helped to ward off evil traffic cops, who are not likely to stop a funeral procession for a traffic infraction. However, many of them did a double-take as we passed through intersections. Women are never seen driving a funeral vehicle, and certainly not two women that looked like us!

It was a great relief when we arrived at the cemetery – I wasn’t sure my heaving stomach was going to take much more. Ani’s mom, of Pentecostal persuasion, was buried in the only plot available to her – in a Catholic cemetery. But first the priest insisted on performing a brief service around the casket – for a price. The grave-diggers were there on hand, waiting for a tip and a chance to finish up their work, and then it was all over.

The gratitude Marie and her family expressed to us was quite overwhelming. But we were simply grateful we’d been able to help – and to pour out some of the “fragrance of Christ” in the midst of a family’s heartache.

This is a true story, but to bring it to life click here and then click through the photos. It is quite a remarkable pictorial journey. And although it is a Romanian Orthodox church funeral with much more pomp, ceremony and Orthodox ritual, it is very similar to our experience – and heartachingly such an antithesis to what we experience in our western culture. Here (arrow down the page) is the ‘van’ scene.

*not her real name

Global Proverbs

2011-06-09T12:30:00.001-04:00

Working on a story to post, but first these proverbs from around the world to give you a smile today:

Romania:

Better a mouse in the pot
than no meat at all

Under a ragged coat lies wisdom

When a thing is done
advice comes too late

Poland:

The woman cries before the wedding
The man cries after

Texas:

Never squat with your spurs on

Jamaica:

No call alligator long mouth till you pass him by

Italy:

Those who sleep with dogs
rise with fleas

Japan:

Vision without action is a daydream
Action without vision is a nightmare

Unknown:

A closed mouth gathers no feet

Erna Bombeck:

Never go to a doctor whose office plants are dead

(Overheard at a wedding):

It is kisstomary to cuss the bride

Fright Night at the Mall

2011-05-16T22:47:00.001-04:00

You could call it a premonition. Whatever it was, I had always known that to get my ears pierced would be courting disaster. Maybe that’s why I kept putting it off all those years. Now I was almost 50, and hovering on the brink of a decision. It seemed everyone was always commenting on my ‘petite’ ears, and how pleased I would be with them if I got them pierced.

In the beginning, it was the fear of pain that held me back. I’d seen those poor little screaming kids at the mall, caught in a stranglehold by their mothers and a white-jacketed ‘surgeon.’

But now it was my pride, too. The fear of someone seeing me getting it done – at my age.

“What! You’re 50, and having your ears pierced for the first time? Where have you been – on another planet or something?”

No, it had to be done secretly, or not at all.

So, the decision was made. I carefully planned my strategy. What nights were the malls the most deserted? I scouted them all, during the day, evenings, weekends, and public holidays, and came up with the perfect time. Between 7:30pm and 9:30pm on October 31st – Halloween! All the kids would be out trick or treating, and the parents would either be with them, or at home shelling out the goodies.

So, next Halloween night, before the first little ghosties and ghoulies hit the streets, I skulked out of my darkened front door, feeling not too guilty about the sign tacked on it: Sorry, all shelled-out. It was for a good cause. I’d be sure to shell-out double next year.

As I suspected, the mall was deserted. The store clerks, dressed in costumes for the occasion, stood wearily at their posts, filing nails, chatting or reading a book, just counting the minutes until closing time.

I’d chosen my ‘operating room’ carefully; a little boutique set back from the mall’s main thoroughfare, sporting the sign, Ear-piercing. Only $12.00. Hygienic, safe and speedy! I guess it was too much to expect pain-free as well. Boldly I entered and approached the pseudo Godzilla behind the counter.

“I’d like to have my ears pierced, please,” said I, trying to act nonchalantly.

“You?” said Godzilla, rising on its haunches to glance through glassy eyes at my now reddened ears. “You’ve never had it done before?”

I rather testily explained that, yes, it was my first time – and could we please get on with it?

Lumbering off towards the back of the store, Godzilla eventually returned with the one who was to perform the operation. For a split second I panicked and almost ran, but I forced myself to stand my ground. It was now or never.

A black-caped Dracula, with very effective dental work and shiny red blood streaming down her chin, rested her coal-blackened eyes on my ears, and then leered in my face.

“Honest?” You’ve never had them done before? Where’ve you been, anyways?”

I chose to ignore the question and insisted on being seated, please, at the ear-piercing counter.

The tools of the trade were duly sterilized and readied for the task, albeit precariously, by hands sporting curled, glossy, three-inch long, scarlet nails – which did nothing to instill confidence in me. The dastardly deed was about to be completed.

As Dracula leaned over my right ear with the ‘gun,’ a high pitched yell shattered my eardrum.

“Oh, my gawd,” she cried, “You don’t have any earlobes. How’m I supposed to get holes in those ears? Hey, Nancy, she yelled to Godzilla, “Come and see this. You won’t believe it!”

Now ape and monster were on either side of me, gaping at and fingering my petite but lobeless ears.

Says Godzilla, “I never saw anything like this! Hey, Jackie, come and see!”

From the shoe store across the way came a witch, with black robe flying, holding on to her conical hat, to peer wickedly at the malformed projection on the side of my head.

In a matter of moments, an entourage of masked bandits, robots, demons and elves, now alert and dancing around me, were fighting for their turn to inspect my ears, each making appropriate clucking noises or excitable comments about my weirdness.

So much for anonymity. I should have just invited my whole neighbourhood, for heaven’s sake.

When the excitement died away, Dracula was adamant.

“No way, lady, am I going to do those ears. You think I want a lawsuit against me if the gun slips? Forget it!”

I can’t say I was sorry to forget it. The only redeeming factor was the suggestion that I should send a photo of my ears to the Guinness Book of World Records.

And next time I have a premonition, I’m going to listen to it.

(copyrighted)

A Heart-stopping Experience

2011-05-12T09:41:00.000-04:00

My cousin and his wife are coming to stay in a couple of weeks. Thought this might be something they would like to try - sightseeing to the extreme!

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/05/12/dangle-off-

canadas-tallest-building-for-175/?hpt=C2

Some of the greatest views ever can be seen from the CN Tower!

Mothers' Day Mish Mash

2011-05-08T21:44:00.002-04:00

We have been out and about this weekend. Here is a pictorial record of some activities:

Coming home from lunch at Number 1 son's home yesterday, I captured these through the car window:

The curvy condo building on the right, in Mississauga, has been dubbed the Marilyn Monroe Tower in reference to her voluptuous figure.

"While the first tower captures the feminine, the second tower (still under construction) is its counterpart, still romantic in its silhouette but more rugged and perhaps more robust."

Just in case you are interested in moving in, you can read more about these luxury condos here and even take a neat virtual tour of the penthouse suite. And if you go here your can discover all the features these condos contain - columns of them!

Also captured this through the car window:

Amazingly this great cloud formation didn't produce any rain - not over us, anyway.

Today DOTH and I had a Mothers' Day brunch at her sailing club downtown. It was a gorgeous day - finally! And this view from the clubhouse captured ME!

Wherever one travels downtown the CN Tower makes a great focal point for photography...

I like the composition of this photo, with the tower between the two masts.

This tall ship sailed past the dining room while we were enjoying a lovely buffet:

And this is the clubhouse from a distance:

Number 1 son and grandson visited us later in the afternoon, and they worked off the dinner calories with a rousing game of badminton:

It was wonderful to be out in some WARM weather. The trees are turning green and the tulips are finally coming up.

As the sun began to set, DOTH turned on the sprinkler system and I couldn't resist taking this striking shot:

A fitting end to a lovely day.

Just one more shot, for snafu -- who talked on his blog about his Amaryllis refusing to bloom for a number of years, and then suddenly coming alive. We purchased an Anthurium a number of years ago. It was covered in beautiful blooms, but they gradually died away, and it remained dormant for four years. Then, suddenly, it began to bloom again. For the last three years it has produced a steady stream of blooms from May to November:

The only reason I can fathom for its splendour now, is its location. Three years ago I moved it from in front of the window, to a location with less light. It seems to thrive there, so I have steadfastly refused to move it, even if it doesn't fit the decor! It has just begun to bloom for this year - and I love it!

Songs of the Wild

2011-05-04T11:47:00.002-04:00

DOTH and I were so excited, over the weekend, to hear a new bird song. I had NEVER heard it before and expected it to be an exotic bird new to the neighbourhood. After much research, and finally spying a new bird eating the grass seed DOTH had recently sprinkled on the lawn, we managed to put the song and the bird together to come up with THE WHITE-THROATED SPARROW.

Here is what our Birds of Ontario book has to say about him:

This patriot of Canada`s northern forests arrives each spring to sing its glorious familiar tribute: my sweet Canada Canada Canada. Its soothing sound of these few simple notes announce the arrival of spring, and can appear anywhere in the province in great abundance.

Where HAVE we been! We have never heard him before, and we are aficionados of birds songs! Never mind, he is here now, and he may not be exotic, but he is lovely, and his song IS so patriotic!

She's Her Own Worst Enemy

2011-04-28T19:42:00.003-04:00

I was sitting in the living room yesterday and kept hearing what I thought was a dripping tap upstairs. Checked the bathroom and all seemed fine, and then I realized it was coming from the office.

This is what I saw...

...a female cardinal batting her wings against the window.

We've had this stained glass picture hanging in the window for years, and although we have always had cardinals sitting in the tree peering in through the window, they have never done this before:

And she kept doing it, over and over again...

What magnificent wings and tail she has!

We assumed she was trying to attract the cardinals hanging in the window, so we took down the picture, and DOTH put up a plain sheet of paper. But still she kept flying into the window:

So we googled "cardinal flying repeatedly into window" and learned that the female cardinal is a fierce defender of her territory, especially if it is mating season and she is nesting nearby. So she was probably attracted both by the picture and the reflection of her own self -- and became her own worst enemy!

We also learned that while she is defending her territory (which went on all day yesterday and throughout today...and even as I type this), the male will come, from time to time, and feed her -- which is exactly what he did!

(we thought they were kissing at first!)

I don't want to tell you how long I stayed nearby, taking photos -- but I got a LOT of shots!

Still struggling with this new camera, though. I am sure my shots could have been much better.

Adding Insult to Injury

2011-04-28T19:09:00.002-04:00

Today we received the tail end of the massive tornadoes that demolished huge parts of the southern States. I am so grateful that that there was little damage in our area, and my heart goes out to those people in the south who not only lost their homes but family members also (over 300 people died).

So I am feeling a little like Jonah today, who grieved over the fact that the Juniper tree he was resting under withered up. The Lord chastised him saying, in essence, "You grieve over a tree and not over the thousands who could have perished..."

I am grieving for those who died in Alabama, but I am feeling sad about my lilac tree, too -- it became a victim of the winds today. Most likely it was because of the 'tidying up' my nieghbours did of their garden the other day - left it defenceless against the winds.

This is what it looked like just a few months ago, after a huge snowfall:

a thing of beauty.

This is all that's left of it today:

Funny thing is, DOTH and I were just talking, a couple of weeks ago, about pruning it at the end of the season. Between the neighbours and the wind, it got pruned with a vengeance!

Backing Up My Rant

2011-04-23T11:52:00.001-04:00

So here are some photos to follow up on my previous post:

ALL THAT'S LEFT OF THE LILAC TREE

BARE BACK

You will note the attempt at privacy - she is inserting green strips through the holes in the chicken wire fence - it's not working so well and it has been like this for a couple of weeks now. Personally, I much prefer the trees!

BARE SIDE

A PILE OF DISCARDED LILAC BRANCHES

WE HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS NEIGHBOUR'S HOUSE BEFORE! IF YOU ENLARGE, YOU GET A TINY GLIMPSE OF THE BLUE POOL.

PATIO TO PATIO

Looking forward to some blooming foliage, and hoping that the mulberry tree and what's left of the lilac tree will do the trick!

The Emperor's Clothes

2011-04-22T19:52:00.003-04:00

I wanted to title this post "Bare Naked" but figured I would get a lot of unwelcome visitors - I probably will anyway, but they will be disappointed.

I guess I am feeling the need to rant. Last year, I began to have a phobia of the sound of an electric saw. Everytime I heard one it meant that the neighbours behind us were taking the liberty of cutting down our trees. We didn't realize, at first, that they were OUR trees they were attacking, expecting that no good neighbour would do such a thing. But as spring came, and the usual gaps along the fence were not being filled in with foliage, we went investigating and found that, sure enough, she had reached over the fence and chopped major branches off trees that are on our property -- and not just ones that were hanging over her garden, but those that I guess she had taken a particular dislike to! Well, being the tactful soul that DOTH (Daughter of The House) is, the next time she saw the neighbour she told her, gently, that her mom (me!) didn't really appreciate her doing that.

Didn't help much, because the neighbour is at it again this year. I guess she didn't realize that chopped tree branches will begin to sprout again, so out came the trusty saw, and away went the branches once more. What to do? One does not want to make an enemy of a neighbour, as before one knows it, one can begin receiving nasty deposits of dog poop or something on one's lawn. So we took a deep breath, and decided to grin and bear it. But we did, last year, put up a section of bamboo fencing (our fences are made of see-through chicken wire) in the most exposed section so that we could at least barbecue without onlookers.

Then, horror of horrors, today we began to hear an electric saw to the RIGHT of us. We have a fairly new neighbour there, and she inherited quite a mess of a garden, so we assumed a tidy-up was taking place. True, it was -- but much more than we could possibly have imagined. This time we had no legitimate complaint as all the trees and bushes that were being chopped down and ripped out were on her property -- but hang beautifully over our garden and we have loved them. Now, talk about bare naked -- that's how very much exposed we are. We and they can now sit on our respective patios and have a wonderful view of each other. We had valued our privacy SO much!

(not my photo - wish it was!)

Not sure what is going on here - wondering if they plan to put up another fence, but they have removed just about every piece of foliage on all three sides of their lawn. Their back neighbour has a pool - wonder how he is feeling about this. Our greatest grief is the fact that three quarters of the lilac tree outside our office bay window is now gone. It was magnificent in the spring, and always full of yellow butterflies.

Then, as if to add insult to injury -- and it's not that I am a tree hugger or anything, but I do love trees and our neighbourhood has a wonderful plethora of them -- we woke up the other morning to the sound of a large truck outside our front window.

This is the annual de-nuding of city-owned trees that line our street. If you click on the photo you can see where they chopped off the lower branches - not so bad, and tidies things up a bit. Still, I would have been happier if they had left them alone. BUT, and I can't show you right now as it has been too cold and snowy to take a walk and get photos, many of the trees are chopped right down the middle so that the branches don't interfere with the overhead wires. But they look ridiculous! After being chopped in that way for the last few years, they each have grown into a giant Y. Nothing down the middle, just foliage growing down either side. It spoils the beauty of our neighbourhood.

One last rant - another kind of de-nuding, caused by this creature:

Can you see him hiding?

He's rather lovely - but a real pest. We couldn't figure out who has been digging up the lawn, until we caught him in the act.

He flees as soon as he's spotted, but he's back in no time.

Didn't have time to focus, but caught Mrs. Robin with her mouth full -- lovely Styrofoam lining for her nest. Nothing but the best for her babies!

and finally....this is the only colour we have seen in the garden so far. Well, we did catch a glimpse of yellow, but the daffodils died as quickly as they arrived - frozen to death, no doubt!

Aaah...(sigh)...got that all off my chest - feel much better.

2011-03-16T21:11:00.001-04:00

Well, it's taken me a while, but here is my post on the highlight of my California trip. I've already shown you the peacocks, but the Leo Carrillo Ranch has so much more to enjoy. But first, some history:

Actor, preservationist and conservationist Leo Carrillo (1880-1961) was born in Los Angeles.

As an entertainer Leo was highly successful, appearing in 15 major stage plays and more than 90 motion pictures.

Leo's greatest fame, however, came from his portrayal of Pancho, the mischievous sidekick to Duncan Renaldo's Cisco Kid in a pioneering television series of the early 1950's. (If you remember the show, you've got to be around my age!)

Shot entirely in color - a first in tv production - its 156 action-western episodes ran for six enormously popular years.

At the peak of his film career Leo felt an intense yearning to find a retreat where he could re-create an Old California-style working rancho, an important cultural asset he felt was rapidly dying out. In 1937 he came across the Rancho de Los Kiotes in what is now southeast Carlsbad. Leo quickly snapped up his first 840 acres for $65,000 or $77 per acre. He immediately began construction of 18 structures necessary for his ranch operations and, over time, increased his spread to 2,538 acres.

In 1977 the city acquired a tiny 10.5 acre remnant that contained and protected the most critical original buildings. A $5.5 million catch-up round of restoration has now been completed.

A required transfer of 16.4 acres from contiguous residential developers has expanded the Park site to 27 acres.

Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park is an extraordinary educational and passive recreational resource, the envy of all Californians, and a visitor destination.

(www.carrillo-ranch.org)

In this case, a photo is worth a thousand words, so I will simply post a sampling of photos from the day of our visit so you can see what a beautiful place the Carrillo Ranch is (you can click on the photos for a closer view):

We spent a lovely afternoon at the ranch, the weather co-operated, and we had the whole place almost to ourselves. We meandered around drinking in the beauty of the gardens and the architecture as well as the

all-pervading peacefulness...so refreshing!

Who Said You Can't Teach Old Dogs New Tricks?

2011-03-10T16:56:00.002-05:00

The middle 'Old Dog' was on a brief leave of absence from her computer to take the photo

Proud As A Peacock

2011-03-08T14:10:00.003-05:00

Personally, I think peacocks have good reason to be proud - they are a gorgeous specimen of God's creation!

We recently visited the Leo Carrillo Ranch, here in Carlsbad, and we received a regal welcome:

Beautiful!

There were peacocks everywhere:

...but especially when we brought out our snacks.

Of course one is not to feed the peacocks, but, by the way they hung around us, it was very evident that people do.

ChrisJ: "Oh, aren't you lovely!"

"Have you come for a visit? Come on closer, then, you pretty boy"

"Mmm...I think that's close enough!"

Pretty Peacock: "Yes, well, I know you would like a photo of me -- but which side do you think is my best?

This one?"

"This one?"

"Or, perhaps this one??"

Sadly, my days here in California are almost done. But I will post more about the Leo Carrillo Ranch very soon. It has an interesting history, and is such a picturesque place. Makes for some great photo shots!

California Wildlife Snapshots

2011-03-03T20:18:00.001-05:00

We' ve been staying pretty close to home since I arrived here.

But there is always something going on in the garden:

Especially when the weather is warm

"I don't know what she's looking at - do you know what she's looking at?"

"No, but she's making me nervous"

"She's making me nervous, too. I need to get to that birdseed before the birds do."

My sister tells me this is a cicada...I am not so sure, but he was big -- probably five inches long!

One of my favourite trees down here

And a very pretty corner of the garden

Oops -- sorry! She's not wildlife.

She's enjoying the wildlife!

Downtown Family Day

2011-02-26T19:42:00.002-05:00

A few years ago, our premier gave us a new statutory holiday. The third Monday of every February is Family Day, when most employees get the day off.

DOTH and I decided to make the most of a long weekend and do something many Torontonians may not enjoy, preferring to get out of the city -- we took a tour of downtown Toronto.

We rented a lovely room in the Harbourfront Radisson for 3 nights:

Not a very good photo, but in the centre of the room is the entertainment unit with the TV on top that can be turned toward the bed, or towards the living area of the room. The fireplace underneath heats both sides of the room.

We were on the 6th floor with a lovely view of both downtown, and Lake Ontario:

The 'small' building with peaked roof is the Royal York Hotel, which was the tallest building in the British Empire when I first came to Toronto from England in the early '60s.

"The Royal York was a state-of-the-art hotel upon completion in 1929, with ten elevators, a radio in each of its 1,048 rooms, and a private shower or bath in each room. Other features included a large Concert Hall fitted with an impressive Casavant Frères pipe organ. With five manuals and 107 stops, it was the largest pipe organ in Canada. The telephone switchboard was 66 feet long and required 35 operators. The hotel was enlarged in 1959 with the addition of the east wing to a total of 1,600 rooms and was the largest hotel in the Commonwealth for many years.

"As guests enter the main lobby, they are greeted with nothing but grandeur. The high vaulted ceilings, the warm colour palette of deep reds and golds and the ornate ornamentation all add to this effect. The once fully carpeted lobby has been replaced with a light coloured mosaic tiled floor, but early 20th century styled carpets are still found throughout the building. Big armchairs and couches allow travelers to take in the atmosphere of the lobby while others wait patiently for friends to arrive beside the old railway clock, which is centrally located within the hotel lobby area. The railway clock rises in the middle of a large spiral staircase from the avenue level of the Hotel. The lobby of the Royal York Hotel shimmers with light from large crystal chandeliers and is over looked by the mezzanine level.

"The hotel has been the residence of choice for Queen Elizabeth II and other members of the Canadian Royal Family when in Toronto. The Queen usually has an entire floor reserved for her and her party, occupying the Royal Suite herself."

The view of the lake was magnificent:

It was partially frozen, in our below zero temperatures, and the boat in the top, middle of the photo is an ice-breaker. You can see a skating rink dead-centre of the photo:

Lots of brave souls enjoying it.

We took the "hopper bus" (hop on and off at most major tourist spots for one flat fee) to the St. Lawrence Market; bought some fruit, freshly-baked bread and cheeses for lunches and enjoyed our first lunch while we were there - a Mustacios veal sandwich with eggplant, mmm, yummy - and so big we have to share one!

Chinatown was quite the experience, with DOTH feeling quite at home, since she has visited China a couple of times and is on her way again this summer:

The CN Tower from Chinatown.

We shopped in some of the Chinese malls and had a yummy Chinese cream-filled bun for dessert. Really, though, once you have been in one mall, you have virtually seen them all!

We took a tour of the CN Tower - probably the first time in almost 40 years -- since DOTH was little. The tower hasn't changed but the view certainly has:

A couple of interesting buildings....

This one was weird...the building is blue, and it looks like a fire escape on the outside, but it only covers three floors!

This was taken from the very top of the tower....Union Station, and all the railway lines, to the right of the photo.

We went to the Distillery District -- no longer a distillery, I hasten to add!

"The Distillery District is an internationally acclaimed village of brick-lined streets and dozens of vibrantly restored Victorian Industrial buildings. It’s one of Ontario’s hottest tourist attractions and home to live theatres, galleries, fashion, design and jewelry boutiques, unique cafes and award-winning restaurants. It’s all completely closed to traffic and just a few minutes walk from downtown Toronto. "

They have some unique shopping experiences there, useful if you are looking for that perfect gift for someone who has everything!

We also took the hopper bus to Casa Loma, but didn't take the time to get out and take the tour.

We had a lovely Chinese dinner in a restaurant overlooking Lake Ontario, on the Queens Quay. Lemon Chicken with shrimp and lobster rice -- delicious!

And when we weren't out touring around, there was plenty to see from the windows of our room...

including this:

The poor girl must have been frozen by the time they were finished - truly a day she will never forget!

And we had a weekend we will remember for some time to come...there is always lots to see in Toronto; a place well worth visiting!

(Posting this from California, where it's not hot but certainly a mite warmer!)

Running Amok at the Mexican Border

2011-02-02T17:28:00.011-05:00

You always knew I was an angel, didn't you?

Well -- maybe I'm not!

I wonder if my sister remembers this:

There's a bit of a story behind it.

Back in 1985, DOTH (Daughter Of The House) and I travelled to California to visit my sister (and her MOTH - Man Of The House).

While we were there the three of us girls took a trip down to Mexico. We crossed over at the San Ysidro border into Tijuana to do some shopping.

If the name San Ysidro rings a bell, it's probably because just the year before, in 1984, there was a shooting massacre at the San Ysidro McDonalds - a disgruntled employee killed 22 people and injured 19 others. Mass murders were not so prevalent in those days; I guess that's why I remember the name of that area of San Diego (DOTH was quite amazed that I remembered, by the way).

I understand that it wouldn't be very wise to cross over into Tijuana these days, but back then it was kind of a fun thing to do.

(click on photos to enlarge)

This is what the border crossing loooked like. Cars drove into Mexico on the left. People walking in through the turnstyle on the right. There was no problem at all going in - I don't think we were even questioned. But coming out? Well, that was another matter.

But first, as we walked the pathway into Tijuana we were accosted on all sides by ragged women and children, some with oozing, open sores, begging for money. The pathway ran alongside an open drain that ran throughout the town, and the smell was overpowering.

Finally we reached the centre of town, and we could start shopping at...

The Grand Shopping Centre!

It was all a lot of fun, actually, and I really got into the bargaining. We wandered all around the little booths, which were offering everything under the sun that tourists would love. You've all been there, done that, somewhere in the world, so you know what I am talking about.

I can't remember everything that I bought, but I do recall a beautiful tablecloth, that I was so proud of 'winning' for $10 -- and which, after washing was reduced to the size of a postage stamp!

But my prize possession, for the past 26 years, has been this little creche (minus the stable)

I saw it immediately, as we walked into the first booth, and fell in love with it.

"I give eet you for only $25 - worth mucho more..." was the cry from the vendor.

"No, no - too much", I said.

"But no -- eet made by hand - looook, special, 'and-painted!"

"No, sorry...but I'll give you $10"

"Ah, no -- tis tooo leettle!"

So I waved my hand and walked away. He didn't even call me back...just shrugged his shoulders and turned to the next American.

I saw similar nativity sets in a number of other booths, but it was always the same bargaining scenario; couldn't get them below $25. So I decided to go back to the first vendor and try once more with an offer of $20 - because I REALLY wanted it! It had been the first booth we entered, and would also be the last, since it was on the way to the exit from Tijuana, and -- surprise, surprise! There was a different vendor there! To make a long story short, I managed to bargain him down to $5 - I was SO proud of myself!

I must admit, that, having been on the mission field for many years now, and having seen how people in third world countries have to make a living, I have often felt quite guilty about how much I paid for it. It wasn't worth $25, but I wasn't poor and could have made his day by paying more than just $5 for it. But even that hasn't ever taken away my joy of owning it!

The figurines are only about 2.5" high, the cows a little longer, and the smallest sheep is only about 3/4" high,

and it has pride of place among our decorations every Christmas. Everytime someone new sees it, I get to tell the story all over again.

But the rest of the story wasn't so much fun. We made our way back toward the border joyfully clutching our aquisitions, where this time we received the 3rd Degree.

DOTH and my sister passed with flying colours, but much to my horror, the border guard, with rifle hung over his shoulder and flanked by a couple of similarly attired guards, kept flipping back and forth through my passport, with mumblings that got louder and louder with every flip.

My knees were trembling, and I almost fainted when he yelled,

"Where is your veeesa?"

I was travelling on a British Passport at the time, and none of us had remembered that I would need a visa to get into Mexico. DOTH and sister were ok, with American and Canadian passports.

I guess at that point I must have gone into denial, as I do remember that he was wanting to walk us down the hall to some office or other, but I honestly cannot remember what happened next and how we managed to get back into the U.S. I think DOTH, too, must have gone into shock as she has absolutely no memory of this incident at all.

Suffice to say, I didn't land in jail, but I think in 2011, I just might have.

My sister probably remembers more, and can fill in the details.

Years later, and having had multitudes of 'incidents' at borders in Eastern Europe, I am now an old pro - but this was my first ever. Makes a great story whenever there are lapses in conversation:

"Did I ever tell you about the time...?"

Don't Ya Just Love Winter?

2011-01-08T12:18:00.004-05:00

First -- congrats to joint winners in the "What is it?" contest -- Snafu and Elizabeth! Snafu was the first to check-in though. And a good try by ChrisJ. Well done to all! Here it is:

Well, after a number of misses (forecast but never materialized, many times) we finally got inundated!

Here's the pictorial story:

Yearning for the Sun

My Kolanchoe is growing out of control!

Digging out

A Winter Wonderland

A Winter Hedgehog!

It's all very beautiful, but...

Oh, to be in California!

Almost Back!

2011-01-05T12:25:00.001-05:00

After a month long hibernation, it's good to be (almost) back!

Hope you all had a great Christmas and that this New Year will find you in good health and bring you many joys along the way. For those times when joy is hard to find, I pray that we will all find strength from the One who can help us to make it through.

I've been doing a lot of reading recently (Oh, those wonderful Chapters Christmas gift cards!). And, wonders of wonder, I have found a friend who has pretty much the same tastes as me, and to whom I can pass on my books. (In fact SHE gave me a Chapters Gift Card for Christmas -- a wise investment on her part!).

Most amazing of all is that I have five, count them - five! delicious (I hope) books still waiting for me to read!

I generally won't buy a book unless it's been recommended to me, because books are too expensive these days to buy and not enjoy and/or not complete.

So, unlike my faithful visitor, Rabbit or Snafu Take Your Pick (his blog is here and it is well worth a visit -- you have never read book reviews quite like his), I am hopeless at book reviews, I do plan to tell you a little about the books I've recently read, find out if you have read them and see if you feel the same as I do about them.

I am a VERY picky reader, and there are a couple of books I have recently thrown in the trash -- from a series that started out well, but which has progressed downhill to....well, I am getting ahead of myself; I will save my comments for next time.

However, in the interest of time, I thought I would start the New Year with another "What Is It?"

Here it is:

It might be fairly easy, so I won't add any clues for now - and see how well you do!

How Many of These 100 Books Have You Read?

2010-12-01T15:23:00.002-05:00

Another repeat blog - sorry fans!

The BBC apparently believes most people will have only read 6 of the 100 books listed here:

How many of these books have YOU read?

I have marked in bold the ones I have read, in italics the ones I am in the process of reading, and in blue the ones where I have only seen the movie.

Recently I have determined to read more of the 'classics' -- But I can see by this list that I have a long way yet to go!

And I must confess that there are a number of books listed there that I have never even heard of. I have highlighted them in green. Time to do a search and see if they are books I would enjoy. If you have read any on my unread list, which would you recommend?

Why don't you copy and paste the list into your comment, and in some way mark those you've already read, the ones you are in the process of reading, and the ones you've only seen as a movie -- so we can compare with each other.

Then, go here to check out the site and see how 316 others responded on the site...makes for interesting reading in itself!

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien

3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte

4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling

5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

6 The Bible

7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell

9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman

10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens

11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott

12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy

13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller

14 Complete Works of Shakespeare - read some, but not others...

15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier

16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien

17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk

18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger

19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger

20 Middlemarch - George Eliot

21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell

22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald

23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens

24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy

25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams

26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh

27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky

28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck

29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll

30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame

31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy

32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens

33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis

34 Emma - Jane Austen

35 Persuasion - Jane Austen

36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe

37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres

39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden

40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne

41 Animal Farm - George Orwell

42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown

43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving

45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins

46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery

47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy.

48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood

49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding

50 Atonement - Ian McEwan

51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel

52 Dune - Frank Herbert

53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons

54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen

55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth.

56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon

57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens

58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley

59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon

60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck

62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov

63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt

64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold

65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas

66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac

67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy

68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding

69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie

70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville

71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens

72 Dracula - Bram Stoker

73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett

74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson

75 Ulysses - James Joyce

76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath

77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome

78 Germinal - Emile Zola

79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray

80 Possession - AS Byatt.

81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens

82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell

83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker

84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro

85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert

86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry

87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White

88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom

89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton

91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad

92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery

93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks

94 Watership Down - Richard Adams

95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole

96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute

97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas

98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare

99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl

100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

That makes 17 I've read; a couple I am in the process of reading and I have seen 8 as movies. I think the BBC was quite incorrect in their assesment. But let's see how YOU do!

What Makes You Laugh?

2010-11-25T18:24:00.008-05:00

This is a post from about year ago, from an old blog I no longer use. My cousin Pete's latest post (you can find it here) inspired me to re-use it here:

It's not altogether easy to assess exactly what it is that makes us laugh.

In my research for a magazine article, I remembered something that, many decades ago, really made me laugh. Maybe you will get a chuckle out of it too:

But I want to share with you something that my British sense of humour really enjoys.

I am reading Jerome K. Jerome's Three Men in a Boat. Jerome wrote it in 1889. I've probably read it three times in my life -- that's a lot, considering I rarely read a fiction book more than once.

Here's the introduction:

...a merry, but scandalously lazy band of well-to-do young men -- and a plucky and rather world-weary fox terrier named Montmorency -- (decide to take) an idyllic cruise along the River Thames.

Feeling seedy, muses one of them dreamily, "What we want is rest." What they find instead is one hapless catastrophe after another.

Soggy weather, humiliating dunkings, the irritating behavior of small boats, and the 'contrariness of teakettles' are just a few of the barbarisms our genteel heroes are forced to endure. But to which a delighted reader can only sing, Hooray!

~~

But it's a passage from the book about Montmorency the dog I'd like you to read:

To look at Montmorency you would imagine he was an angel sent upon the earth - for some reason withheld from mankind - in the shape of a small fox terrier.

There is a sort of Oh-what-a-wicked-world-this-is-and-how-I-wish-I-could-do-something-to-make-it-better-and-nobler expression about Montmorency that has been know to bring tears into the eyes of pious old ladies and gentlemen.

(At first) I used to sit down and look at him, as he sat on the rug and looked up at me, and think: "Oh, that dog will never live. He will be snatched up to the bright skies in a chariot, that's what will happen to him."

But, when I had paid for about a dozen chickens he had killed; and dragged him, growling and kicking by the scruff of his neck, out of a hundred and fourteen street fights; had had a dead cat brought round for my inspection by an irate female who called me a murderer; and had been summoned by the man next door but one for having a ferocious dog at large that had kept him pinned up in his own toolshed, afraid to venture his nose outside the door for over two hours on a cold night; and had learned that the gardener, unknown to myself, had won thirty shillings by backing him to kill rats against time, then I began to think that maybe they'd let him remain on earth for a bit longer after all.

~~
If you've never read Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog), I can only encourage you to get a copy. If you don't have much to laugh about, this book will change everything!

Trees

2010-10-31T15:46:00.000-04:00

She stands a dusky silhouette

A splendour to behold.

Her frame against the grace of dawn,

The skies like molten gold.

And when in light of day she's seen

In glorious display

When chinks of blue sky peep

Amidst her green and grand array

And there in hush of evening

When blazing sun sinks low

And spreading bows are set against

A bold magenta glow

Of all Thy great creations, Lord,

None have been to me...

as great a source of joy

And inspiration as the tree.

(My Inspiration: Gillian Walsh, Evergreen, Autumn 2010)

And finally, a perfect Halloween Eve moon

Fall Favourites

2010-10-21T17:03:00.002-04:00

Goodness Gracious...

Lotsa Leaves!

Sun Shining

Golden Glory

Window Watching...

Fall Flowers

Happy Halloween...

Phoney Pumpkins

Fabulous Fence...

Autumnal Arrangement

Oh, Canada!

Come into my parlour....

2010-10-14T21:58:00.002-04:00

Doth (Daughter of the House) and I were just heading out for a walk - and fortunately she saw this before I did, otherwise we both might have been 'captured.'

...has to be the biggest spider web I've ever seen...

..hanging between the car and the wall of the house...

And perhaps the biggest spider - although I didn't stick around long enough, or get close enough, to see :}

(this was taken with the zoom)

Since this is MY car he/she (do we know which one makes webs, or do they both?) has chosen as an ambush, I was dearly hoping that by the time we returned from our walk it -- web and spider -- would be gone. Not that I have arachnophobia, but it is a bit creepy.

I took my camera on the walk with me but for the most part it's a little too early for pretty fall photos.

But this tree is way ahead of most:

Oh, the joys of 'fall' ! And look how many leaves there are left to fall!

And, speaking of 'fall'ing -- that's one thing we hope these trees will never do.

You can see how tall they are in comparison to the houses below. Our lawn is in the foreground.

When we have strong winds these trees really sway -- and I really pray!

Back home after our walk and itsy bitsy (not!) spider has gone and its web was in shreds - it was quite windy that day, or perhaps a sparrow flew through it.

But, lo and behold, another huge one - this time...

...between the shed and the house.

Surely it couldn't have been made by the same spider in the short time we were gone -- must have been there all along, and we didn't notice it, just a few feet away from the car.

I must confess that I am in awe of the design and the incredible result of a spider's creation - can't imagine how long it could have taken to make this one.

Okay, so I just googled 'spider' and now I understand why I don't like them. The first sentence reads:

Spiders (Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom.

And it doesn't get any better from there. By the time I got down to Courtship and Reproduction, I was pretty grossed out, as the kids say.

I would imagine that since the females eat the males, they must be the ones who spin the webs -- ah, yes, now I remember, it was Charlotte's Web!

In case you flunked biology in school too, you can read all about spiders here

Me? I'm off to bed soon, and I am taking a good book with me, to help rid my mind (and my dreams) of air-breathing, venom-injecting, husband-killing, baby-stealing arthropods.

WHAT IS IT? #2

2010-10-05T21:52:00.001-04:00

Seems I just can't find the time to write a decent post these, days - so I have opted for another scintillating..

"What Is It?"

First the clue -- this item immediately reminded me of some words in a famous Bette Midler song; the words actually, partially, describe what this item is used for:

Sorry, it's a little out of focus, but I think you'll get the picture quite clearly.

Now is the time for all you lurkers to come out of hiding and take a guess!

The answer will come in a few days.

Answer

2010-09-28T07:51:00.001-04:00

Well, my whole host of visitors and lurkers were unable to guess this...I'm surprised.

It is one of my most favourite garage sale (car boot sale, for Snafu) acquisitions.

I bought it last month, brand new still in its wrapping, for one dollar.

It hails from the 1970s, although there are updated versions around.

It has been a tremendous aide to my morning routine

It is......

Hot Rollers! Only, the travelling kind....

Comes in a nice travelling case

The rollers are placed on the metal posts (it's electric) and they take two minutes to heat up.

Then you roll them in your hair, using special clips (forgot to take a photo of them, but you get the picture!)

-- for someone like me with frizzy hair, it's a boon, because they take all the frizzes out.

(I know Snafu doesn't have that problem, but he might be impressed with the invention!)

I guess I will need to make my "what is it" a little easier next time - but thanks for trying!

WHAT IS IT?

2010-09-22T22:13:00.002-04:00

Hoping some of my 'lurkers' will actually come out of hiding and join the fun, by commenting their answer to this.

I will try to post a new picture every week.

There are no prizes for the correct guess -- except perhaps a boost to your ego!

This week's picture and clues:

Makes travelling easier

...just in case!

**adding another clue**

It's a hot topic

I'll post the answer in a few days.

Meandering Trails

2010-09-19T21:13:00.002-04:00

Autumn seemed to come suddenly this year.

Daytime temps haven't been too bad, but it gets quite cold at night, and our 50 year-old house is not very well insulated. It seems craziness to turn on the furnace in the middle of September, but the portable electric heater has been out for at least a week, and has seen good use.

So when the temps went up today, we had to take advantage of the sunshine.

After church and lunch we headed to a nature trail recommended to us.

We are blessed that even though we live in the city,

we don't have to go too far to find some country.

This trail is just 10 minutes away by car and has convenient parking.

Called Colonel Danforth Trail, named after a road builder from the 1700s, it is -- well I can't say it's untouched by civilisation as there are plenty of marks left by civilisation -- and it is certainly not particularly well maintained. But it is a pleasant change from manicured gardens.

It was a little adventure for DOTH and I to explore the meandering pathways which run alongside Highland Creek.

But first....I always manage to find at least one unusual tree.

The park was quite deserted, but we did see a young man fishing round about here, who looked up at us and said, "You just missed it!"

I asked him what we missed and he said, "I just landed a 10-12 lb salmon, but I threw him back in. I don't eat any fish from Lake Ontario -- I go up north to get the ones for eating."

We looked for salmon as we walked along the creek - the water was quite clear in most places - and we sure didn't see any salmon. I think he was pulling our legs.

Lots of trees down everywhere

Junk in the water

But pretty little spots, too

We made a new little friend along the way...

So cute!! and her mistress was quite chatty...

she told us (we think - because she had a strong German accent) that she (the dog) is a is 16 year old

part Bichon, part poodle - does that make sense?

So, in human years, the dog is 112, and her mistress looked to be at least in her 70s, and when they set off again, we couldn't keep up with them -- pretty sprightly!

This is an interesting photo -- hard to tell where land meets water.

A few more photos...

We had a lovely walk and then decided, because we hadn't seen any birds, that on our way home we should stop off at a little conservation area down by the lake...

Not many birds there, either -- swan, heron and seagull was the best we could do.

But the heron was interesting to watch..

Looks like he's on a conveyer belt on top of the water!

And then it was time to go home -- a lovely, refreshing afternoon.

Back to the grindstone tomorrow -- six weeks left till the first deadline!

Mary Margaret, and Jonah

2010-09-17T21:18:00.001-04:00

You gotta love this little story-teller!

(she's worth listening to, right to the end!)

Miau, Miau

2010-09-02T09:08:00.002-04:00

This is for my sister, and cat lovers everywhere...

Of Kids and Star Wars and Noah's Ark

2010-08-19T22:34:00.004-04:00

DOTH (Daughter Of The House) and I had the great privilege recently of babysitting for SOOTH (Son Out Of The House)

I mean it when I said it was a privilege. We have a family that seems to be getting larger by the minute and we enjoy them all.

They've just moved into a new house, so knowing that their computers are the 'main' toy, and that other toys were probably not unpacked yet -- and we don't allow hours on the computer when we are around -- we stopped off at a garage sale on the way and picked up Scategories and a couple of other games.

There was something we had to get used to first, though; some unexpected new additions to our family...

Something from Stars Wars, I think... Yoda?

No, it's Reginald.

Well, there are two of them and I can never get the names straight, but I think this one is Reginald.

I'll show you Frederick in a minute - he doesn't show his face in the daytime.

They are called Sphynx cats.

So, there I am, working on my lap top, and Reginald jumps onto my lap. I am allergic to cats,

but, the good news is -- no fur, no dandruff. No dandruff, no sneezing, asthma or watery eyes.

The bad news is -- what do you stroke, when they are sitting on your lap...

...looking longingly into your eyes? No fur!

But he liked it! You should have heard those purrs (louder, since they are not muffled by fur).

He could well have settled in for the day, but - sorry - I had work to do. He was quite miffed to be sent

packing....

...decided to go fly-catching instead.

"Why won't that dang fly stay still...?"

"...he's just too quick for me."

Meanwhile, sleeping in late, upstairs..

DOTH and Frederick

Do not tell DOTH I posted this picture...I will be homeless - may have to go and live with SOOTH and family, and Frederick and Reginald. You should try putting your feet on a cold, clammy, furless Sphynx in the middle of the night -- well, maybe some of you do have an equivalent.

On a lighter note, when Frederick finally forced her out of bed, DOTH had great fun with GOTH (girl of the house).

They gathered all GOTH's stuffed animals and headed down to the pool

Played teacher for a while. Wonder which language they spoke - moo, baa, woof, gribbit...?

Perhaps it was an ESL class.

Then they all lined up for the ark:

I think even God might have been bit confused by this two-by-two configuration.

Some were coming, some were going, none of them were matched mates.

No wonder Noah was driven to drink.

Warm enough now for a dip in the pool...

...the turtle looks a little miffed about missing the ark - but maybe it was all for the best.

Still, he's not looking too happy about that water gun being primed for use, either.

Well, time to move to safer waters...

We had lots of fun with Scategories, and then it was time for the talent show.

This is DOTH's "escalator trick"

Unfortunately, no more to show you --

it all went downhill from there...|_