5 days and counting ...

bah! I keep telling myself that this is not that big a deal! Why is 50 so much more of an event that 40 or 25 or 18? Anyway, in my family 42 is a milestone...is that enough of the self-wallow?

Hey, I never said any of what I would be posting would make any sense...this is mostly just the unfiltered ramblings of my internal dialogue!

So ... onward! We left off last night on July 6th ... let's see how far I get tonight!?

Yes, this photo is right-side up ... and I love it!

It was really hot ... it looked like the plants were sweating!

Froggy in the garden!

There's actually a story that goes with this next one:

So, it's Saturday morning. The fence guys arrive to work on the fence. Andy has the girls out for a run and they go down to the field (which is by then quite progressed in the sprouting of soy beans!) In Dora's little mind, if she comes back up 'the hill' to see daddy, she will have to go inside. OK, for once her thinking was correct -- but what matters is, she didn't even come up to see me when I went outside (and she usually does...usually...and yes, I realized that I made that about me!!) Anyway, I decide to go talk to my neighbour, Buffy comes up, Dora comes up. I keep talking...you guessed it...Ddog goes back down the hill, and this time there is absolutely no budging here, she wants PLAYTIME! So, I pull my last trick out of my sleeve...and walk over towards the pond, and the 'easier' way down the hill. Dora (as predicted) met me at the bottom of the path, and we went up the hill and into the house. Easy-peasy, right?!

Well, don't ya' know, I wasn't in the house long enough to sit down and we hear the fence guys say they can see a coyote ... no TWO coyotes!!! This picture shows where Dora had been lying in relation to where the coyote was walking...oh yeah...and where I was walking!

Mandevilla flower blossom

OK, not nearly as cool as that pic Aydyn took of Amanda with the dragonflies ... but still:

My very own garden moon:
A condo in Mississauga that was inspired by Marilyn Monroe ... I'd want to live on the 'hip' floor ... LOL!

Yup - it's a bug, a cicada to be exact
This is just proof that even a cloudy day can be lots of fun...photographically speaking anyway!

Well kiddies, that's it for tonight. I may get a chance to post a few more tomorrow at some point. After the bday craziness, I'm going to start keeping a notebook when I process. Hopefully, I'll gain a better understanding of what I'm doing, instead of 'hey, this looks neat", "what if I did this?!" and "oops, that didn't work at all, undo, undo, undo"

Until then ... be safe, have fun and sing like there's no one listening!

6 days to go!

Well, it seems that I'm down to 6 days left. Six days before I 'turn 50'...I'm still not sure what that's supposed to mean, aside from saggier boobs and more wrinkles!

Anyway, I've been super busy getting ready for this weekend, but I have managed to take at least one photo every day AND ... I only missed a daily posting (to 365) once!

This blog on the other hand ... well, it's a work in progress!

My intent in doing this was to share my new adventures in photography. I can't believe that I've had my camera for just over 6 weeks ... amazing!

Here are my favourite photos from the first three(ish) weeks ... I'll try and post more of my favs in the next few days:

Buffy telling Dora a secret

My first really awesome depth of field shot

This was the morning I got home from my last midnight shift ... it was very peaceful. It was such a nice morning I can't pick just one:

Hydrangea's at the park

Canada Day at the Carters'...yes there were people there, but I won't post photos of people all 'willy-nilly' like:

Laura tried to set her new stove on fire...succeeded in only scorching the garlic bread!

Why is no one in the pool? Cause it was kinda chilly!

I love this shot!

July 6th, the Queen of Canada (yes, I said that correctly)...unveiled new armorial bearings for the Goverment agency for which I work:

Years of Service

New Badge

... to be continued!

Too much fun ...

... means not so much blogging!

Well, the grand countdown continues ... I am now 18 days away from turning the "big 5-0"! Oddly, I don't feel any older than I did the last time I sat here and blogged about stuff ...

Mr Wonderful and I had a busy weekend:
Friday -- Fence posts are in (daytime) then Mexi's on Friday night - not exactly Weight Watchers friendly, but hey ... once in a while is OK!

Saturday started with Dora playing "catch me if you can" in the field behind our house ... I just got her inside when I heard one of the fence guys say there was a coyote in the field ... one of the others corrected him. There were actually 2 coyotes. Oh, and when I say 'just' ... I mean I didn't have time to sit down before I was back out with my camera!

This is a photo (kinda) of where Dora WAS in relation to the where the coyote was ... I know this, cause she made a dent in the soy beans:


Saturday night we went to the drive-in in Oakville and saw Toy Story 3. I cried.

Sunday was day two for the fence building, followed by a Santana concert on Sunday night! We took the GO train to exhibition station. I think I like crowds even less than Andy realizes. And OMG, I wish someone would make it mandatory for women to wear a bra in public!!!

Needless to say ... I was tired on Monday morning, even though we left early!

Finished fence ...



So, here without too much more delay are some of my favourite pics from the last week:


Dora rolling on the grass...she makes the best faces when she does this:



...and then a good shake afterwards!



Froggy ... alas, was not long for this world ... the day after I rescued him and put him in with the flowers, I found him belly up on the front walk. I think a bird got him:



I turned this:



...into this:



Then I turned this:



...into this:



Apparently I'm having too much fun 'processing' my photos ...


...and one last one:

B-Dog

Buffy came to us by way of the Ottawa Humane Society. About 1 minute after leaving the parking lot she pooped in the back of the truck. She may have only pooped in the truck once, but she did introduce us to a new (long-term) concept in doggy ownership: counter-surfing!

We never knew what we were going to come home to find (mostly chewed up): baseboards, shoes (also only once), photographs (esp. of "daddy" with Dora!), ice cube trays, potatoes...Diet Coke cans (empty thank goodness!). Once she ate an entire avocado...but she left the peel/rind...all over the floor. Oh, and the pit...she left that on the floor as well!

The list went on, and on, and on. My work friends would ask me "any new Buffy stories today?" I would just sigh and say "how much time do you have?" I used to say "you wan' her" to anyone who said what a great dog she was...then one day someone said "really, sure"...and I said. "No, I was just joking"

I haven't joked about giving her away since.

That was almost 3 years ago and since then, Buff has turned in to the best dog ever. Now, if only we could 'cure' the counter-surfing!

Serious Buffy


Laughing Buffy


I wanna hold your hand Buffy

Dora's B-day

... and we're getting a fence!

Not much time tonight ... just getting back into the work-a-day swing of things after a few days off.

Today Dora turns 5 ... if I had known what a sweet little dog she was going to grow into, I probably would have warmed up to her a whole lot sooner...as it was, it took a while (and a misadventure with some wild mushrooms).


As for that fence I spoke of ... we have a really neat insert in the gate (insert 'artsy' photo here):


Unfortunately, we'll lose the nice view of what I refer to as 'the back forty':


... but we'll also lose the crap-tastic view of all the crap our neighbours dump beside us:


Of course, I'm also looking forward to planting the newest member of my flowery family, a red mandevilla vine:

So, happy bday Dora! Take it easy so we can play 'ball' again soon!

Blast off!

Or something like that.

While some choose to go quietly into the night, I'll take a different approach. In 29 days I turn 50 and I think I'm actually looking forward to it!

I'll probably write more on that later, but for now I'm still trying to wrap my head about going back to work tomorrow.

Although I've only been off for 8 days, I feel like it's been a month! I guess that's good -- I feel rested, but I was busy just about every day. I still have a bunch of stuff to do, like laundry, watering the garden, and more laundry (yup - I was off for more than a week and didn't do ANY laundry!)

Having taken on a photographic 365 project and starting this side venture in self-published blather is both time consuming, and good for the soul. I sometimes think of it as cathartic, and other times as self-indulgent ... either way ... I DON'T CARE ... I'm turning 50 and if I want to be cathartic and self-indulgent ... then that's exactly what I'll be!

Aside from getting a new car, and a new camera, my sisters are coming for a visit and I think my hubby is making a cake (or at least plans for a cake)!!

While I promise not to get used to this kind of treatment...it is a bit of a novelty to actually have plans for my Bday!

Centre Island

Well, Andy and I decided to get off of our butts and finally go for a visit to Centre Island. For those that don't know, or for those who may be geographically challenged, this is one of the islands in Toronto Harbour on Lake Ontario.

Anyway, we decided to go later in the day and stay for the fireworks that were part of a tall ship festival. I thought "great two birds, one stone" ... "good photo-ops all round" ... that kinda stuff, cause that's what I'm all about right now.

Since we were leaving later, I took the girls for a walk and Andy went for a nap. The plan was to leave at 6pm, but we left at 7! By the time we had dinner, drove into the city, parked and got to the ferry (fight against the crowds that just got off of one!)...sigh, it was after 8:30, and the light was fading.

But I still managed a few shots :-)



In order -- a flag from one of the tall ships, a Canada goose and a requisite shot of the CN Tower.

Oh, almost forgot ... we just missed the ferry to "Centre Island", but the ferry to "Hanlan's Point" was still there ... one of the 'regulars' said, "oh, it's a nice walk to the Centre Island dock...and you have a camera, you'll love it. It'll take maybe 35 or 40 minutes."

So, throwing caution to the wind (and forgetting that my leg will cramp up before I actually get tired!) we decided to take the Hanlan's Point ferry. This is the ferry that takes you to the back side of Billy Bishop Airport.

The walk took a bit longer than 40 minutes, but considering that I walk slower than some, I think we did OK. The funny thing, is that the fireworks would have been easier to see from Hanlan's Point! Too funny! Ironically, the best view of the Toronto skyline after dark is from the Centre Island Dock.

This gave me, my best picture of the day:


Of course, some of the ones that didn't make it are interesting as well ... I especially like this one because it reminds me of an abstract(ish) painting:


Well that's about it for now, thanks for stopping by!

I think I'm sick of FB!!!

A friend (both real and virtual) reminded me today that FB claims anything posted on it's site as their own, with full rights grant them:

"... a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide license to use any IP content that you post on or in connection with Facebook ("IP License"). This IP License ends when you delete your IP content or your account unless your content has been shared with others, and they have not deleted it."

This includes: rants, poems, rambles, all the OMG!s a teenager can type - and - photographs. (See Article 2 of the terms of service.) I now remember that this is the reason why I pulled all of my photos off of that service a while ago. That said, I just received a new camera (thanks for the B-Day prezzie sweetie!) and I started a 365 project!

For those of you who don't know, this is something that you do at least once a day, every day, for a whole year. Some people learn to macrame, some cook a new recipe from Julia Child cookbooks, me - I followed the lead of a number of friends and family. For my own 365 Project, I have decided to complete my project in pictures that I will personally take. Now, for the past two (plus) weeks I was posting on FB! Needless to say, I won't be doing that any more!

This is a hobby that I had put aside a long time ago thinking "when I retire I'll go back to it" ... but that was really just an excuse. I got my new camera on June 13, 2010
I also started a 365 project on a site devoted to fellow photo-philes (like an audiophile only for music!) Don't get me wrong...I don't think that every photo I take is a work of art or something that's worthy of someone else (FB) impinging on my copyright. I do think that FB should at least have the courtesy to say: "Hey, nice pic, we'll be using that for a day or so!!!"

End of rant!

So, from now on I'll be posting my 365 here. The first 18 photos are in an album but I don't know how to link that yet, but when I figure out how I'll have it up as soon as possible.

For now, here is photo 19:

I truly believe that sometimes life is perfect. I stopped on my way home from an afternoon of retail therapy with my SIL. I was hoping to get a shot of the local windmill in action, instead...I found a pair of local insects...in action!