Monday, December 31, 2012

Happy New Year


For every darkness there is a glimmer of light.

The trick is to find it...


In ourselves, in others, in the world.


Find it first in yourself and give it away.
In this fashion we can light the way for each other.




Mother Nature has lit these seed heads,
making them shimmer like fireworks in a midnight sky.

Thank you to all my blogging friends.
You make my world so much brighter.
I wish you all a Happy New Year!

Friday, December 28, 2012

Time to Hide


Winter came to visit our province in full force yesterday.
The snow swirled, blasted, and climbed everything in its path.
By the end of the day the snowfall had reached a new record...
45 centimetres in 24 hours!

Being a family of six, we took the clearing of the driveway and walkways in shifts.  By the end of the day not one of us could lift more than a log for the fireplace, where we gathered to rest our sore muscles. 


This is the view outside of the same kitchen window.
A good day to hide and stay inside!

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Happy Holidays


Have yourself a merry little Christmas,
Let your heart be light.


From now on,
Our troubles will be out of sight.


Have yourself a merry little Christmas now!








From the song: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Written by: Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane


Friday, December 21, 2012

The Journey


They say a journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step...


Followed by another


and many more.






Wednesday, December 19, 2012

A Moment in Time


If you had the chance to freeze time,


To stand still


And soak everything in,


Which moment would you choose?


Nature's chosen this moment.
Water from the birdbath, halted mid-flow.


Air, colour, motion; frozen in time,
 

Bubbling with life.


Stopped in time, it's amazing to behold.
Or is it amazing now that I've stopped to look?



Make each moment sparkle.



Monday, December 17, 2012

The Darkest of Times


Despite the cold, grey, gloom,


light finds a way


to illuminate


that which remains 


open.


Friday, December 14, 2012

Bored?

Bored: Feeling weary because one is unoccupied
or lacks interest in one's current activity.

Nature seems determined that I shall never be bored.

I went for a walk around my favourite park yesterday, you can see how the surface of the water is frozen except where an underwater mechanism keeps the current moving.

It looks like a frozen desert.


I thought the ducks had left for the winter, but I was wrong.


And here is my big surprise - a heron!
I don't know if I would have seen it because I didn't have my glasses on (I'm near-sighted.)  Luckily I was walking with my son (with his young, sharp eyes) and he spotted it right away.

I didn't have my camera with me (darn it) but did the best I could,
taking these pictures with my iPhone.


It stretched out its neck when it heard our voices
and after a while, flew into the reeds nearby.

I couldn't decide whether it was trying to hide or coming closer to see us.


My son and I stayed for a while to watch it and talk to it.


This was the view waiting for us in the parking lot.


Wow!
All this in a simple, thirty-minute walk around a park.
Bored?
Not a chance!

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Yellow Brick Road


In the movie The Wizard of Oz,
the yellow brick road represents the way to success and happiness.

Above, is the larch tree from my previous post on November 26.

It has dropped its needles since my last visit,
creating a yellow brick road that leads to a beautiful view at the top of the hill.

But really, it has made the road itself,
the journey, beautiful.


Today my golden path is lit by red torches
thanks to the dried fruit of the Staghorn Sumac.
So gorgeous against the yellow backdrop!

In the past, sumac was used in the tanning of hides, to make black ink, as a substance to be smoked and to make a drink rich in vitamin C.

On a funny note, one hot day when my sister and I were younger, we saw these ruby red fruits and decided they must taste as juicy and sweet as they looked - what a mistake!

It was the equivalent of eating pine cones, but at least they weren't poisonous and apparently we got a good dose of vitamin C that day :)


As I stopped to take these photos I was passed by a man intent on exercising his way up the hill.  His eyes stayed focused on the ground, music pumping into his ears, heavy weights in his hands.

I was quick to judge him as someone who was missing the point to being in such a beautiful place.  But if he didn't care about the park, why would he choose to come here for his walk?

Nature inspires each of us differently.
Maybe this is his yellow brick road to good health :) 




My yellow brick road disappeared this week under a thin coating of snow.  The torches however will continue to burn, lighting the way up the hill
the whole winter long. 




Monday, December 10, 2012

Home Sweet Home


Squirrels create their nests from the forests in which they live.
Leaves, twigs and grass are woven and packed into impenetrable spheres. 

Their rustic, leafy homes dot the sky like distant planets.


Some nests are built in close proximity to their neighbours.


Others appear to be barricaded: 


Do Not Enter!

Some dangle precariously at the end of a branch,
a testament to the agility of the builder.


This home, most probably a wasp or hornet's nest,
although different from the ones above,


captures what I believe:


Home is where the heart is :)



Friday, December 7, 2012

Blogs and Gifts

Since December is the month for gifts,
it's only fair that blogs receive gifts as well!



I was nominated for the Liebster Award twice this month
by two wonderful blogger friends I have met this year.

First by Lucia who is from Poland: Lucia's Blog
Second by Ash who is from Kuala Lumpur,  Malaysia : Ash's Blog

The Liebster Award is given to bloggers by bloggers as a way of spreading the word, friendship, a sense of community and most importantly...  Some Love!


To accept the award I am supposed to post 11 random facts about myself, answer 11 questions posed by the person who nominated me and nominate 11 other blogs with 200 (or less) followers.

So here in random order are 11 "things about me"

1.Favourite day of the week: Friday
Although I have no idea why...
Being a parent is a 365 day a year job.


2. First thing I notice in people:
  Their eyes

      3. My mind is a night owl
       but my body is not.












5. Favourite animal: Horse
4. I am addicted to: Elephant jokes





6. I detest: Liars and cheats (although the true/false answer below makes me laugh :)


7. I consider myself: A natural born Leader, which can sometimes be misconstrued as bossy...





8. I love: Dark, spooky pictures, they make me itch to write a chilling tale...



9. I feel a sense of magic when: Little creatures grace me with their presence



10, 11 and 12.
Things I love that I inherited
from my Mother:

Here I am with my two wonderful sons :)
* The wrinkles I get on my forehead when I raise my eyebrows
* My smile
* My love of nature and especially flowers



But enough about me...
I discover wonderful new blogs every day.  Here are some of my favourites:

Irma at : Irma's Natuurbeleving
Marco at: Marco Alpha Fotografie
Giga at: My Piece of Nature and Adventure
Linda at: The View From Squirrel Ridge
Outlaw Gardener at: The Outlaw Gardener
Willy at : Demooienatuur
Gary at: A Day In The Life
Noushka at : 1000 Pattes
Dany at: Love for Food and Photography
Marian at: Flowers and Home
Rick at: All Nature Sings




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