Sylvia's Simple Shots

I made a visit to the Lois Hole Provincial Park this week.  The waterfowl was quite absent. For most, the babies are grown and the adults have moved on. 

The Cedar Waxwing was a nice one.  The Barn Swallows were flitting around as usual and there were quite a few.

Still some blackbirds also making their iconic calls. A very peaceful day.

 A Garden to Keepp by Jamie Langston Turner was a good read. 

Elizabeth Landis has recently moved and is finding herself at loose ends. Her son has gone to college and she misses him terribly. Her marriage is on the rocks as she forges new relationships. Her husband leaves the house and is carrying on an affair with someone from the college where is works in the music department.

The book was quite slow at the beginning and I did consider just giving up on it but that is hard for me to do. The poetry references were pretty much lost on me so I just moved on.

Grace, forgiveness, mercy, patience, and Christian values are sprinkled throughout.

I am glad I hung it and the book did redeem its self but it was a bit of a slug.

It's that time of year.  The gardens and fruit trees are producing more than some can manage.

My niece gave me some nice green apples from one of the 2 trees in her yard.  My aunt gave me tomatoes and a garden cucumber. Yummy!  Some zuchinni as well.

I appreciate the fresh produce.  

I had grilled cheese and tomatoe sandwiches a couple of times.  There was zuchinni fried in a pan with parmesan cheese.  

The apples will be in a apple rhubarb crisp.

Distant Shores by Kristin Hannah was another book I finished. Another broken marriage story.  Elizabeth and Jackson Shore live in the north west in a small town.  He works the sports beat in a small market and Elizabeth works on the house.

Jackson is always working on getting back to the big time sports job he lost when he fell from grace after his NFL career.  The time comes that the story that will bring him back to the spot light appears and he pursues it at the cost of all else.  

They are moving to the East Coast for this new job that Jackson has been offered.  Once again, Elizabeth packs up the house and the van arrives to take it all away.  She insisted that they not sell the Echo Bay house and just rent it out.  When she is to take the plane for the east she changes her mind and returns to the west. Putting what she wants ahead of what Jackson wants, which has been the past pattern.

There is a decent ending after each learns a few lessons about setting their marriage as a priority.

The dahlias were headed into their peak condition when I visited early this week.

Gorgeous flowers everywhere in these gardens.

I did have my ankles bitten a lot as I had worn capris.

I had a visit with my aunt after my photo trip.  It was good to connect with family.