Recent Photos

It was "spring forward" because of Daylight Savings Time this weekend.

I went to visit Mom and Dad as we are finally having decent temperatures and the traveling was good.  I had postponed the visit 3 times because the temps were in the -25C or worse for the last few weeks.

I captured some of the sparkle in the snow along the highway.  I was able to stop because it was near 0C which was very pleasant.

I loved the shadows I saw yesterday.  I have managed a few in this shot as well.















I finished this book.  It was story about Novalee, a pregnant 17 year old abandoned in a town in Oklahoma.

She meets a Sister Thelma Husband, a devout Christian and the welcoming committee for the town. Forney Hull, the man who runs the local library. Novalee seeks out Forney's help in caring for her buckeye tree, a gift from Benny Goodluck.   She be befriended by a photographer which was my favorite connection to Novalee.  The novel has a happy end because Novalee has finally found her native place where her heart is. There, Novalee regains her love and good luck, which she didn’t have all her life.

I attended my aunt's art reception on Friday. She was presenting her latest intuitive art series.

The weather in the morning was very snowy and travelling was not the best.  I pressed on as the roads were not slippery and the temperature was decent.

She really appreciated the support.  I brought healthy muffins and we had a sprinkle of folks drop by all afternoon. I managed the food while she visited with those who came to see the show.

I always enjoy spaghetti but don't want to used canned sauce from the grocery store.

I went on line and found Beef Stroganoff sauce.  It had lean ground beef, onions & garlic, mushrooms and canned tomatoes.

The sauce was made with white sauce, the tomato juice from the canned tomatoes, and of course sour cream.

I managed to freeze 5 containers to I can have this sauce a few more times.  Loved it!

I finally have all the plumbing jobs done in my place.

The kitchen sink drain has been cleaned to ensure no back flow of soapy water in the sink. That was Jan 24th.  It has been 6 weeks of making calls, waiting for response, more communication, water shutdowns, and plumbers from 2 different companies. 

This is the new sink, taps and aerator installed in the bathroom.  It is nice and shiny.  It was no dings in it and the best part is the underneath is no longer rusting and making a constant mess under the sink.

I have reorganized the storage under the sink as well so things are not just dumped in there.

With refurbished bathtub taps as well it is feeling like a new bathroom. No dripping taps, no mess, great storage all is good in there.

This is my Flickr Macro Monday submission for this week.  You can check out my Flickr photo stream here. 



 





I created the mosaic from great sunny shadow snow shots from Sunday.

Sharing at Mosaic Monday #18 hosted by Angie at Letting Go of the Bay Leaf.


Also sharing with Through My Lens 182 hosted by Mersad Donko.

Recent Photos

My aunt and I visited the Art Gallery in August.  She is a painter so The James Morrice exhibit was the original draw.  A Canadian painter who spent a lot of time in France and painted in the early 1900s.

I loved the Hubert Hohn photography exhibit of doors of Edmonton homes taken in 1974.  What a great idea.

Samantha Walrod was in residence creating an eight foot collage.  Using paint, paper and other material.  My aunt especially liked this one with the chance to speak to the artist.

The Li Salay exhibit of Metis Artists was filled with many 3D pieces. I really did not connect with this exhibit.

A friend and I went to see this movie on August 23rd. It was wonderful.

How the animals help Christopher rediscover what is important in life.

We have found a theatre with great seats so we have lots of room which makes the experience very nice.

I made several more jars of Chutney this week.

Apple Plum Ginger

Peach Ginger

I tried carrots with the last of the blue plums with ginger.  We will see if that works or not in while when I open the jars.

 

I planted a row of flowers in a friend`s garden this year.  I wanted a few cut flowers for my table this summer.

I planted late so it took a while to actually get any.  I have picked 2 times.  Here`s one of the best I collected.

I am testing out a new background paper.  I love how I got just a few bokeh spots with this handmade paper sheet.

These yellow flowers are called Calendula. They were quite unspectacular when I picked them.

But a couple of days later they just opened up and looked wonderful.  I love them bright against this dark background.

I love the color of these flowers.  The smaller one is more orange than the large yellow ones.  My mom planted these all the time in her garden.

Sharing with Share Your Cup 305 hosted by Jann at Daily Cup with Mrs. Olson.

Share Your Cup - Visit to Conservatory

I visited the Muttart Conservatory the other day.  The feature pyramid was decorated for Canada's 150 Birthday.  I love this maple leaf made up of flowers and rocks.

This red and white dahlia worked really well for the theme of the 150 for Canada.

I loved this heart shaped leaf. 

There was an artwork display around the different buildings.

Ode to the MapleLeaf - Helen Rogers                        Souvenir Heritage Tile - Marjorie Davis

Carol and Richard Selfridge - Wood Fired Canadian Flag Sheild 

The Musician Corner with sculpted heads of famous people.  Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Buffy St. Marie, KD Lang, and Rita McNeil by Ellie Shuster.

Sharing at Share Your Cup #256 with Jann at Daily with Mrs Olson

Recent Snapshots

It was glorious on my walk this morning.  The weather was great and some folks were headed back to work.

This is a nice plant taken at the Legislative Grounds this morning.   It sat in most shade from this large tree.  The blooms are darker in shade but a few are highlighted with a bit of sun.  My research leads me to believe it is Salvia Nemorosa.

The out of focus pebble concrete makes a nice neutral background.




It was Canada's 150 birthday on Saturday.  There was much to take in for the milestone celebration.  I found this small flag in the community garden on my walk that day.

This was a nice find where kids had been drawing in the parking lot with side walk chalk.  A heart, a kite and flowers were great subjects.

The peonies are fabulous this year. I have been able to get quite a few good photos for my calendar next year.

I love the large blooms. They strike me as soft and gentle.  There have been several colors.

I love this image in that it is moody with the dark background with the pale bloom in the center.  Having a bud is a bonus.

The House Sparrows were feeding at the feeder this morning.  This is the male of the species and of course would not cooperate to have his photo taken on the feeder.  Down to the ground to get the seeds which have been ejected from the feeder.

I managed to get his eye in focus but his beak is moving.  There were quite a few around the feeder this morning with interruptions as folks were headed out of the apartment building on a regular basis.

I should have been out earlier.

I just snapped this light on the back end of a car parked on the street the other day. 

I love yellow and the circle of the light sunk into the cowl for protection looked kind of cool.

This was an art piece that was installed on the weekend.  I first saw it on the weekend but decided to revisit under better weather conditions. 

To my amazement there are photos in some of the cirlces.

This is one of 5 art pieces commissioned for the Canada 150 celebration.

Transect is a glass and stainless steel structure, in the shape of a sphere, punctuated by blue circular glass panels featuring photographs of animal tracks, native plants and times in Alberta’s history.

There is a bit more information here.

Now that I know there are others I will have to direct my feet in that direction on coming mornings.

Sharing with
Through  my Lens 101 hosted by Mersad