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.

Sylvia's Simple Shots

I have finally been out with the camera a lot capturing nature in the form of flowers, birds and mammals.

I took a long walk around all three ponds at the Heritage Hills Wetlands this week.  I was up around 6am so seeing people was limited.

The rising sun lit the beautiful House Finch perfectly!

As you can see the leaves are growing like mad making spotting the birds just a little bit harder.

 

 

 

 

I finished this book this week - Beneath a Burning Sky by Jenny Ashcroft.  This book is based in British occupied Egypt in 1890. Two sisters, Clara and Olivia lost their parents as young children and then they were separated by their grandmother. 

Clara lives in Egypt and now Olivia is traveling there to marry a man she does not love but grandmother has arranged.

As the sisters get reacquainted, Olivia finds out who her new husband really is and how he treats her badly.  The boarder in her husband's house is a military officer.  He shows her compassion, friendship and protection.   The end is heart wrenching but also justice is served. 

This morning I was up with the birds and walking the John Poole Wetlands at the Lois Hole Provincial Park before 6:00 am.  I strolled the board walk as the sun rose and things got brighter.

I found the Barn Swallows flitting around and sitting on bulrushes near their nests which are located below the board walk. 

There were many pairs around.   I love the colors of navy and warm tones breast of these birds.

 

 

Of course, we can always count on the Mallard Ducks to be near all of the ponds in the area.

Love the reflections in this calm water and the curly feathers on it's rump.

In the duck family, the Mallard is one of the larger ones.  I saw a Mallard and a Bufflehead this morning and the size difference is significant.

 

 

I chose blue/purple flowers for my mosaic this week. 

The Pasque Flower in purple then the blue Grape Hyacinth and the lavender of Baby's Breath.

I was facing the opposite direction when this little fellow swam up, pulled a grass clump from the shore and walked back to the water and started washing his breakfast.

He is a muskrat and I did see his skinny tail.

The Flickr Macro Monday challenge this week is Orange.  

It provides a ton of subject matter in this challenge.

You can check my Flickr Photo Stream (SMDPics)  to see the image I submitted.

I am sharing with Angie who hosts Mosaic Monday #133 and Mersad who hosts Through My Lens #291.     Have a great week!

Cards to the Gallery

A beautiful piece of decorative paper in blues and purples.  This is alcohol paper designed a while back.

I mounted it to a dusty grey card. 

I used a Martha Stewart butterfly punchie in grape in the top left hand corner.  I used a marker to highlight the body.

I layered the band at the bottom of the card with a please of light blue then a piece of the same decorative paper.

The french greeting is a birthday one.  It was color printed in lavendar and punched with the Stampin Up Artisan Label punch.


I have included a few photo cards as well because I have sold a few based on inventory I did last month.

A beautiful Barn Swallow!

Gorgeous Sunflower!













This is my Sunlit Rose.


This makes a great guy card.  This is a close up of a stainless steel book end that I found at the Antique Mall.


I think this photo of the Bridge at the Japanese Garden would make a great sympathy card.

I'm starting to think November and December so I have included the Red Poppy and this red berries with beautiful leaf would do Christmas.

These are headed to the Gallery Gift Shop today.

Mini Show - Photos to Gallery

I'm dropping off my framed photos to the gallery today for the Miniatures Show which starts on December 1st. The art pieces must be 10 x 10 or smaller which provides customers the opportunity to purchase art at a smaller price point for the Christmas season.

I added my signature with a black Pigma Micro archival marker.

I chose this beech wood 10x10 inch frame with a white mat for my Wilson's Snipe photo which compliments the it nicely.

I chose a matte silver frame in 6 x 8 inches for this Barn Swallow photo.  He was keeping a keen eye on me when I visited the Ellis Blue Bird farm.  

A beautiful pink tulip taken at the Conservatory. I chose an 8x10 silver frame with a white mat.

This photo features a Greater Scaup which is a medium sized duck which was taken at Elk Island Park earlier this year.

I chose a 7x7 inch matte black metal frame with a generous white mat.  The black frame complements the black in the duck very nicely.

This red poppy is framed in a gun metal metal frame with a greenish granite mat.

This sunflower was placed with a medium blue mat into a 8x10 inch matte navy metal frame.

The reception will take place on Friday, December 1st!

Art Exchange Submission - Barn Swallow

The gallery is holding a Miniatures show starting December 01, 2017.  Part of the show is an exchange with artists in Winnipeg.  We are sending fifteen pieces.

I chose my barn swallow photo printed in 5x7 inches. It was mounted on a white card.  I signed it with a black marker in the left bottom corner.  I added a navy mat.  It was framed in a matte silver metal frame with glass.

I am looking forward to what the Winnipeg artists are sending our way.