Sylvia's Simple Shots

I went looking for pelicans at Beaumaris Lake but found none.

I found other waterfowl.  Here's a Red Necked Grebe with it's mournful call.  There were several pairs on the water. Did not see any nests yet.

The apple trees were all in bloom as well as the cherry trees with their deep pink blossoms.

Great walk around the lake.

American Coots vying for territory.

There was a look of splashing, posturing, and charging going on.

As you can see in this shot the water was being churned and the flapping wings of the retreating male was he headed across the water.

There were several pairs of these waterfowl on the water.

If You Believe by Kristin Hannah.  This is about the 3rd or fourth book I've read from this author.

Mariah Throckmorton lives with her father Rass on a farm with an apple orchard. They grow apples and the harvest is a source of income for them.  Her mother passed away recently and they both miss her terribly.  Rass has posted a help wanted ad at the general store in town.

Mad Dog Stone has been wandering from place to place for many years. He takes odd jobs to earn money for the few necessities.  He answers the ad and appears at the farm.  Mariah runs the house and farm by rigid rules and with Rass getting older sees that hiring Mr. Stone makes sense. 

Mr. Stone and Mariah dance around each other for a while.  Pushing and pulling for who is in control. She should lighten up a bit and he should apply himself a little more. A young boy appears at the farm which Rass employs as his assistant for categorizing and organizing his archaeological finds. 

These three characters become a family under difficult circumstances.

After a lot of negotiations I have finally had my offer accepted for a new place to live in a small town east of the city.

Now the work begins in earnest.   Packing, moving utilities, renovations before moving in, and cleaning this place before I leave.

Working on contractors for painting, flooring and some plumbing to be completed before possession.

A walk to the Community Garden and Paul Kane Park this week.

The lilacs are in bloom and it strikes me as a bit early.

Their scent is lovely.

Pretty flowers.

Orhan's Inheritance by Aline Ohansesian is a book I finished this week. It is a historical novel. 

It has 2 story lines one in the 1915 and one in 1990's.  The first is set in the Armenian and Turkey war. The peaceful relationship between these 2 countries breaks down and many innocent people are killed and many endure great suffering. This tears lives apart.

In the 1990's Orhan's grandfather, Kemal, dies and leaves the family home to a woman no one knows. She lives in the USA and who is she?  Orhan travels far to find a ninety plus year old lady living in nursing home.  She had been a young Armenian girl during the war. She suffered great losses and Fatma has saved her life. 

The book has some surprises, the truth comes to light and the relationships are not what they seem.  Great read. 

My sister and brother-in-law dropped by for lunch while they were in town visiting my other sister and her husband who has been pretty sick. We always have pick up an drop off items when we connect.  

They picked up Wendy's on their way over. The linens had been sorted through that morning and the tablecloth had been set aside for packing. I sent a red tablecloth to my niece.It may the last time they visit at this place.

An Unfinished Life is a 2005 film based on the Mark Spragg novel of the same name. The film stars Robert Redford, Jennifer Lopez, and Morgan Freeman. It is the story of a gruff Wyoming rancher (Redford) who must reconcile his relationship with his struggling daughter-in-law (Lopez) and previously unknown-to-him granddaughter, after they show up unexpectedly at his ranch and ask to stay with him and his disabled best friend and neighbor (Freeman).

Sylvia's Simple Shots

I think of June as lilac month. 

I brought some into my place for the beautiful scent and wonderful color.

This hand painted vase works well with these blooms with similar coloring.

I finished this book this week. It holds 4 modern romance stories.

Gift of Love by 4 different authors. 

The short stories vary from young love to romance with older folks.  City and country settings are featured.  I enjoyed the stories despite that they were pretty predictable.  They were tastefully written with Christian values which I appreciated.

I came across this cool idea this week.

To add a nice scent to your bathroom by just placing a few drops of your favorite essential oil on the inside of the roll.  Every time you pull the roll the scent will be released.

I used my Bergamot & Grapefruit oil which I am enjoying everyday instead of having it sit on a shelf.

Great idea.

I found these Mikasa Crystal Tea Bag Holders this week at the thrift store.  I could not resist as they were on half price. 

I have several tea bag holders so I will have to do some culling. I have too much tea related stuff such as cups, mugs, tea pots, etc. There will be a culling soon.  

I got my 2nd COVID Vaccine shot this week!  Feeling better about this whole thing.
 

I went for a photo shoot with my aunt this week.  We tried a new wetland in hopes of it being a little less busy than the big ones.

We met at 8:00 am which was late for me and early for her. 

It took us about 45 minutes to walk around the 2 ponds.  There were many types of ducks and water fowl.  There are places where it was difficult to get close to the water.  Also, the early morning light was not great because it was in our faces when we were close to the water so an early evening visit may be better.

The number of people was low but I'm not sure that would be the case later in the day. 

This is a female Redhead Duck.  It was a very pleasant hour with social distancing and masks. 

I found a few pink flowers this week for my mosaic.  Gerber daisies and geraniums.  I am so grateful to those who plant flowers in their from gardens for others to enjoy!
 

 

The challenge at Flickr Macro Monday this week was Board Game Pieces.  Of course that leads to a great variety of options.  I was surprised at how many themed Monopoly Games have been produced. 

One of the shots I took for this challenge is chess pieces - you can check my Flickr Photostream (SMDPics) for the shot I submitted.

I am sharing with Angie who hosts Mosaic Monday #134 and

Mersad who hosts Through My Lens #292

Afternoon Tea

I gathered a few lilacs this morning in a couple of shades.  They are the small variety which bloomed a little later.  I put them into a hand painted glass vase with purple flowers.  I placed it onto a white Battenburg lace doily.

 

 

I made some Scottish Oat Scones yesterday.  I bought the dried currants especially to make this recipe.  I did not realize that dried currants are quite hard.  I baked the large scone on a stone which worked really well.  This recipe is from the Company's Company recipe book.    I placed a few triangles on a clear glass plate.

 

I made a cup of Blackberry Currant tea.  I served in a clear glass tea cup with matching saucer.  I added butter to my scone.  

 

The table is dressed with a white table cloth, topped with a lace and then a white linen table runner.

 

Sharing with 

Bernideen's Tea Time

Mosaic Monday - Apple Blossoms

I appreciate so much the time to go take a walk and shoot a few photos while I am out in nature!
This week it was lilacs and they smell so wonderful. A pink one and a very blue one. Apple blossoms in a couple of colors.  A beautiful yellow tulip poppy with the unopened heads glowing in the background.  The robin on a wire.  It was keeping an eye on me but it's not a bad shot.

Submitting this to Mosaic Monday with Judith at Lavender Cottage.