Sylvia's Simple Shots

It rained over night so all was wet and dewy this morning on my walk.  I headed to the park and community garden.

I found wet chrysanthemums in this gorgeous shade of purple.

I needed a jacket this morning which I have not worn since May.  The times they are a changing.

I found ducks on the pond at the park.  Mostly Mallards but there was this one that was different.

It is a Greater Scaup female.   I did not see the flashier male version this morning.

A large duck comparable in size to the Mallard.

The smooth head is a characteristic that identifies this one as a Greater than a Lesser Scaup.

Nice find this morning.

The leaves are turning color! This is a Virginia Creeper vine on one of the apartment building on my walk.

It is a perennial vine that stages stunning fall color. Blue fruit adorns the vine in fall.

Some leaves have not decided to change yet so it was nice to see both colors in this vine.

Come Thirsty by Max Lucado.  

Physical thirst is familiar to all of us.  A tall glass of water works wonders to help with the need.

Spiritual thirst is also a life threatening condition. It comes with a quick temper, worry, guilt and fear, hopelessness, resentment, loneliness, insecurity and isolation.

God provides refreshment for dehydrated hearts. Come to the WELL and take a deep drink.

Our spiritual lives need tending just as our physical bodies.  We need to spend time being quiet, hearing the small voice, processing our days, reflecting on our experiences and doing self awareness work.

Great book!

I have been truly blessed this summer and fall to be gifted good food.

This is apples I received from my aunt who picked them at her grandson's acreage.

Beautiful red apples with a red tinged flesh on the inside.  

Here, my snack is a wedge of Brie cheese with a beautiful red apple.

Sylvia's Simple Shots

I took the camera out this morning but the sun rose and quickly disappeared behind a very large cloud bank.  Disappointed!

At the bird feeder I did get this decent photo of a House Sparrow.   I found it interesting that they spend their time on the ground will Chickadees and Nuthatches are at the bird feeder.  I am sure the sparrows are eating seeds spilled from the feeder above.  They will sit on the rail and eat seeds there if someone provides them.

It was so gloomy it was very difficult to get a decent shot.

This is the book that has been on my night stand for the last few weeks.  The Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp.

There is a reading for every day of Advent.  Scripture, thoughts and questions about the subject.  

I have done a bible study on this book in past years.  I have had several of my participants from the past be in touch.  During this time it has been helpful to go over the material we covered together about 5 years ago. 

This was taken Friday when was out and about  delivering  my caramel popcorn bags to the door step of my sisters' houses. I stopped at the wetlands in Summerwood again.  It was pretty cold so I did not stay long.  I got a better shot of the skating rink created on the pond.  The chairs on the sidelines just waiting for a game of shinny to take get started. 

I have not been out much so the fact that the watch stopped working a couple of months ago was no big deal.  

I bought a battery on my big errand day a couple of weeks ago and I decided that it was time to put it in.  I totally forgot how I did it last time so I had to relearn.

I was afraid that I would not be able to close but it was fine.  I always like to have a watch when I am out and about.

 

The challenge at Flickr Macro Monday this week was Holiday Lights.  A few options were candles, tree lights, lit buildings but staying within the 3" limit.  

This one is a tealight taken against the lights on the small tree across the room. I like the focus on the wick. 

You can check out my submission on my Flickr Photostream (SMDPics).

Have a good week!

Sylvia's Simple Shots

I have been laid low with health issues and finally this week my energy is back.

I have gotten very few shots of Blue Jays but last week I got this one.

I was so excited.  He had been foraging on the ground which helped me spot him.  I did get a few shots on the ground but would prefer a tree shot.  

He then accommodated me and sat there for a very short while before he flew off into the wild blue yonder.

I finished this book during my low energy phase.  It is a memoir so a true story.  A woman of the world but struggles with mental health.  When she decides to settle down and have kids she suffers a miscarriage first then has a baby but by then the partner is gone!

She builds a group of people to be her "family".  Her mom and brother are involved but there is the nanny Tita which I believe saved her life.  She became an employee, a partner, and a friend during the critical first 3 years of her baby's life.  There were several others who came in and out of her life at critical points.  She had the capacity to embrace these folks which is wonderful.

Great story of adapting, going with the flow, discernment, hurt, process emotions and just moving forward when you are lost.

This is an afghan I crocheted in the 1970s.  Can you tell?  The oranges, the browns were primary colors in that period. 

Interesting how being sick makes some things clearer.  I have decided that I would like a more "me" afghan for my bed so I put the call out of free yarn when I researched the price of new.

My aunt dug through her stash and donated some.  My Mom called the other day and said she had some I could have.   I have no idea how much I need so I will have adjust along the way.

This is the stash I was given with no orange or brown visible.  

I have to dig through my box of patterns to see if I can find the original "granny square" pattern and the size of hook I used.

I have decided to assemble the squares with navy which Mom has donated.

Great watching TV project for the winter.

This book I gave up on about half way through.  Having sex is what everyone here is doing and that is mostly what the author was focusing on.

Not my idea of a great book.

I am back to getting outside for photos.  This is a pond on my road trip this week. Decided to head to the country rather that compete with people at popular destinations.  We still have Canada Geese here as the weather overall has been great. No frost or s**w yet. I love the reflections of the old sticks of wood in the water.  A goose feather where they had been bedding down.

The challenge at Flicker Macro Monday is Translucent.  Here, I have shot a glass star behind a textured glass tile.  I love how just the wire which is closest to the tile is in focus and the rest is not.  You can check out Photostream SMDPics to see the shot I submitted.

I am sharing with Angie who hosts Mosaic Monday #100 and

Mersad who hosts Through my Lens #261