Zen

I have a little Zen garden. Nothing elaborate, just a small black square container with a little rake, some rocks and a candle.

It came with little white rocks, too big to really be called sand. But I bought it with something else in mind anyway so I got rid of the white rocks and replaced it with a coral pink sand that I got while we were traveling through the States.

While on this trip, we stopped at the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park in Utah. The sand is amazingly smooth, each grain (according to the signs) almost perfectly round and a lovely salmon pink colour. The dunes are surrounded by red cliffs, the source of the sand as they erode down and the sand is blown down to create the dunes themselves. All in all, it is breathtaking and unlike anything other sand I've seen. And I figured, since people were out riding quads in the sand, it was okay for me to take some of it in a jar. So, when we got home, I used some of that sand for my little Zen garden, making a unique little momento of our trip.

So... the first three pictures are of my little Zen garden and the last is a picture of the Sand Dunes taken in July of 2005 during our trip.

Bonsai

Today I was sitting watching TV, just kind of off in space. At some point, one of the dogs jumped up and almost knocked my little bonsai tree off the table. So, as I sat there staring at it, I realized I hadn't taken my picture of the day and that the bonsai tree itself is very interesting.

The bark is extremely cool and the leaves are a nice rich green. It's like a little hint of summer when the rest of the world is all snow covered and monochromatic!

Snowscapes

It was an interesting day for light up in the frozen north and since I had to drive hubby out to work, I took advantage of the day to snag a few pictures of the landscapes.

I don't like the cold but I do find the snow pretty and it lends itself well to pictures. And the lighting is always interesting in the winter.

The first picture just looked kind of desolate to me. Pretty in its own way but very much as though the world is asleep beneath the snow. The second picture was interesting to me because of the smoothness of the mounds and the blue tint of the shadows. And the last, well, I like how the snow sparkles in the sun. Even if that does mean it's really cold out!

Take me on a Buggy Ride!

This was my other thought for the contest. It's an old buggy out at the stables near town. But, in the end, it was no contest. I had to do the pocket watch. Still, I like the old snow covered buggy. It's been out in that field for the two years I've been heading out there to take some pictures. There's a beaver pond at the end of the road that I love photographing.

Something old... Antique watch...

The theme for this week is "something old" and as soon as I read the contest theme, I knew what I was going to photograph. Something old indeed.

This is a pocket watch that hubby received after the death of his father. We're still trying to track down the origins of the watch. It has a fairly detailed inscription in the back but it's still going to take some work.

We're not sure where the hallmark is to be found but the closest match for the watch that we've been able to find out places this watch somewhere around 1919. We're going to see about finding out a more precise date for the watch and try to find out more about the story behind it.

I'd also like to look into getting it professionally cleaned and fixed up if possible but I'm not sure about how it works with antiques. Not that anyone will be selling it or anything but we don't want to mess with it given how long it's already lasted. It's obviously a watch that saw use, not just decorative value.

Now I'll just have to pick which one of the pictures I want to put into the contest!

Paradise by the Keyboard's light...

Okay okay, paradise is a bit of an exaggeration but I couldn't resist.

I was looking at my keyboard and thinking it would make a cool picture if I could get it to work. About ten tries later, I finally got one I'm happy with! LOL

It's a Logitech G11 keyboard and I just love it. I mean, as much as you can love a keyboard. I use my computer for work, for graphics, for chat, and a lot of other things which means I can be pretty hard on a keyboard. I also type in the neighbourhood of 70 words a minute (if I don't need to add numbers... numbers slow me down to about 50-ish) so it really does take a bit of a beating over time. The old cordless keyboard actually ended up with a bunch of the letters worn off. This one doesn't have letters "painted" on the keys. The letters are actually clear and you can turn on the light so they glow.

Oooo... very cool keyboard. Hubby was so jealous when I picked it, he ordered himself one too. LOL

Strange finds while cleaning...

Okay. Let me make this clear from the outset.

I am a packrat. I have improved - try to ignore any laughter you might hear in the background since my family would not doubt argue against any improvement - in the past few years but I'm still a terrible packrat.

So one of the situations I'm dealing with right now is cleaning out the front bedroom which will be the baby's room. And the copious amounts of stuff that were stored in there while it was just our "spare" room. Eek. In the course of this cleaning, I started going through a big box of old papers and junk that actually included, to my surprise, a few 15 or so year old essays from university.

Yes. Yes. I know. I admitted already that I'm a packrat.

So, one of the things I found in this box was a ziploc bag full of little sparkles that you put in cards. Heart shaped ones, octagons, Mom, stars... all sorts of little things and colours. So, being who I am, I had to photograph them.

Live the adventure!!

Jingle Bells!

Okay, okay. They're not actually Christmas decorations!

We had troubles with one of our dogs not letting us know when he had to go out. Or rather, he'd come see us but do nothing to indicate there was a reason for his visit. And if we didn't catch on when he left again... well... you know what happens. Anyway, it worked out great. They're ringing the bells when they need to go out!

And me, I just liked how the bells look and how they caught the flash. I also like them sitting on the surface of the dark leather ottoman and the way it reflected.

There's no avoiding winter now...

I am willing to admit that winter can make for some pretty pictures. Especially when the sun is out. The way snow hangs on tree branches and there's a certain appeal to the monochromatic kind of look though I much prefer spring and summer.

Of course, when you're not a fan of the cold, it's hard to get excited about snow. I know a lot of friends are thrilled that winter's finally here since now they can snowboard and ski. And the skidoos that I saw out and about! Crazy!

So, here are a few winter shots. The last one is my favourite, I have to admit! I loved how the moon was hanging in the blue sky as the sun was going down. I do also like the 3rd one. I've taken pictures of that same rail fence in the fall so it was nice to catch it with the snow sitting on the rails.

Site at Day..

The weather cooperated beautifully today, giving me bright blue skies to work with! So, after some food - since food is terribly important to me right now - and a triple check of my cameras to make sure I had all the batteries and that they were all charged up, I was off and running.

Okay... off and walking slowly. You get the idea.

I headed out to site again today to get a few pictures of the site in daylight and I couldn't really have asked for better conditions. Unlike most of the other times I've attempted to photograph out there during the daylight, I didn't have the haze that always seems to get in the way. But the light breeze kept the haze away and the blue skies provided the perfect backdrop.

Granted, it's still not an attractive topic but I was pleased with how they turned out.

The first shot is from the Rebel with the telephoto lens and the other two distance pictures are from the G9.

Site at Night...

One of the things that's on my "to do" list is to become a better night time photographer. I find photography at night extremely difficult and I would like to learn how to do it better. So tonight, in keeping with the pollution theme, I thought I'd go out and try some night pictures of site. A couple of them worked out okay but I ran into a problem.

I charged the battery on my Canon Rebel the other night but apparently I thought it would be a good idea to forget to put the battery back in before going out to site. Brilliant, I know. Thankfully I had my Canon G9 with me. Of course, the battery is getting low on the G9 but thankfully it didn't die on me before I was done. I was irritated with myself though since I always check my cameras before I head out. Well, apparently not always since I managed to mess it up this time. Grrrr...

Anyway, here are the two shots that I was happiest with from the G9 tonight. I think the reflection of the light off the billowing clouds of pollution coming out of the stacks is kind of cool. Gross, when you think about what's in those clouds but makes for interesting photography.

Incidentally, the little streaks on the close up picture are the snowflakes coming down. It kept snowing almost all day.

Just a little knitting...

I generally need something to do with my hands while I'm watching TV so I tend to knit. Only simple things. Actually, my husband heaves great sighs at how many knitted dishcloths we have around the house because I keep churning them out.

I've given away quite a few of them but we still have a drawer full in the kitchen. But, if nothing else, we're never at a loss for a cloth to clean with.

It is funny though, I pick pretty balls of wool and colours that I like when they're just going to get used to wash the dishes and get all messy and stained. Still, for a little while at least, they're pretty!

Like a Moth to the Flame...

I loved the look of this old battered coffee table with the simple candle placed on it. It seems so warm and homey, perfectly suited to cabin life.

I've got a sore throat today and I'm feeling a bit sick... and I can't take anything for it. So warm and homey really suits my mood.

Here's hoping the weather cooperates and lets me tackle some pollution pics soon!

More Snow....

Okay, okay. I promise I'll try and back away from the snow pictures for a while, just for you. But this just caught my eye today. The ice breaking and then refreezing on the river, then covered with snow made for an interesting landscape. So, that was my picture today.

I'm hoping to get a nice blue sky day again soon so I can do some pics in keeping with the pollution theme for the contest. I have a plan already!! Hehehe And I can't believe I didn't get a picture up yesterday. ~sighs~ Ah well, I'm working on it!

Winter Branches

It was a gray kind of day out and I had lots of errands to run so my camera went with me. I always find it harder to find inspiration on the gray and dismal days. Still, the snow is pretty even if it isn't my favourite thing in the world.

I can't help it... I'm just not a winter girl. Boy am I living in the wrong place!! LOL

While out washing the car...

We took the SUV out to wash today... kind of a futile effort since the roads ensure it was dirty again before we got home. Definitely better, of course, but still dirt along the sides. Still, we can't really hope to keep it clean during this season... just to keep it from getting too thick!

Anyway, while we were washing it, I was looking at the light shining on the headlights and tail lights so I pulled out the camera.

I'm sure I got more than a few funny looks while I was doing it but that's all good. I kind of liked how they turned out!

Is it still a sunroof when there's no sun?

I went to pick up hubby from work today. It snowed this morning so the roads were wet and messy. I was nice and toasty warm in the Escape though the temperature outside was far from toasty.

I got out to site and called to let him know I was there and waiting so he could get a ride up to the gate. As I was sitting there, I was contemplating how nice and warm I was, leaning back in the seat, looking up through the sun roof.

Not a sunny day at all. Dark grey skies with snow and ice and melted water on the tinted glass. So, while I'm sure I got several odd looks as I relaxed back in the seat with my camera, I decided to take a picture.

Maybe it's time to close up the cover and not look up at the grey skies anymore. But I do like the extra light!

Today's picture is a sky picture. The cloud formation just kind of caught my eye. It looked almost like the clouds were boiling out of the sun so I pulled out the camera and voila!

Otherwise, pretty mellow day around the house today. We cleaned.

I know, I know... contain the excitement. cleaning... Ooooo... but it definitely had to be done! I can see my kitchen table again!

Lest We Forget...

Today was all about remembering those who fought and those who fell for our freedoms.

The Eternal Flame.

Wreaths laid at the cenotaph in memory.

Poppies.

The guns fall silent...

And just because it made me chuckle... I don't think parking is a problem for this guy.

Wood, water, and snow

We were outside today, clearing the snow off the deck, the front stairs and the driveway. I got to do the front stairs and the deck while hubby did the driveway. I swept the snow away while he shoveled!

Anyway, I was looking at the wood of the big bench seat that surrounds the edge of our deck and just really liked the effect of the wood grain, the water drops, and the bits of snow. It wasn't really warm out but it was just enough so that we had the snow and the water drops. So, I went in and got my camera so I could take a picture of it.

I also like the knots in the wood and the way they took the stain more than the rest of the wood.

Now here's hoping we don't have any more snow for a couple of days. The white fluffy stuff gets heavy!!

Sun begins to Set.

I wasn't feeling well today so there's no new pictures on my camera. Just couldn't get my get up and go to get going today. Bleh.

Anyway, I didn't want the day to pass without posting a picture so I thought I'd post one from the other day, our last blue sky with sunshine, towards the end of the day.

Hopefully tomorrow I'll get out and get some pictures of all the snow we've received in the last few days. Snow... bad. Remember that.

Mmmmm... Snack Time!

I freely admit I got carried away today. I decided to have a pomegranate as a snack today - or some of it at least - and I simply had to photograph it. I know, not surprising. But there were a lot of pictures to sort through and pick the ones I thought turned out the best. I'm not completely happy with them. I was hoping for better lighting. Fortunately I have more pomegranates so I might have to give it another try on a nice sunny day!

So... here is my tempting snack at the beginning.

I used a knife to split open the skin but peeling a pomegranate really doesn't involve a lot of knife work. There's a lot of tearing and careful popping out of seeds. And, of course, nibbling as I go along!

I used both cameras today... the one above is the G9. The two shots below are done with the Rebel with the macro lens!



I love the way the cluster of seeds looks in this shot. The colour is very sharp to me and it makes me want to go and get some more.


The carnage that remains after I've robbed the fruit of all its tasty little seeds...


And with the work all done, my snack is ready. Mmmmmmm...