Sunday, November 21, 2010

One Day Last Month

One day last month, we took a road trip. We didn't go far. We didn't have much of a purpose. We just enjoyed.




A walk in the park. This of course was back when there were at least as many leaves on the trees as on the ground. I'll bet that bench is rarely empty on a fine summer day.




We shopped at a giant flea market. They were enormous fleas and they pulled huge wagons. This is taken from beneath the belly of one of their wagons. The fleas themselves were camera-shy.




We decided to stop at a favourite fishing spot. We didn't bring any rods this time. We were just there to enjoy the sights




Lunchtime brought us to a pleasant restaurant. It was earlier in October, and this simple pumpkin brightened their entrance way.




Our meal was tasty but it might have had a tendency to create gas. How was that for a segue from lunch to rusty, old gas meters?




Eventually we were on the road back home again. The sunlight seemed to catch the overhead wires in such a way that they appeared to light our way home.

Thanks for joining me on our day trip.

66 comments:

Linda at To Behold The Beauty said...

Hilary, these are just beautiful. How do I pick a favorite? It might have to be the glowing wires. Who but you would think to make a photo of gas meters? Who but you could make it work?

Rob-bear said...

Wow, Hillary. Those pictures are so delightful, and so "Ontario."

I grew up in Toronto, but am also well acquainted with the south-west, Haliburton, the south edge of Precambrian Shield country, and the central part of the province (Victoria County to Simcoe County).

You've made me homesick. I so miss the red leaves of autumn. We don't have those oaks and maples out here in the west.

Anonymous said...

I love the way you can make even the most mundane objects seem beautiful and interesting!

Zuzana said...

I love those road trips, when one has no plans and just goes with the flow.;)
Beautiful images of everything you encountered, loved them all.;) Too bad about the fleas being camera shy.;)
Have a lovely Sunday dear friend,
xoxo

Loz said...

I enjoy looking through the window of other peoples travels to places so far away from me. Thanks for sharing.

Bob Bushell said...

Most enjoyable, and the pictures are exquisite.

Tabor said...

You have an excellent eye as I am sure I have said before. We photography lovers tend to see every thing as an opportunity to take a picture. But you do it with such beauty and humor!

CorvusCorax12 said...

looks like a wonderful trip...i love these no purpose trips myself

Brian Miller said...

the textures on that wall are really cool...nice pics...

Country Girl said...

Love your segues! And all of these images. Beautiful wall at that restaurant. I notice things like that.

Anvilcloud said...

The pumpkin in the doorway = great shot.

Leah J. Utas said...

Wonderful, again.l The pumpkin photo is amazing.

Russell said...

Looks like a nice trip -- and I hope you make a habit of doing such things often!

I really like the rust on the gas meters. Very nice image and one the average person would overlook -- so that tells me you have a very good eye.

I have been away from the blogs for a few weeks (months really) but will try to get around and see them again. Always enjoy yours a great deal and will stop back when I can go through some of the previous posts.

Take care.

Elizabeth Grimes said...

Those are the best car trips! No purpose, just observing. Thanks for capturing and sharing it!

larkswing said...

Thank you for taking us along site seeing with you! :)

ellen abbott said...

That last picture reminds me of spider webs lit by the morning sun.

DJan said...

Because of your pictures, I am learning to see compositions that eluded me before. My eye is not like yours, but my pictures are more interesting because of YOU!

Anonymous said...

My husband and I have promised ourselves to take a trip like this, just take off for the day and stop to take photos, with no set destination in mind. I hope mine turn out this beautiful! I especially love the pumpkin shot - wonderful lighting!

Dawn said...

Thanks for taking us!!
My favorite...the wheel shot.
But all were absolutely amazing!!!

Steve Gravano said...

I love the photo of the pumpkin in the doorway, the colors are so beautiful, muted in a way almost antique.
Why do people buy flees?

Lori said...

I surely enjoyed taking this road trip with you Hilary. Happy Sunday to you and yours. XX

Kristina P. said...

I love what you can find when you take the time.

Mental P Mama said...

What is it with those camera shy fleas?

Brenda Pruitt said...

And a lovely trip it was! Love the photo through the wheels. And all the others as well.
Brenda

Out on the prairie said...

Very nice passage in the fall. I miss the colors, seeing only tiny remanents now.

Anonymous said...

The wires in that last picture remind me of spider webs glistening with dew on an autumn morning. The brilliant color of the leaves at the top of your first picture relates to a post I'm working on for Tuesday. You captured that golden glow perfectly.

Frank Baron said...

Interesting perspectives, especially the first three. And the shining wires in the last shot almost seem like they're encouraging travelers to continue on down the road.

Maggie May said...

Loved the view through the wagon wheels! Wonderful photo, that one.
Maggie X

Nuts in May

Hilary said...

• Thank you, Linda. You're much too kind. I'm glad you enjoyed the photos. :)

• Welcome, Rob-bear and thanks very much for the kind words. I'm much closer to Toronto than the other areas you mentioned and most of my photos were taken not too far from home. I'm sorry about the homesickness but I'm sure glad you came to visit, and hope you'll return soon. :)

• Thank you, Lady Fi. That's such a kind compliment. :)

• Zuzana, my friend, thank you. Your kind words are always very much appreciated. And there's just no accounting for fleas. ;)

• Loz, thanks for joining me. I'm glad you enjoyed it. :)

• Thank you kindly, Bob. I'm pleased that you think so. :)

• Thank you so much, Tabor. Your kind comment means a lot to me. I'm glad you enjoy my posts as I do yours. :)

• Twain12, it was a fine time. Thank you. :)

• Brian, thanks very much. :)

• Kate, thank you. I'm glad you appreciated my segue and the wall. It was an eye-catcher. :)

• AC, thanks very much. :)

• Leah, thank you. I'm glad you like it. :)

• Russell, thank you. Your always-kind comments are much appreciated. It's good to see you back in the blogging world again. :)

• Elizabeth, they truly are fun. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Lailani, thanks for joining me. I'm glad you dropped by. :)

• Ellen, yes. Now that you mention it, I see that too. Thanks for the visit. :)

• DJan, that is such a kind and lovely thing to say. Thank you so much. :)

• Barbara, thank you. Yes, do take a trip. I have little doubt you'll enjoy it immensely, as will your readers when you post about it. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Dawn, thanks for joining me, and for the kind words. :)

• Steve, thanks for the kind words. I don't know why people buy fleas but everyone is itching to do so. ;)

• Lori, thank you kindly. I'm always happy to have you along. :)

• Kristina, there's much to be seen if you stop and look for it. Thanks for the visit. :)

• MPM, I don't know but they get all jumpy. ;)

• Thanks kindly, Brenda. Much appreciated. :)

• OOTP, thanks. It's pretty barren here now too. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• KC, you and Ellen (10 comments before yours) are like-minded. Thanks always for the kind words. I'll look forward to your Tuesday post. :)

• Frank, yes they do. But when you come to the fork in that road... take it. :/

• Thanks very much, Maggie. :)

Joanna Jenkins said...

You even make the gas meters look good :-)
Cheers, jj

Pauline said...

Amazing, the journeys you can take us on with a few photos and some well chosen words. Thanks :)

messymimi said...

Now we have enjoyed, too. Thanks.

MaggieGem said...

Another great road trip... especially the flea market, too bad those fleas were so camera shy! ;-)

Unknown said...

Hilary,

these are spectacular. I like that one needn't go far to find such riches.

Cloudia said...

Delightful day


amazing fleas!




Aloha from Waikiki

Comfort Spiral

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lime said...

ok the flea market bit just cracked me up. thanks for the laughs to go along with the peaceful pictures. :)

Slamdunk said...

You have such a great eye for photography.

I like your message, that one does not have to travel to the ends of the earth to see beauty--it is around us if we are open to seeing it.

Dawning Inspiration said...

You take the most fabulous walks! Love that pumpkin shot and the little brown "house"! So pretty!

Bimbimbie said...

Good job those giant fleas were camera shy otherwise you might not have got to enjoy the rest of your day. I loved that restaurant's wall surface*!*

Sandra said...

All great, Hilary. And, of course, I'd be surprised if there wasn't a little tongue in cheek ala the flea market. And that got me to wondering why they're called "flea" markets. Then I shuddered because the only answer I could come up with was that if you bought something at a "flea" market, you sometimes took home an item that was home to some little fleas! Of course, I like to think that that was back in "the old days" and not likely today. And I'll keep telling myself that because I don't want to stop enjoying the occasional flea market I attend. :)

Daryl said...

Superb .. love the wall paper(?) on the wall behind the pumpkins

Velvet Over Steel said...

Yes, beautiful pictures! Thanks for sharing your road trip with us!!

Have a very Happy Thanksgiving week, Hilary!!
Blessings & Hugs,
Coreen

Reb said...

Thanks for the drive, I love little trips like that. The wall and cork floor really set the pumpkin off, gorgeous!

Sharon Wagner said...

It is really cool how the light highlighted the wires. Turning an eyesore into a thing of beauty.

Claudya Martinez said...

Who needs breadcrumbs when you can find your way home by following wires?

I love the yellow leaves in the first picture.

beth said...

LOL...huge fleas with giant wagons !!

photowannabe said...

Hilary, I just love your sense of humor and gift of "gab". Terrific segue of gas and your "lighted" way home is really ingenious.

Unknown said...

Sounds romantic to me. Also, it conjured up a memory. When I was a little kid, I was waiting with my Mom under a canopy while it was raining for my Dad to drive up and give us a ride home. I told my Mom something like "This is boring". Her comeback was: "Yeah, but it's an adventure" (with both eyebrows raised to accentuate the point). Suddenly it was like your photo of the telephone wires lighting the way! Very cool! :)

Linda said...

Lovely pics, Hilary. Why is it that wagon wheels seem to signify flea markets?

Fragrant Liar said...

Such great photos you take. Always interesting subjects that make you think. I especially like the third one with the bridge across the lake. Just felt like a place I'd like to sit down and think and appreciate nature.

Hilary said...

• Thanks, Joanna. I'm glad you think so. ;)

• Thanks kindly, Pauline. That's quite the compliment coming from you. :)

• Thank you, MessyMimi. :)

• MaggieGem, thanks. You just never know with those little critters. :)

• Deb, thank kindly. Much appreciated. :)

• Thank you, Cloudia. :)

• Lime, I'm so glad you got a laugh out of it. :)

• Thank you, Slamdunk. That's true - the camera finds fun subjects just about anywhere. No need to go far, but it would still be fun. ;)

• SD, thanks so much. I'm glad you enjoyed. :)

• Bimbimbie, so true and that would bite! ;) Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Sandra, I had to look it up and you're quite correct. Its origin is the French Marché aux Puces which translates to Flea Market. According to Oxford Dictionaries: "a name originally given to a market in Paris which specialized in shabby second-hand goods of the kind that might contain fleas. Clever you. :)

• Thanks, Daryl. It was real stucco. Nice, eh? :)

• Thanks very much, Coreen. We've had our Canadian Thanksgiving in October but I sure wish you a very happy Thanksgiving yourself. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Thank you, Reb. I'm glad you could join me. :)

• Thanks, Sharon. I thought so too. It was like that for miles. :)

• So true, Mami. Even better than a yellow brick road. Thanks for the visit. :)

• Beth, I'm glad I could make you laugh. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Sue, thanks so much for the kind words. That means so much to me. :)

• Michael, I can't think of more exciting words to hear as a child than "It's an adventure." Clearly your mother knew how to make the best of a bad situation and to keep life fun. Thanks for that story. :)

• Linda, I have no idea if they usually do. I only know that this one did. If I ever encounter one of those camera-shy fleas, I'll ask. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Fragrant Liar, thanks so kindly. That's such a nice thing to say. It truly is a beautiful spot where I've spent a few summer days. Thanks for the visit. :)

Friko said...

everyday, unexciting images brought to life.
You are clever with your camera.

Unknown said...

Oh man, I love the overhead wires and the rusty gas meters... so lush with perspective. Wonder if that restaurant wall is a treatment using crushed up bags!

Dianne said...

the glowing wires are lovely as they follow the dip in the road

the shy pumpkin shot is also beautiful!!

Pearl said...

Enormous fleas... Why I oughta...

Loved the light on the telephone wires, like early-morning spider webs...

Pearl

Mage said...

Absolutely delightful. You inspire me.

CiCi said...

You find the different and unique sights and share with us.

Mage said...

RYN: Yup, restarted and restarted again. My Photoshop Elements is old, and I don't think it likes Windows 7 as much as it should. I used it all day yesterday, and just like the editors of 1995, now my whole computer is cranky.

We will see how it does tomorrow.

Christine said...

wires & wheels in ways i've never seen :-)

Hilary said...

• Friko, thank you kindly.. I think. ;)

• Thank you, Jane. I have no idea about the walls really. I thought it was true stucco, painted or stained but you never know. :)

• Dianne, "glowing" and "shy" - I need you to write the descriptions for my photos. Thank you, my friend. :)

• Thanks, Pearl. I'm glad you did. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Thank you, Maggie. That's very kind of you to say. :)

• Thanks, Technobabe. I'm glad you think so. :)

• Well darn, Maggie. I was hoping it would be a simple fix. Good luck for tomorrow. Thanks for the revisit. :)

• Christine, I'm glad I could offer you something new. Thanks for stopping by. :)

Dave said...

Fascinating photos Hilary. Specially liked the one under the wagon wheels - Dave

Indrani said...

The wagon shot is terrific! Great POV.
I enjoy such aimless drives too.

Maria said...

I love my virtual journeys here. The hut by the waterside's my favourite. I think I've mentioned before that autumn's my very favourite time of the year. Sadly, we don't get much of an autumn where I am now. Maybe if I lived up in the hills I would, but in urban north India, it's straight from rainy season into the cold.

Maybe that's why I love coming here so much.

Hilary said...

• Thank you, Dave. I'm glad you stopped by. :)

• Indrani, thank you kindly. Much appreciated. :)

• Gaelikaa, thank you very much. I'm so glad you could join me to enjoy a bit of autumn from my area. Thanks for such kind words. :)

Anonymous said...

Finally back and catching up! I love all these photos but those telephone wires really sucked me into that photo and the texture and color of the wall in the restaurant is gorgeous!

Hilary said...

• Jillsy, thanks very kindly. I'm glad you enjoyed this post. :)