The World Reveals Itself

The world reveals itself to those who travel on foot. ~ Werner Herzog

Let's have a little wander around Peterborough. This takes us back to mid-October when trees hadn't fully changed but the air was still mild and inviting. Please join me!


It was a windy day, and my walk started over at Little Lake where I had a good view of Centennial Fountain showing off her rainbow colours in the brilliant sunshine.






A moment later, the wind picked up, lifting the prism skyward. We were also feeling the mist from across the lake, at times.






This gull was battling the breeze over the waters of Little Lake.






The breezy day was also having fun with the clouds, creating wispy white fingers in the sky.






There must have also been some water droplets in this cloud which formed a subtle rainbow of its own.






This little cutie decided to hang around and pose for a few photos.






Wandering further south, we ended up winding through the paths of the Little Lake Cemetery where this angel was watching over some of the local residents.






Exploring the surroundings, this cutie of a ground hog took one last look before disappearing in her burrow between a couple of monuments.






Something interesting had been going on in this spot where a small, colourful collection of glass and pottery had been left behind.






This little guy was also having a nice little wander several hops ahead.






Juniper berries are bright blue eye-catchers in the sunlight.






Another colourful scene which caught my eye on the way home.






And speaking of home, this was the view outside of my window when the sun broke free of gloomy skies and brushed the trees with its brilliance.

That's it for this time. More photos coming up just as soon as they're ready.

With the Sunshine

And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.

~ F. Scott Fitzgerald

I have the pleasant problem of having far more photos than time to post them. Peterborough is a very quirky city and there's no shortage of things to see and do, especially throughout the summer. So my camera has been getting a workout, but I've also been busy in other areas so my blogging time has diminished considerably. My visits have lagged and my posts seem to be landing farther and farther apart, these days. At this rate, I suspect I'll be posting summer photos well into winter. I do hope to get around to catch up with your blogs before too long. In the meantime, here are a few semi-recent images.

May every sunrise hold more promise and every sunset hold more peace. ~ Umair Siddiqui

Country or city - it's hard to resist the beauty of a sunrise. This one was caught peeking through my window, one morning in June.

Only a school bus driver would turn thier back on a bus load of kids ~ Unknown

School has been out for a couple of weeks now. I couldn't resist snapping the image of this parked bus in its own side mirror.

There's something about the sound of a train that's very romantic and nostalgic and hopeful.

~ Paul Simon

 Kids are enjoying the heat of the summer and some are getting into a bit of trouble. These guys were just a little too close to the passing train for my comfort.

So when I watch trains, it makes me think about how much movement there is in the world. How every train has dozens of cars and every car has hundreds of parts, and all those parts and cars work day after day. And then there are all these other motions. People are born and die. Seasons change. Rivers flow to the sea. Earth circles the sun and the moon circles Earth. Everything whirring and spinning toward something. And I get to be part of it for a little while, the way I get to watch a train for a minute or two, and then it's gone.

~ Jeff Zentner

Thankfully it moved on without incident.

Baseball is ninety percent mental and the other half is physical. ~ Yogi Berra

A group of women were enjoying a ballgame in a nearby park.

In the cherry blossom's shade there's no such thing as a stranger. ~ Kobayashi Issa

Spring blossoms have long been spent but I appreciate being able to freeze that time when they were in their prime. Its the colourful leaves that grabbed my eye, this time.

Summer will end soon enough, and childhood as well. ~ George R.R. Martin

Young summer romances might have been in the making, here.

It's not enough to have the feathers. You must dare to fly! ~ Cass van Krah

This photo goes back to May as you might tell by the newly emerging leaf buds. A tiny feather back lit by the late day sun caught my attention while I was walking home from the park. I must have spent ten minutes trying to photograph it. Light, downy feathers do not hold still and pose in the breeze.

My ideal summer day was reading on the porch. ~ Harold E. Varmus

Doesn't this porch look inviting? It's just one of many along the neighbourhood streets.

The Rainbow is a promise. ~ Mary Clark Dalton

We had an amazing rainbow just as the sun was beginning to set, one evening. I called my neighbours, Carol and her son, Evan over from across the hall. Their apartment faces the west and this beauty was happening in the east.

You can't have the rainbow without the storm. ~ Shannon L. Alder

Evan brought his tablet so that he could take a few pics of his own. By then, you could see a second rainbow off to the left of the original.

The moon is a friend for the lonesome to talk to. ~ Carl Sandburg

And just as the summer began, we had a rare full moon occur the same time as the solstice. It was a cloudy night but there was a clearing just long enough for me to snap a few pics.

More photos coming up as soon as possible. I still have Canada Day and Music Fest and a few other goodies to share.

Old Autumn

I saw old Autumn in the misty morn stand shadowless like silence, listening to silence.

~ Thomas Hood

Every now and then, I have a few photos which kind of get lost on my hard drive. Time goes by, seasons change and before I know it some images are left behind and are in need of rescuing if they're ever going to see the light of day - or the pages of my blog. It just so happens - like in the previous post (and quite possibly the next),  the following images are among those stragglers. These are from October. I hope you enjoy them.


I know this looks like the dead of winter but I assure you that the water is completely liquid. It just appears icy because of the lovely fog surrounding the area across the bay. Every day, there's a new view outside our window. Fog offers some of the most interesting, evolving landscapes around here.






My older son and I took a drive north to Barry's Bay during one of his visits. Autumn was still doing her thing in the hills.






But she wasn't going to be able to hang onto her fiery colours once the wind picked up.






Here's a view as seen by boat. The seagulls seemed to be occupied with a meeting of sorts, and congregated on the roof of this boathouse.






Another boat tour allowed us a colourful look at Blueberry Island as the sun was beginning to set. As you can see, we weren't the only ones out there enjoying this day.







On another day, both of my boys were up for a visit. We snapped this photo atop Eagle's Nest, overlooking the town of Bancroft.






This Black-eyed Susan was one of our last holdouts from summer. It glistened in late day sunlight after a rain.






And where there's rain and sun, there's often a rainbow (different day than the one in the previous post). This day didn't disappoint.






And neither did the setting sun.

In the Right Light

All of these photos were taken in September and early October. The lake looks nothing like this right now. In fact it's frozen over, snow-covered and melting into icky slush with today's rain. It looked much prettier a couple of months back so I figured I'd pull some of those pics for you instead. I hope you enjoy them. 

In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary." - Aaron Rose

They say that photography is all about shadow and light. Of course it is. It's also about opportunity, equipment and a huge dose of luck. But just for the sake of being agreeable, this post is all about light and its ever-present shadows.


This was a very overcast day. I know, it doesn't look all that gloomy but it was dark just moments before and moments after this photo was snapped. The clouds parted ever so briefly, allowing the sun to shine its light - creating vibrant colours and a few dark shadows. The contrast just makes everything come alive.






On a different day, it rained off and on throughout the daylight hours. We counted no fewer than 4 different rainbows between us. Only a bit of this one showed up but it was rather vibrant, and you can see the rain falling from the clouds above where that lovely sunshine fell.





One evening, the clouds seemed to be lit from the side creating a soft pink edge - like an illuminated shelf of cloud.





Sunset on our bay is rarely full of deep, saturated colours because we face east. Behind us is where the real colour is happening but that's blocked by the hills which lie west of us. Every now and then, there's a sunset that must explode with such intensity for those facing west, that its bounce and reflection paints the sky and water of our eastern view. And we're not complaining for one itty bitty moment.






Please indulge me. I can not resist taking image after image when the sky is like this. I'm only going to show you a few. Note how the moon had already risen on this lovely evening in early September.






One more showing the wavelets forming from a passing boat.






Incoming ripples and the moon reflecting on the water.






And a final close up of the colours on the lake's rolling surface. You can add your own sound effects.






Oh just one more - I couldn't resist. A bird flying through a pink sky while wispy clouds kiss the moon's cheek in passing.






We're oh so incredibly lucky that full moons happen to rise over the lake, directly in front of our door. Here's that lovely glowing orb just before it cleared the treetops across the bay. This was actually the night after the full moon - but close enough.






And here it was the night before, sliding in and out of subtle colours of the clouds. What shall it wear tonight to make its October début?

With a bit of luck, shadow and light can go a long way.

More photos coming up soon.

Angry Skies

Rainbows apologize for angry skies.  ~Sylvia Voirol

It was a hazy, hot and humid July afternoon. We were sitting outside on the front step (back at Frank's old place) watching the clouds gather in the sky. Weather was coming.



The sky was spotty - grey in most parts but here and there, the sun shone through, spilling across the field.






Directly above us, angry clouds were slowly churning. It wouldn't be long.






The clear spots became fewer and farther between and the hues became subtle. You might think that I desaturated this photo but the day had taken on its own black and white effect.






It thundered, lightninged and poured profusely. Benny wisely decided to come in out of the rain (where he had been squinting madly to avoid getting water in his eyes) and watch from the sheltered overhang. (Gayle, you recently asked about Benny. How could I not oblige you with a photo?)






Once it was over, the sun warmed the skies with lovely rays of light.






Moistened trees glistened in the sunlight.






And all was well in that magical space between rain and sun.

This was another scheduled post so that you know I haven't forgotten you. I'm just keeping busy while setting up one house while trying to sell the other. More coming up in a few days.