Shadow and Light

I'm falling behind with my blog visits again. That tends to happen every so often. I catch up eventually. I haven't forgotten any of you and will be around before TOO long. Thanks for your understanding.

No matter the time of day, sunlight and shadows give so many photo opportunities. Here are a few of them as they presented themselves to me over the past few months.


This small morning glory-like blossom seemed to be sunning itself in the morning rays of early September. An unexpected surprise upon uploading this photo was that tiny insect near the upper edge of its petal.





My friend, Carol Anne and I were walking through a woodsy park at the end of September when she pointed out this spider web glistening in the sun.





A beautiful mess of gnarly roots soaking up the water and the sun's rays on the opposite shore of the creek.





I like the distinct background colour change from one side of the diagonal tree to the other - from blue to yellow-green.





Any time a leaf is back lit, the colour become intense. You might think the colour or contrast was bumped up but this is exactly how my camera saw this one.





A Touch-me-not seed pod, that is not even close to being ready to burst, back in September. Others were still in bloom, creating that soft, purple hue behind it.




Here's what the blossoms look like. You can see that some of the pods were still in their early stages.




Lazy, hazy rays of sunlight streaming through the trees after an early September rain storm.





The curtained window on the door of our motel room and its reflection in the mirror on the adjacent wall. The round-ish shadow was some sticker on the glass.





Frank's neighbour kept us supplied with yummy tomatoes from his garden, this summer. These were the last of his kind offerings ripening on the kitchen window ledge.





Still looking lovely in November, is this decorative cabbage snapped from behind its lacy leaves.





While on a house hunting trip back in September, Frank and I were having dinner at a family diner. Our table was facing the front door which happened to face west. Every time the door opened a stream of beautiful, amber sunlight poured into the diner and across our table. My meal was getting cold because I sat poised with my camera, determined to capture how it illuminated the condiments at our place setting. From right to left: My iced tea, mustard, salt (much of which is scattered across the table), pepper, ketchup and vinegar hiding over in the corner. What do you figure I had for dinner?





Early in November, but late in the day, Frank was sitting outside appreciating this beautiful sunset when he thoughtfully called me out to enjoy it with him. Thanks, dear!





I hope you found my collection of shadows and light to your liking.

More photos coming up soon.

September Stroll

Come walk with me. There's no need for a jacket just yet - the mornings are still warm and slightly humid. Put on your comfy shoes and we'll walk through the field and woods, to the creek. While we stroll along, see if you can guess which songs are represented by the snippets of lyrics written in pink, below each photo, and please remember to click on each of the images to enlarge them.

1 "The sun pours down like honey..."

Away from the main path and close to the shore, these flowers had grown tall - just about eye-level. I noticed how the sunlight was filtering through the trees, giving an almost sepia appearance, so I crouched down to capture flowers, branches and sunlight all together.

2 "Spinning at the mercy of an unrelenting force..."

A spider scrambles across its dew-dotted web to claim its breakfast.

3 "The autumn leaves of red and gold..."

The sun catches and illuminates the red and golden tones of the changing leaves. Soon there will be more red than green.

4 "Out past the cornfields where the woods got heavy..."

These woods were heavy with a fungus. Mushrooms are growing like steps in the bark of the tree.

5 "Step by step, one by one, higher and higher..."

An up close and personal look at this growth.

6 " Fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high"

September is the time when the salmon are making their way upstream. This is the same spot where trout were jumping in the spring. Every minute or so, you can see one of them attempt to jump its way up the fish ladder. Some make it, and disappear from view. Some hit the wall with a sickening thud. This one made it.

7 "I know nothing about fishing but just watch me go..."

Inside the trash bag, are one or two that got hooked before they had the chance to jump the ladder. This angler seemed pleased with his catch.

8 "Look at the flowers and the green grass so tall..."

Late in the afternoon, the sunlight saturates the wildflowers with deep, rich hues.

9 "Those water-coloured memories, soft as a summer's breeze..."

On this day the creek was like glass, reflecting the trees in its surface. There were several salmon swimming just beneath which continued to make their way upstream.

10 "But there are times that you feel you're part of the scenery..."

Up ahead, Benny catches up to Frank while making multiple detours along the way. So much to sniff!

11 "Keep on smilin' thru the rain..."

The day is done. Back at Frank's place after the sun has set and rain clouds moved through, leaving raindrop-spattered leaves.

12 "Got to sit down, take a rest on the porch..."

Outdoor lighting illuminates the back deck revealing plants which have begun to look September-weary.



Lyrics answers (not necessarily by the original artist).

1 - Suzanne - Leonard Cohen

2 - Nexus - Dan Fogelberg

3 - Autumn Leaves - Eva Cassidy

4 - Night Moves - Bob Seger

5 - Jacob's Ladder - Bruce Hornsby and the Range

6 - Summertime - Janis Joplin

7 - Gone Fishing - Chris Rea

8 - Warm Love - Van Morrison

9 - Sand River - Beth Gibbons

10 - Take the Long Way Home - Supertramp

11 - Keep on Smilin' - Wet Willie

12 - Lookin' Out My Back Door - Creedence Clearwater Revival