Clothes Line Saga

As you might have noticed, from time to time, I like to put aside some photos and possibly revisit a couple of older ones which make up a theme of sorts. This is one of those time.


The blog post title is one of Nobel Prize winner, Bob Dylan's pieces. And the quotes beneath each of the following photos are all from that song.

This is a ceramic dish I saw at the Art Gallery of Peterborough, and it's what gave me the idea of a clothesline/laundry theme. Thomas Aitken designs the ceramics and Kate Hyde does the whimsical art. I hope you enjoy my version of laundry day.

Don't worry - I won't ask you to fold.

After a while we took in the clothes

Nobody said very much

Just some old wild shirts and a couple pairs of pants

Which nobody wanted to touch

Laundry drying in the fresh country air. As you can see the sun was setting and so it needed to come in before too much longer - though it probably stayed there until morning.

Mama come in and picked up a book

An' papa asked her what it was

Someone else asked "what do you care?"

Papa said "well, just because"

A bench outside of a laundromat here in Peterborough. I've posted this image before but at that time, I opted to display it in black and white.

Then they started to take back their clothes

Hang 'em on the line

It was January the thirtieth

And everybody was feelin' fine

I see this clothesline full of items regularly when I walk down to the lake. It seems like most days are laundry day at their house.

The next day, everybody got up

Seein' if the clothes were dry

The dogs were barking, a neighbor passed

Mama, of course, she said "hi"

These colourful towels belonged to Liz and Ron - my seasonal neighbours just down the road when I lived up on the lake. They're lovely, kind people. This photo was taken in May of 2015. I think they were just settling in for the summer.

"Have you heard the news?" he said with a grin

"the vice president's gone mad"

"Where?" "downtown" "when?" "last night"

"Hmm, say, that's too bad"

Colourful clothespins dancing in the wind.

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it" said the neighbor

"It's just something we're gonna have to forget"

"Yes, I guess so" said ma

Then she asked me if the clothes was still wet

Another clothesline by the lake. And yes, the towels were probably still wet.

I reached up, touched my shirt

And the neighbor said "are those clothes yours?"

I said "some of them, not all of them"

He said "ya always help out around here with the chores?"

This was in a public picnic area in a park near a walking path on the shores of Lake Ontario in Ajax.

I said "sometimes, not all of the time"

Then my neighbor blew his nose

Just as papa yelled outside

"Mama wants you to come back in the house and bring them clothes"

Peterborough showed support with over 7000 bras which adorned the walls of a local radio station for the 6th annual Bras Around the Building fundraiser. The campaign raised over $16,500 for breast cancer research this year. After the bras were all laundered, Seeds of Hope donated them to relief efforts in Haiti and Honduras.

Well, I just do what I'm told

So I did it, of course

I went back in the house and mama met me

And then I shut all the doors

See? I told you I wasn't going to ask you to fold. It's all done

A Ray of Sunshine

Have a ray of sunshine and light with you everywhere you may go.

~ Lailah Gifty Akita

Sunrises around here are irresistible to me. If I'm awake for them, that is. As the summer winds down, that orb in the sky dawns a little bit later each week, so the chances of catching one now and then will increase for a few months. This is one that I awakened to in mid July.






This little Ruby-throated hummingbird was sitting in the sun, just outside of our kitchen window. The photo was taken through the glass.






Sometimes the sun highlights the subject with such intensity that the background just disappears - at least with certain camera settings.






Other times, everything around it just shines. This White Admiral butterfly is just basking in the warm summer sun.






These little goldfinch beauties seem to create their own sunshine.






Juicy, red currants need lots of sunshine to ripen.






Occasionally, even a stormy sky can't resist allowing a bit of sunshine to peek through. I bumped up the colours considerably on this one.






Bee Balm soaking up the rays on a midsummer day.






Despite its name, this little Pumpkinseed Sunfish shouldn't be out of the water and in the sunshine for long. And he wasn't.






Leafy green tendrils reaching out to tickle the edge of sunlight.






Late in the day, the sun pours in from the west, illuminating Blueberry Island, across the bay.






A lovely Common Loon relaxing beside a sunbeam. Don't you just love that red eye?






Cats enjoy sunlight better than most of us. Skitty found the perfect patch of warming sunlight for snoozing. His little paw looked so photo-worthy to me.






It's rare that we get notable sunsets because we face east. On this evening though, we got the bounce off of what must have been a spectacular sunset for those facing west. Still, you can't complain about this view.

Thanks for sharing the sunshine with me. More photos coming up soonish.

The Smiles of Nature - and Other Things

Colors are the smiles of nature.

~ Leigh Hunt

The shadow of your smile
When you have gone.
Will colour all my dreams
And light the dawn.
~ Paul Webster (The Shadow of Your Smile)
Beautiful sunrise. Mist across the bay. Gold in the sky. All reflecting in the tranquil lake. How could one not smile?


 



Smile though your heart is aching
Smile even though it's breaking
~ Charles Chaplin (Smile) 
 I was delighted to discover that we had bleeding hearts growing here.






Keep on smilin' thru the rain
Laughin' at the pain
Just flowin' with the changes
Till the sun comes out again
~ Jimmy Hall - Wet Willie (Keep on Smiling)
This sign, at a local baked goods and trinkets shop, gave me a chuckle.






When you're smiling, when you're smiling
The whole world smiles with you.
~ Joe Goodwin (When You're Smiling)
Saturday morning garage sales - perfect for restocking the library. I just finished reading Secret Daughter. American and East Indian story line. Canadian author. It's not bad.






Pack up your troubles in your old kit-bag, and smile, smile, smile. 
~ George Henry Powell/Asaf (Smile, Smile, Smile)
A decorative bicycle parked in a yard seen on one of my outings.






Smile an everlasting smile
A smile could bring you near to me
~ Barry Gibb - Bee Gees (Words)
Benny - he makes everyone smile. I know you agree.






Whenever I see your smiling face I have to smile myself because I love you. Yes, I do.
~ James Taylor (Your Smiling Face)
As promised in my last post, here is the strangest little creature I've ever seen on the outside of the window pane. This adorable tree frog was only about 3cm (just over an inch) long. Cute, or what?







A long, long time ago I can still remember how the music used to make me smile - 
~ Don McLean (American Pie)
These little guys provide night music (much like crickets do) during their mating season in late spring and early summer.







I'm so happy that you love me.
Life is lovely when you're near me.
Tell me you will stay. Make me smile
~ James Pankow (Thanks, Suldog) - Chicago (Make Me Smile)
Colourful Muskoka chairs (Adirondak chairs south of the border) always make me smile. They remind me of the Laurentians, north of Montreal, where we spent our summers as children.






Keep smiling, keep shining
Knowing you can always count on me, for sure
That's what friends are for.
~ Carole Bayer Sager (That's What Friends Are For)
My Skitty and Zephyr always make me smile. True brotherly love.





To know, know, know you
Is to love, love, love you
Just to see you smile
Makes my life worthwhile
To know, know, know you
Is to love, love, love you
And I do, yes I do, yes I do
~ Phil Spector (To Know You is to Love You)
This gentle paw belongs to my beautiful Zephyr.






Looking back at sunsets on the east side
We lost track of the time
Dreams aren't what they used to be
Some things slide by so carelessly
Smile like you mean it
Smile like you mean it
~ Mark Stoermer- Killers (Smile Like You Mean It)
We face east so when a sunset provides colours this vivid, it makes me wonder just how brilliant the view would be facing west. Of course, then we'd miss our wonderful sunrises.

More photos coming up.. sometime.

Listening to Silence

Before I get into my usual post, I'd like to draw your attention to my blog friend, Laura over at Shine the Divine. Those of you who read her beautiful words, already know her strength and determination in the face of a difficult life challenge. She is the unwavering voice of understanding, hope and gratitude. It is her ongoing expression of gratitude that has led her to create The Gratitude Quilt.

This is her fifth year hosting this virtual quilting bee and Laura is asking you to join her by creating a verbal "patch" for her Gratitude Quilt.

Here, in Laura's words, is how you do it:

It is easy to participate in the Gratitude Quilt: Open a new word doc on your computer (or take out a sheet of paper and a pen). Close your eyes. Place one hand on your heart, then your other hand over that, giving yourself a gentle hug. Breathe into and out through the center of your heart for several breaths. Now, exhale slowly. Inhale deeply. Exhale again… type or write whatever you are most thankful for in that moment. Do not edit just let the words flow. There is no need to translate into English if that is not your native tongue. Copy and paste the words into an email and send them to me laura@shinethedivine.com by November 24th so I have time to "stitch" out words together. Please type the words "Gratitude Quilt" in the subject line.

Please consider joining in. Last year's "patches" were awesome to read. Drop Laura a line and your own sentiments will be part of the quilt.

*****

 I should also probably mention that which is rather obvious - I've not done the Posts of the Week for quite some time now. Most of you know how crazy busy my life has been over the past several months. Right now, it's just a little more hectic than ever. 

I have fewer than ten days to pack up the rest of my belongings, sell some pieces of furniture, give away others and get a trailer load of "stuff" and my two cats up to the new place, over three hours away. Then I have to turn around, and head back to the city a couple of days later to sign papers and collect the funds.

Why not wait until then to make the full move, you might ask? Oh at least one of you asked. I'm pretty sure I heard it. Well, because my cats are getting older and have never lived anywhere but here. There's been a lot of chaos around them as they've endured renovations, people coming to see the house, and my packing up the place in front of their very eyes. I think it would be too much to empty my house and have them wait around while the lawyers do their thing to finalize this deal, and then make the over three hour drive with them. I just can't do that to them. 

So two trips in a couple of days it is. I'll have good help and good company. And hopefully loud music to drown out the yowling cats. 

So now you know why I've not had time to keep track of any posts for the POTW. Once I'm settled in, I'll get back on track. But not for a while. Thanks for your understanding. I know you do. 

Now, on to today's post.

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

~ Thomas Hood

The following photos were all taken up at my new place during the course of two quick visits, late in the summer and early autumn.



A peek out through my bedroom window tells me that morning has broken over the lake. I suspect I won't be able to get enough of these sunrise shots, through the years. The scenery is just too beautiful to resist.





Heading over to the living room window, we catch the same break of day, just a few minutes later, complete with a couple of bugs on the window - just above the horizon on the right and near the top of the sky on the left.





An official greeter of the sun - even if it's a bit late in its season.






Beautiful sunlit colours of autumn.






A pair of yellow leaves, held together by the weighted beauty of morning raindrops.






Jeffrey was in town, and joined me up at our place for a few days. He put himself to work cutting the grass and delivering our mail in the process.






This is the magnificent rock face of Blueberry Island, across the bay from our home. The frequently-present loons are swimming into the picture on the left.
 





Withering roses still hold some beauty, and are attractive to insects in need of soft place to rest.






Lovely colours materialize in the sky, as the sun begins its descent. A pair of loons float peacefully along the lake water, just beyond our dock.






This evening sky held such a softness of hazy pink. I wasn't sure that the camera would capture what our eyes saw, but was pleasantly surprised that it did.

And with this, another day is done. There'll be another one coming up again shortly. Stay tuned for more photos.

Scenes From The Cottage

Below are a few more images taken up at the cottage on our last visit.

A few colourful swimming noodles just waiting for someone to grab them and make splash.

Early one morning, I woke up with the strong sense that Mr. Blue was outside the living room window. I just knew he had to be there. I stumbled into the front room and this magnificent creature greeted me. He let me snap a couple of photos through the glass before he flew off to thrill someone else. I later found two feathers (and a huge load of poop) on the dock.

Just for fun, I snapped a photo of the clothes pegs on the line.

Frank caught this little guy from off of the dock. He had to perform a bit of surgery to remove the hook which the fish swallowed. You can see the red metal in its mouth. A few seconds later our finned friend was reunited with the lake

This is a peek of the sun-kissed lake water as it appears between two trees.

Between two other trees, you can relax in the hammock to watch the sunset.

And here it is. I hope you love it as much as we did.