The Fog is Rising

We've had a few foggy days and nights over the past couple of weeks...

Let us go in; the fog is rising. ~ Emily Dickinson

This is how morning looked on our street last Tuesday. You can tell it was trash and recycle day but there's not much more to see beyond that. Unless of course we head into the park.

Mystery magnifies danger, as a fog the sun. ` Charles Caleb Colton

Fog is disorienting. It took me a moment to figure out exactly where this photo was snapped, even though I walk these paths almost every day. And of course, I took the picture. It's on the way toward the dock.

It is not the clear-sighted who rule the world. Great achievements are accomplished in a blessed, warm fog. ~ Joseph Conrad

The dock at our local park. The weeping willow is beginning to wear its spring green, which of course, hardly shows in this mist.

At night the fog was thick and full of light, and sometimes voices. ~ Erin Bow

We've also had our share of foggy nights. This is the same dock as seen in the previous photo.

The yellow fog that rubs its back upon the windowpanes. ~ T.S. Eliot

The pond is on the left but is completely obscured by nighttime and fog.

Derive happiness in oneself from a good day's work, from illuminating the fog that surrounds us. ~ Henri Matisse

Not a sharp image by any means but I still like how it turned out. Frank looks like he's got his halo on - that devil!

The park is filled with night and fog,
The veils are drawn about the world. ~ Sara Teasdale

To the left, the path leads to the dock. Behind us - home. Ahead - the foggy unknown. Thanks for entering the fog with me.

Tree Bling and The Posts of the Week

A couple of days after I discovered the red yarn featured in this post, I came across more trees adorned with yarn in two other shades. I wonder if someone has done this intentionally with whimsy on their mind, or if the wind brought it as an offering to the squirrels and birds for nest building. However it got there, it was colourful and attractive and begged to be photographed.

The tree on which this aqua yarn sits kind of reminds me of a pretzel. You can see the vagues criss-cross of the chain link fence in the background.

Bright turquoise yarn twists around the delicate fingers of this bush.

I'm pretty sure there was some orange, too but I do not seem to have that photo. Instead, I'll post another turqoise image. With its tiny knot, it's just hanging around. Let's move on, lest I keep you hanging for too long.

And now, without further delay, here are the Posts of the Week. The icon below is yours for the taking if if your blog post is named as a POTW.




YOU'LL GUFFAW

It Happens Every Time
by Ray
at Out and About in New York City

Why I Sleep With My Underware On
by Beth
at Be Yourself


A GOOD READ

Been Debating...
by MessyMimi
at Messy Mimi's Meanderings


TOUCHING

Drag Your Feet to Slow the Circles Down
by Jocelyn
at O Mighty Crisis


CUTE

A Kiss To Build A Dream On
by Diane
at The Blue Ridge Gal


JUST PLAIN GOOD

Playing With Food
by Stephen
at The Chubby Chatterbox

What Goes Around
by Julie
at Midlife Jobhunter

Time Flies
by Jinksy
at Napple Notes

Warning: Diva Alert
by DJan
at DJanity


PHINE PHOTOGRAPHY

Common Toad
by Bob
at Birds and Nature at the Forest of Dean

Does Your Back Yard Make You Smile?
by Jill
at Jillsy Girl Studio



Please drop by their blogs for a visit and leave a kind comment if you have the time. Also, please feel free to add your own choices (for any blog except this one) for a specific blog post in the comments section below, where others can see them.

Thank you.

Dreamy, Spring Day

It was a dreamy, spring day in March, and I felt as if my camera and I had a personal invitation to come out and watch the buds grow into their own. The little pond in the park is always a good place to enjoy life in progress.

Ordinarily, I wouldn't have have posted this photo. It's not in sharp focus. The mallard is not really in view, though he is striking an interesting pose on one foot. I snapped it through the twigs of a newly-budding bush and you can see its out-of-focus lines in foreground while still viewing the duck, rock and tree in the background. For some reason, I like how it all turned out. To me, it has something of a dreamy effect.

This leaf is about to unfurl. You can see the tiny, downy fluff protecting the tender shoots.

Poplar trees are beautiful in spring. Before they sprout their leaves, catkins emerge. At first they look a bit like pussy willows - all grey and fluffy, but that soon falls away and lovely, pink, miniature flower appear. They'll elongate and lighten in colour before they drop off to make room for the leaf.

This isn't new growth, but last year's rose hips. They looked so pretty in the golden sunlight and I couldn't resist snapping a shot.

Maple buds look something like a sea creature at this stage. Or maybe a koosh ball.

This is my climbing rose bush about to put out leaves. You can see the thorns which are out of focus. The plant was a gift from my son and is doing nicely for the third season.

A sunny, side view of a crocus. I took so many shots from this angle and that. And then Frank thought I should take some more. And I did. I couldn't quite get enough of it but I'll spare you by showing just the one.


In a few days, I'll share my foggy excursions with you.

The Spring Came Suddenly

The spring came suddenly, bursting upon the world as a child bursts into a room, with a laugh and a shout and hands full of flowers. ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Everyone is saying it.

This March is the warmest one any of us can recollect. After a short, mild, mostly-snowless winter, spring seems to have arrived boldly, swiftly and packing the heat of a mid-June afternoon. Temperatures have been in the twenties celsius (70 to 78 F) for over a week now, and buds which usually begin to show signs of minute growth in April, are showing measurable growth daily.

The images below were taken March 11 through 16. They depict my first photographic signs of budding and growth. Everything has changed considerably since then. So I'll have more photos in a few days.

Everything is blooming most recklessly; if it were voices instead of colors, there would be an unbelievable shrieking into the heart of the night. ~Rainer Maria Rilke

The clamours of spring are the same old delicate noises,The earth renews its magical youth at a breath. ~Arthur Symons

Spring work is going on with joyful enthusiasm. ~ John Muir

Every spring is the only spring - a perpetual astonishment. ~Ellis Peters

Springtime is the land awakening. The March winds are the morning yawn.
~Lewis Grizzard

Poor, dear, silly Spring, preparing her annual surprise! ~Wallace Stevens

I glanced out the window at the signs of spring. The sky was almost blue, the trees were almost budding, the sun was almost bright. ~Millard Kaufman

"The force of Spring -
mysterious,
fecund,
powerful beyond measure."
- Michael Garofalo

"When the time is ripe for certain things, these things appear in different places in the manner of violets coming to light in the early spring." ~ Farkas Bolyai

When spring came, even the false spring, there were no problems except where to be happiest. ~Ernest Hemingway

Over and Under and The Posts of the Week

Just a couple of images to accompany the Posts of the Week.

This little guy sits on Frank's dashboard. He adds more than a splash of colour to our drives. I snapped it while Frank went into the store to get a newspaper.

We had a decent lunch at a little restaurant near my place, one day. For some reason I was intrigued with getting a shot of the boots under the table. I grabbed this one on the sly.


And now, without further delay, here are the Posts of the Week. The icon below is yours for the taking if if your blog post is named as a POTW.




YOU'LL LAUGH

Watermelon
by Joanna
at The Fifty Factor


A GOOD READ

Running Buddies
by Elizabeth
at Magical Moments

Imagine
by Pauline
at Writing Down the Words


SO CUTE

First Verse
by Brian
at Waystationone


JUST PLAIN GOOD

Milestone Day
by Friko
at Friko's World


PHINE PHOTOGRAPHY

Male Red-crested Pochard
by Bob
at Birds and Nature in the Forest of Dean

All Things Bright and....
by Adrian
at Adrian's Images

In-Finnite Light
by Louciao
at Décolleté Glimpses

Sunset Sunday
by Scott
at Just Used Pixels


TOUCHING

Winter Cemetery
by Steve
at Take a Look Around


Please drop by their blogs for a visit and leave a kind comment if you have the time. Also, please feel free to add your own choices (for any blog except this one) for a specific blog post in the comments section below, where others can see them.

Thank you.

Springaling

So spring has sprung, it would seem. Birds have returned from their winter hideaways. Males are singing their hearts out high atop trees. Mallards and geese are pairing up. And some birds are fighting for the rights to their chosen mates

My true first sign of the season is the return of the red-winged blackbirds with their wonderful "Bdleeeeeeeeeeet." Their calls, along with a few other bird sounds are the noises which define spring and summer for me.

They're lovely in flight. These two allowed me to approach the tree upon which they were perched. Then they decided to show off with a bit of aerial acrobatics for my camera. At least that's what I like to believe.

Gulls are beautiful to watch in flight.

And at rest.

And at hurried departure due to woman with camera approaching.

Duck fight! There are only so many female mallards at this pond.

This guy has successfully chased his rival right out of the camera frame.

Have a look at this flurry of activity in front of the tree. It would appear that these robins were squabbling about something.

Here there are, face to face - a stand fly off. How do you suppose this stated?

Ah there she is, waiting patiently while the males fight over her. It looks like we have a winner.


Of course the signs of spring aren't limited to just birds. I'll be back in a few days with some freshly emerging buds and some other goodies. Until then, enjoy the weather - no matter which season surrounds you and thanks always for joining me.

Kersplash!

So here we are, halfway through March and we're still wondering if we're going to be dumped upon by the winter that never was.

Last week, Frank and I were at his place. We decided to take a drive down to the lakefront (Lake Ontario is just a few minutes from his home) to watch the waves roll in. It was a warmer day than usual for March (par for the course, this winter) and the winds were coming from the south. Since we're on the northern shore of the lake, this meant that spring would be blowing in from our American neighbours across the pond.

It was mild enough in town, but when we got closer to the water, the temperatures dropped considerably. Our winter jackets were still most welcomed.

Just offshore, we saw this beautiful Trumpeter swan bearing yellow identification tag C15. A quick Google search gave me a bit of information about this lovely creature. The Trumpeter Swan Society of Ontario has interesting details about our local swans on their blog. Reading through the comments which reference C15, I learned that this particular swan is relaxed, friendly, has been known to wander along the roadside and is comfortable enough around humans to eat out of their hands. She displayed none of this when we saw her. She was just floating around and grazing on goodies in the water.

We wandered along the shoreline for a bit but understandably stopped short of this fallen tree.

Another quick ride in the car brought us to a different part of the shoreline where the waves were crashing quite enthusiastically.

This Canada goose seemed rather unperturbed about the incoming waves.

I had fun watching the water come crashing and kersplashing in. I wasn't close to this activity so my camera stayed nice and dry.

Gotta love a zoom lens.


So those south winds brought us some pleasant, spring weather. The week was warming up nicely with the promise of winter's end.

And then this happened.


Not to worry. It didn't last long. Hours later, there was no sign of winter's blast, and today, as I type this, there are tiny leaf buds beginning to appear everywhere. It was a warm 17C (63F) and I walked around snapping photos. I'll have some of those for you in a few days.

Thanks always for joining me.

Bright Spots and Posts of the Week

Last week, Frank's wonderful family got together to reunite with some longtime family friends who were visiting from England. It was a lovely day, and I took some photos which I still have to sort through for family members and friends, but I also snapped a few with my bloggie people in mind.

Knowing that there are quite a few animal lovers among you, I thought should share this little sweetie with you. She's a tiny, purry thing under all that fur. Picking her up, she felt like a kitten in my arms but according to her people, she hasn't been a kitten for 21 years! That's a lot of fine, feline living.

This little princess shares her living space with two cats. Callie has been up at the cottage with Benny before. and she tolerates him - for a few moments at a time. She's a sweet, gentle little pooch who very much enjoyed basking in the afternoon sunlight.

Another bright spot for my camera was this interesting floor lamp. I couldn't resist photographing its spiral pattern. I stared at it without a problem for a while until I got the photo that I wanted, but now that I'm looking at the image, I find it makes me dizzy. Or I might just be tired.

And now, without further delay, here are the Posts of the Week. The icon below is yours for the taking if if your blog post is named as a POTW.




A GOOD READ

First Love, True Love
by EthelMae Potter
at The Adventures of Fred and Ethel

Pussywillows....
by Oma Linda
at Ye Olde Crone's Gazette

The Best
by Nezzy
at Cow Patty Surprise


SO CUTE

Meet Quigley
by Glo
at Porcelain Rose


JUST PLAIN GOOD

Time to Spring Forward
by Shammickite
at Rook's Nest

Royalty
by Tabor
at Room Without Walls



YOU'LL LAUGH

Splat!
by Linda
at To Behold the Beauty

Only $1.49 to Kick Zen's Ass
by Fragrant Liar
at Fragrant Liar


PHINE PHOTOGRAPHY

Connected
by Kerri
at A Little Piece of Me

Golden Glow
by Fiona
at Lady Fi



Please drop by their blogs for a visit and leave a kind comment if you have the time. Also, please feel free to add your own choices (for any blog except this one) for a specific blog post in the comments section below, where others can see them.

Thank you.