Cast in a Golden Light

First thing we'd climb a tree
And maybe then we'd talk
Or sit silently
And listen to our thoughts
With illusions of someday
Cast in a golden light
No dress rehearsal,
This is our life

~ Rob Baker/Gordon Downie

There truly is something bordering on magical about that time of day just before sunset (or just after sunrise). The super saturation of colour. The lengthening shadows. The depth of texture. They all make for an especially enjoyable time to be behind the lens. These photos were taken at various times during the past couple of months, at that wonderful hour, late in the day. I hope you enjoy them.


Flowers in the park seem exceptionally proud of their brilliant colours in the late-day sunshine.






Hopefully some rain will bring more water into the nearly-dry Jackson Creek. I'll bet that something interesting lives amid the roots and rocks at the base that tree.






Let's have a closer look. What do you think could be hiding in there?






A young artist was enjoying the lingering daylight while painting the lake in front of her.






This was a bit earlier in the day, in Omeeme, Ontario. There was still a slight amber hue to the light.







A few fuzzy berries basking in the sun's warming rays.






Saturation (whether by rain water or by golden sun rays) really adds drama to tree bark. This stand of trees in the park seems to be appreciative of that.






Colourful canoes look positively brilliant in this light.






A gardening crew are all ready to take on the next project.






I'm glad I'm not allergic to goldenrod as my mother was. I find it quite attractive. So do all of the little bugs you'll find if you look closely.






The sun sets on the city of Peterborough, and you'd think that would mean that the day is pretty much over.






But not if the date is August 20, 2016. And you're in Canada. And you know that this is the night that movie screens are being set up all over the country to simulcast The Tragically Hip's final concert.






Have a seat. Welcome the night. And see 'the constellations reveal themselves one star at a time.'
Thank you, Gord Downie. 'You are ahead by a century.'

What Children Like

I never get any protests from children. All you get are giggles of mirth and squirms of delight.

I know what children like. 

~ Roald Dahl

There is no shortage of adorable children in Peterborough. And of course, since kiddos come in all shapes, sizes and species, you'll find a few of the non-human variety here, as well.

I hope you enjoy.

Come away, O human child!

To the waters and the wild

With a faery, hand in hand,

For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.

~ W.B. Yeats

These two siblings were having a bit of a tug of war on the dock, one evening. He wanted to stay and she wanted to return to the nearby restaurant.

Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself. You may house their bodies but not their souls, for their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

~ Kahlil Gibran

She won!

Watch the littlest kids carefully; the biggest messages for the grown-ups are hidden there!

~ Mehmet Murat ildan

Closer to sundown on the same day, a younger pair peered into the water together while their mom watched over them from just outside of the camera's view.

I like dogs

Big dogs

Little dogs

Fat dogs

Doggy dogs

Old dogs

Puppy dogs

I like dogs

A dog that is barking over the hill

A dog that is dreaming very still

A dog that is running wherever he will

I like dogs.

~ Margaret Wise Brown

Bounding into the water just like a little kid, this dog couldn't be happier.

The most affectionate creature in the world is a wet dog. ~ Ambrose Bierce

And back out again with his victorious capture. He runs to his person to toss the ball into the river for another opportunity to swim and fetch.

A child's imaginary playmate just might actually be there. ~ Doug Dillon

Same river, different dog with his kidlet, having a late afternoon swim.

Your children will smash your understanding, knowledge and reality. You will be better off.

Then they will leave. You'll miss them forever.

~ Tibor Kalman

And then they moved on. The dalmatian was in a kayak with one of two adults (though only one of visible in this photo) up ahead.

A party without cake is just a meeting. ~ Julia Child

I'd hazard a guess that there were a bunch of kids enjoying a birthday party just inside this home.

Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them.

~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Speaking of parties, the little cutie hidden behind the cup is one of Carol Anne's neighbours who recently attended her milestone birthday party.

A child is a curly, dimpled lunatic. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

I suspect that this little guy has another pair of shoes much like this at home.

Cats are rather delicate creatures and they are subject to a good many ailments, but I never heard of one who suffered from insomnia. ~Joseph Wood Krutch

The only "kid" I have still living with me is my beautiful Zephyr.

The soul is healed by being with children. ~ Fyodor Dostoyevsky

This little sweetness was having fun exploring the sand and splashing in the water.

When a kid says "smell my hand," it almost never smells like cinnamon. ~ Brian P. Cleary

And finally, this exuberant little girl was feeling the evening music at an outdoor concert.

More photos coming up soon. I do also hope to get around to some blog visits before too long. See you soonish!

Eventide

Eventide

Dark and light

striking

each other,

vividly etching wild colors

through the horizon.

The charm of sunset

makes me want

to scurry home.

~ Tara Estacaan

Are you ready to pick up where we left off in the last post?


We had been wandering the shores of Little Lake when we stopped for ice cream. Evening was quickly approaching.






I was chatting on the phone with my son at the time that I took this pic. Yes, I put my boy on hold for a photo op.






Although it's impossible to see it clearly, this isn't a squirrel on the dock. Though I thought it was at first, I soon realized that it was actually a young mink out for a bit of an exploration. I saw it more clearly on another night but it was even darker out and I never got a good shot of it.





Just a little later, a couple walk hand in hand along that same dock.






Local kids get a last game of volleyball in before it's too dark to see.






Moments later, the game and net were abandoned until another day and one of the players readied his bike for the ride back home.






A peaceful spot to sit and watch the sun go down.






They light up the fountain at night. It changes colours several times through the course of the evening.






Just a man and his dog, enjoying the peace of Little Lake.






This is probably the most romantic scenes I have ever happened upon. A lantern-lit dinner for two on a picnic bench along the water's edge. There was music playing from across the lake - one of the many free evening concerts offered by this wonderful town.






Goodnight, Peterborough.

Thanks for walking with me. It's always nice to have some company while wandering about town, and yours is always the best.

More photos coming up before too much longer.

Till Sundown

I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in. ~ John Muir

The sun clearly indicates summer's departure by easing itself beneath the horizon earlier each evening. That might just be nature's way of telling me to take advantage of some great photo opportunities and still have enough time left at the end of the day to catch some of the new fall shows on television. Yeah, I'll go with that.

How long has it been since we've walked together? Too long? Okay, let's remedy that right now. No need to grab a jacket. The evenings are still plenty warm here and we'll be around the water and back before you know it. Let's head to the calming waters of Little Lake.


This photo was taken much earlier in the spring before the marina was actually open for docking. The combination of clouds and late day sunlight made for an interesting view. I also played around with the image a little bit in Photoshop to make it a tad more dramatic.






By the time the first of many outdoor concerts began (see previous post), boats were coming from far and wide to dock and enjoy the music.






When the evening sun hits it just right, the spray from Centennial Fountain lights up like a rainbow beacon.






There aren't usually any boats moored in this location. The man on the dock often tosses tennis balls far out into the water, and his two dogs readily jump in to retrieve them. On this day, he had a narrow opening between the boat through which he could throw them. One of his dogs was uneasy about the presence of these large watercraft while the other dog continued leaping into the water as if nothing had changed.






Homes which face west across the water are treated to regular sunsets. As we face east, they provide us with the view of a colourful, quaint community.






Shortly before dusk, the Liftlock Cruises were probably done for the day and a young man relaxes while fishing the waters of Little Lake.






Here's the view to his left, in case you were wondering.






A warning to boaters as they pass through a channel with more shallow waters.






Evening skies provide such pretty colours.

It's getting late and nightfall is just ahead. What do you think of stopping for a bit to enjoy the view, and I'll pick up where we left off on the next blog post? Let's get an ice cream cone from the nearby kiosk and grab seat on the bench behind us for a while. What flavour would you like?

Evening photos coming up soon.