The Lazy Mist

So dull and dark are the November days.

The lazy mist high up the evening curled,

And now the morn quite hides in smoke and haze;

The place we occupy seems all the world."

~ John Clare

A week into November, the day started off sunny and bright. I made some coffee and settled in at my desk to check email and to see what was happening on social media. Time passed and I was probably about to pour a second cup when I turned to look out the window. No more sunshine. But no real cloud. It had become rather foggy, and the sunlight was ever so slightly visible on the edge of the haze. Time to grab the camera and head out.


I wandered around the neighbourhood for a while. The sun was already threatening to burn through the mist and I decided to make my way to the river.






Although the air was crisp enough between the bench and where I was standing, I could scarcely make out the opposite river bank.






The view came into focus a bit better once I reached the shore.






Bare trees and misty air. Cold - and yet comforting.






It wasn't long before the sun brought brighter colours into view.






The day soon resumed as it had started - in full sunshine.






Ten days later, on November 18th, the day warmed up to near-summer temperatures. I needed nothing warmer than a t-shirt for my walk.






I wandered in areas both familiar and less so. This was one of the latter.






The day smelled like spring, felt like summer, looked like autumn...






...and yet, in anticipation of winter,  people were taking the opportunity to decorate for Christmas.






Despite the unseasonal warmth, the playground was devoid of kidlets.






The ducks were strutting around as if they had somehow managed to sidestep winter altogether. I might have been doing likewise.






The end of a perfect day.

Reality returned two days later with below-freezing temperatures, very strong winds and a little more than a dusting of snow. But it sure was nice while it lasted.

More photos coming up before too long.

Serendipity

According to the website WhatIs.com, Serendipity is defined as "the act of finding something valuable or delightful when you are not looking for it."

Last Saturday, Don (my kids' Dad) and I attended a family Bar Mitzvah. We were invited separately, but since neither of our significant others was able to attend, we went together. One of my Montreal cousins is the maternal grandmother of the thirteen year-old birthday boy. He, his parents and two siblings live in nearby Toronto, and we see them from time to time, at family occasions such as birthdays and Hanukkah.

The event was pleasant enough, and the luncheon which followed provided a wonderful opportunity for relatives who had not seen each other for a few years to get together and catch up. My Aunt Blanche is a very young 97 year-old, and she traveled in from Montreal to celebrate her great-grandson's special day, and to spend time with family whom she had not seen for awhile.

After the meal, several of us gathered at my cousin Marcy's (Mom of the infamous wallet-thieving JJ) house. We chatted, laughed, took multi-generational photos and enjoyed a relaxed, lovely family-oriented afternoon. This also happened to be Valentine's Day, and since Frank and I had plans for dinner, we said our "good-byes" fairly early. But not before Marcy and I had a most interesting chat in the kitchen.

She told me that she had stuck around until the end of the luncheon because the family wanted to take some photos before Marcy was to take her mother, (my Aunt Blanche) home with her. As the crowd thinned, Marcy recounted a warm conversation she had with the paternal uncle of the Bar Mitzvah boy - an extended family member whom she hadn't seen in several years. She told me the gist of their conversation and repeated several times that he's such a nice guy. She referred to him by his name, Carmi. It tickled my brain with a vague familiarity, and I figured that I must have met him at some event over the years, so I just smiled and nodded. It was only when she said that he and his family were on their way home to London, Ontario that the realization hit me like a lightning bolt.

I grabbed Marcy's arm and may have used just a wee, tiny, excited expletive. I repeated his name. Then I probably repeated the expletive, once again. She looked at me as if I was nuts. I realized that I hadn't remembered him from family mentions (or menschens as Carmi tends to write). I recognized his name from his blog - Written Inc - a place I visit regularly. I know by the names in his comments section, that several of you who are reading this right now, also visit him.

I quickly tried to recall details that I knew about the man whose blog I've been visiting for over a year. "He has a son!" I said.

"He has two sons and a daughter." came Marcy's reply.

Hmmm maybe I didn't exactly recall... "OK, he's from Montreal originally. He commented on my blog about some landmarks that I mentioned in a post."

"Yes, he's from Montreal."

"He's a really, really nice guy. He has a kind, caring heart and he writes very well. And he's a good photographer."

"Yes, he's a sweetheart. I just looove Carmi. And yes, he's a writer but I don't think he's a photographer. Maybe it's not him He's got lighter hair than his brother (father of the Bar Mitzvah boy). Does that help?"

"Hmmm, I don't know. I thought he had dark hair but it's so hard to tell with those little avatar photos."

And so it went.

I figured I'd send Marcy the URL to his blog when I got home but when I checked his site later that evening, he had written about returning home from a family Bar Mitzvah in the nearby big city, and I knew without a doubt that it was the same Carmi Levy.

We exchanged a few emails and expressed our surprise, and ultimate disappointment at being so close and yet so far from actually meeting. He and Marcy had already secured one another's contact information and have since reinforced the bond of friendship that they had known years earlier. We all determined that sometime in the future, we will undoubtedly get together, as it would seem that Fate has dictated we must.

I wore an amused smile for the rest of the weekend.


Below are a few photos from last week. After several very cold days, temperatures rose suddenly overnight. Following a lovely sunrise, it rained a bit later in the morning, after which fog began to form and thicken throughout the day. I went out around the pond a few times to enjoy and photograph the mist. I hope you enjoy it too. Please remember to click on each photo to enlarge.




I awoke to see a brilliant golden orb peek through my window. I took less than five minutes to get my early morning act together and head outside to the pond where this view greeted me. (please click to enlarge)




Moments later, I made my way around to the opposite shore of the pond where I could see that a soft fog had begun to form on the surface of the water. (please click to enlarge)




As the day progressed, it rained and the fog thickened. The air remained humid, and the water droplets hung heavily on the branches. (please click to enlarge)



A curved tree reaches out over the pond as if to peer out into the fog. (please click to enlarge)



The fog creates a soupy background for this tree. It slowly seeps forward to envelope its branches. (please click to enlarge)




The gentle slope of the shoreline balances its trees at precarious angles, allowing some to dip their branches into the fog-covered water. (please click to enlarge)




Trees intertwine as if to orient themselves against the misty background of the opposite shore.




The fog-covered pond seems to provide a layered backdrop for these lonely branches. (please click to enlarge)




Unconcerned with the reduced visibility, a lone duck preens on the still-frozen surface of the pond. (please click to enlarge)



Perspective changes greatly at times. The fog seemed to make this ordinary portion of the pathway appear new to me. (please click to enlarge)




Old leaves which still cling to this tree create a colourful contrast to the hazy background, while droplets of rain dot the branches. (please click to enlarge)




This view is from the dock, beneath the weeping willow. The sun rose from behind it early that morning. It's opposite in perspective from the first photo in many ways. (please click to enlarge)




One last stroll around the pond. Late in the day, snow has almost fully melted and the fog feels even moodier in the near-darkness. (please click to enlarge)

Thank You, Blogger

Raise your hand if you've ever heard of "Blogs of Note."

If you're like me, you might have noticed the little tab which appears on your Blogger dashboard, along with the "Blogs I'm Following" and the "Blogger Buzz" tabs. I'm pretty sure I might have clicked on that tab once or twice in the past, and when I did, it took me to the Blogs of Note page where a few blogs are listed for your clicking pleasure. I may have even visited a few of them but I never gave much thought to why there were there.

I've learned how effective it is to have a blog listed among them, when on December 30th, unbeknownst to me, Blogger included my humble pages as their Blog of Note for that day. The results were something similar to being recognized on David's Authorblog Post of the Day, but on steroids.

I started getting kind, warm comments from a few new faces. One offered their congratulations for being listed as a Blog of Note. It didn't click. When several more made similar comments, not only on my current post but on a few back posts as well, I took a look at my Stats Counter and found that many wonderful people (plus a few spammers and one irate anonymous troll) were visiting my blog at the astounding rate of several hits per minute. By the end of that day, I had 4,400 visitors and as I type this post, my visitor count has topped 14,000 in just five days. That's insane! But so much fun!

I've been trying to keep up with return visits to everyone who has left a comment (thankfully, nowhere near as many as have visited), but that's going to take some time. Until then, I'd like to thank everybody - from "the new kids on the blog" to my long-standing, loyal bloggie buddies for having such kind things to say about The Smitten Image. I treasure every one of your warm words. And thank you Blogger for finding this blog and deciding that it was worth sharing.

Should you decide to take a look around Blogs of Note, consider clicking on a few of them and leaving a comment. You might just make their day too.

Due to semi-popular demand, I've included a photo of the sink mentioned in the previous post. I was standing in the bath tub in order to take it. This bathroom is that small.



Here it is, Jeffrey's Mission Creep Special.



Below are a few photos taken around my home and Frank's place recently. Please remember to click on them to enlarge the images.



Our weather has gone through a number of changes recently - from bitter cold, to surprisingly warm for a brief spell. One morning last week, I awoke to find that a moody fog had crept in, and took up residence for the full day. (please click to enlarge)



Just beyond this tree, a busy freeway is cloaked in fog, rendering it invisible, though its muffled sounds were still apparent. (please click to enlarge)




The pond takes on a bluish hue when fog suspends over the water, and wisps its way between branches. (please click to enlarge)




A clearer view of some branches against the opaque waters below. (please click to enlarge)




Early the next day, the sun painted the sky with streaks of soft cotton candy and honey. (please click to enlarge)




At the creek near Frank's place, a blustery snow squall followed us for much of our walk. (please click to enlarge)



Outside of Frank's window, this Downy Woodpecker had just finished feasting on suet. His beak is still flecked with the fat. (please click to enlarge)




Back at my place, a young Starling pecks away at the suet feeder in my plum tree, bathed in that late-day sunshine which I love so much. (please click to enlarge)



At the side of my back yard, bright red berries still cling to an overgrowth from the next yard. (please click to enlarge)




On a rainy day, this rosy branch is moist with rain droplets. (please click to enlarge)

All Fogged Up

Late yesterday, a fog rolled in, and lingered until after dark. I love how it cloaks familiar scenes and mysteriously transforms how everything looks and sounds. It gives new perspective - something I've seriously needed these last few days.

House repairs have been a source of frustration for me since the raccoon incident (parts one, two and three). In the days following the chaos, the insurance company's contractor has been out to start repairs to the interior. This involved cutting a rectangular hole out of approximately one third of my bedroom ceiling and a similar, though smaller opening at the top of my wall. Once they had access to the interior of the attic, Manuel and his crew filled a dozen large bags with broken stucco ceiling, drywall and soggy insulation. A makeshift plastic wrap funnel was designed to transport any further rain water or melting snow down through the hole in my ceiling and into a bucket on the floor. Plastic was taped beneath the hole, allowing for the funnel to pass through it. Then three enormous pieces of equipment were placed beneath the work, and left there to run for as many days. One was a dehumidifier. Its hose was taped to my carpet, following a path to the bathroom so that it could drain into the sink. The other two machines were over-sized fans - one of which was aimed at the wall, and the other at the ceiling, in an attempt to dry them out for further repair. This would have been more logical if the roof had already been repaired, or at least patched, and if we weren't going to encounter more rain or snow in the following weeks. But that was not to be.

The interior crew - Manuel and the boys were bright, kind and humorous people who helped put my mind at ease despite the lengthy repair time that was becoming evident to me. I have no qualms about their expertise and their consideration for our comfort as they work. I'll be happy to have them back to complete the job when that time comes.

The roofers were not as inspiring. A day or two after Manuel and his people were here, two men arrived to look at, and temporarily patch up the hole in the roof. The weather had been clear and dry up to that point so the fan-blown ceiling and wall had not been challenged. After about fifteen minutes of hammering, the men left, assuring me that this temporary patch would hold out the rain. It didn't. Yesterday morning I awoke to a drip, drip, dripping sound as the raindrops hit the plastic above me. I made another call to the contractor and he said that he'd have a crew out during the day to take a look at what needed to be done to keep me dry. True to his word, three men arrived, hammered some more and left. It rained again last night. My roof continued to leak, filling a bucket with about 2 cm (a half inch) of water and causing rivulets of rain to stream down my wall - a cool effect if it wasn't so damaging.

As it stands at the moment, I'm waiting for callbacks from a couple of other local roofers to determine what the problem is, and to acquire an estimate for the repair. I'll be happy when I know my roof can survive the next rainfall or snow melt and I can clear my head from this fog of house repairs.

As for the raccoon family, I've not heard any chattering since the day after their relocation, but an adult (presumably the mom) has been around at night, munching on seeds that had fallen from my bird feeder. When she consumed all visible seed, she climbed the tree, gave the feeder a good whack and sent more munchies tumbling down to the ground, where she feasted some more.

She was totally unconcerned when I opened the door to snap this picture.

Here are some photos that I took late yesterday, while walking around in the fog. Please remember to click on each of them to enlarge.

The day appeared dreary and the path bleak, yet the fog helped to soften the darkness.

I passed very few people out in the park yesterday evening. Paths were mostly empty.

This is one of my favourite sites along the pathway. The tree's bent limb stood out nicely against the dark fog.



Crows perched upon a nearby tree, were dark silhouettes to the background fog.



There are two lovely willows that grow alongside the lake in our park. This is one of them as taken from across the pathway and up on a hill.



A tree leans out over the water to touch the fog.



Winding my way along the path, I startled a pair of ducks who were resting in the snow. As I snapped this photo, one had just taken flight while the other flapped his wing in preparation.



They landed here on a small rocky peninsula that juts out from the shore.



The female met her reflection in the water below as she decided to follow her already-departed partner.



This was the view from the pathway just beyond where the ducks were sitting.



This is the other willow. Its limbs are as wispy as the fog.