The World Reveals Itself

The world reveals itself to those who travel on foot. ~ Werner Herzog

Let's have a little wander around Peterborough. This takes us back to mid-October when trees hadn't fully changed but the air was still mild and inviting. Please join me!


It was a windy day, and my walk started over at Little Lake where I had a good view of Centennial Fountain showing off her rainbow colours in the brilliant sunshine.






A moment later, the wind picked up, lifting the prism skyward. We were also feeling the mist from across the lake, at times.






This gull was battling the breeze over the waters of Little Lake.






The breezy day was also having fun with the clouds, creating wispy white fingers in the sky.






There must have also been some water droplets in this cloud which formed a subtle rainbow of its own.






This little cutie decided to hang around and pose for a few photos.






Wandering further south, we ended up winding through the paths of the Little Lake Cemetery where this angel was watching over some of the local residents.






Exploring the surroundings, this cutie of a ground hog took one last look before disappearing in her burrow between a couple of monuments.






Something interesting had been going on in this spot where a small, colourful collection of glass and pottery had been left behind.






This little guy was also having a nice little wander several hops ahead.






Juniper berries are bright blue eye-catchers in the sunlight.






Another colourful scene which caught my eye on the way home.






And speaking of home, this was the view outside of my window when the sun broke free of gloomy skies and brushed the trees with its brilliance.

That's it for this time. More photos coming up just as soon as they're ready.

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.'

Beautiful Reserve

I've been mostly absent from the blogging scene these past several weeks. It sure takes a lot of blood, sweat and tears to ready a home for sale. I've collected a lot of "stuff" in twenty-nine years and the house has needed a lot of work to get it up to snuff. But I'm just about there. I think it will be on the market before this week is over. And then it's a waiting game to see when it will sell.

I'm not looking forward to the constant care to keep it looking pristine, and then disappearing on short notice while the home is being shown. But that's all part of the game and it must be endured if I ever want to haul my behind up to our new place. And I most definitely do.

I've not had time to take many photos lately and even less time to put a blog post together but I did set a few up in advance a long while back. The following images are from late spring and early summer. I'm sure most of us would enjoy receiving flowers at this time of the year. These are my gift to you.

One of the most attractive things about the flowers is their beautiful reserve.

~ Henry David Thoreau

By plucking her petals, you do not gather the beauty of the flower.
~ Rabindranath Tagore





The smallest flower is a thought, a life answering to some feature of the Great Whole, of whom they have a persistent intuition.
~ Honore de Balzac





Summer set lip to earth's bosom bare,
And left the flushed print in a poppy there.
~ Francis Thompson





If you've never been thrilled to the very edges of your soul by a flower in spring bloom, maybe your soul has never been in bloom. ~Terri Guillemets






Happiness held is the seed; Happiness shared is the flower.
~ John Harrigan





Every flower is a soul blossoming in nature.
~ Gerard De Nerval




Loveliest of lovely things are they on earth that soonest pass away. The rose that lives its little hour is prized beyond the sculptured flower.
~William C. Bryant





The flower is the poetry of reproduction. It is an example of the eternal seductiveness of life.
~ Jean Giraudoux

More photos coming up... sometime.

Newer Every Day

"We turn not older with years, but newer every day." ~ Emily Dickinson

This beautiful face belongs to my sons' Great Aunt Lois. She's their father's late mother's sister. The faraway look in her eye reflects the bewildered pleasure she felt at having received a special phone call just moments earlier.

This past Sunday was a special occasion - Aunt Lois' 95th birthday. Go on, you can say it. She looks much younger than that. She's young at heart, mind and spirit too.

In earlier years, Lois was a public health nurse right here in Mississauga, and among her duties were postnatal visits to mothers and their babies in the home. One such visit was to a woman just five years her junior, a new mother named Hazel McCallion who has since held the title of Mayor of Mississauga for the last 32 years.

Well, I'm sure you've guessed by now that it was Mayor Hazel on the other end of that phone, calling to congratulate her on her birthday. As it turned out, it was supposed to be an in-person visit, arranged by Lois' granddaughter Amanda and grandson-in-law Colin who were hosting the party. Hazel was planning to attend but was detained at an earlier commitment and opted to call and arrange an afternoon tea at Lois' retirement home sometime this week instead.

Aunt Lois was delightfully stunned by the incident. I'm not sure if the mayor actually remembers Lois - it's not like they've ever been in touch since they met over 50 years ago, but Hazel was touched by Amanda and Colin's desire to do something memorable for Aunt Lois and excitedly agreed to meet with her. It's unfortunate that she wasn't able to make it to the party as it would have been a wonderful surprise, but it's nice to know that she cared to make the phone call and plan an an afternoon tea with her.

When the brief phone call was over, Aunt Lois was so pleased, and she expressed how much she was looking forward to meeting with the mayor. What I found to be particularly touching was how Aunt Lois immediately thought about her late husband. "Reg would have just loved this."

The party was a fine celebration as most birthdays are.

There were gifts.

Beautiful flowers.

Delicious cake.

And flowers on the cake.

And there was lots of love. This is Aunt Lois with her youngest great granddaughter, Maeve. Aren't they a beautiful pair?

Thanks for joining the party.

The mystery image in yesterday's post was of Venetian blinds seen at a restaurant. All comments have now been posted so you can see how everyone did. The full image appears below. All of you who guessed had clever answers but the correct ones were give by Glo, Zuzana, June, Sandra, Daryl, Fragrant Liar, Steve (Out on the Prairie), Kat, Reb and Cricket.

September Days

I can see, hear, smell and feel the changes that signal the end of summer. Mostly it's in the changing landscape. Purple and yellow wildflowers abound while the pink, blue and white petals recede.

I love summer more than any other season, but I'm beginning to appreciate even the coldest days more. Photography has a lot to do with that. It helps to see the world through new eyes.

Here are a few images from what's left of summer. I'll have some cottage shots for you in a few days.. as we step into autumn. Please remember to click on each image to enlarge.

"Art is the unceasing effort to

compete with the beauty of flowers -

and never succeeding."

~ Marc Chagall

"Say not, "I have found the truth," but rather, ”I have found a truth.”

Say not, "I have found the path of the soul." Say rather, "I have met the soul walking upon my path."

For the soul walks upon all paths...

The soul unfolds itself, like a lotus of countless petals."

~ Kahlil Gibran

"By all these lovely tokens

September days are here,

With summer’s best of weather

And autumn’s best of cheer."

~ Helen Hunt Jackson

"September days have the warmth of summer in their briefer hours, but in their lengthening evenings a prophetic breath of autumn. The cricket chirps in the noontide, making the most of what remains of his brief life. The bumblebee is busy among the clover blossoms of the aftermath, and their shrill and dreamy hum hold the outdoor world above the voices of the song birds, now silent or departed."

~ Rowland E. Robinson

"September: it was the most beautiful of words, he’d always felt, evoking orange-flowers, swallows, and regret."

~ Alexander Theroux

"Flowers always make people better,

happier and more helpful; they are sunshine,

food and medicine to the soul."

~ Luther Burbank

"September leaf

Blushing...

Remembering...

The torrid kisses

...Of July

September leaf

Sensing winter

....And oblivion

Shivers...

And whispers

"July, my only love" "Say you remember."

~ LaRetha Adams

"Earth laughs in flowers."

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

"When the goldenrod is yellow,

And leaves are turning brown -

Reluctantly the summer goes

In a cloud of thistledown.

When squirrels are harvesting

And birds in flight appear -

By these autumn signs we know

September days are here."

~ Beverly Ashour

"I've always thought my flowers had souls."

Myrtle Reed

"I love to smell flowers in the dark," she said. "You get hold of their soul then."

~ Lucy Maud Montgomery

"If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change." ~ Buddha

"I will be the gladdest thing

Under the sun!

I will touch a hundred flowers

And not pick one."

~ Edna St. Vincent Millay