After the Rain

The stained glass made it through another storm.


Julius the Frog likes rainy days. He looks as though he's smiling.

Summer Is On the Wane

I was working up to a high degree of crankiness on my early morning walk until I was diverted by this balloon soaring overhead. What a magical sight.


On my favorite trail I spotted fallen leaves, reminding me why I felt cranky in the first place-winter is sneaking up on us once more.
These properties back onto the trail and only one household is fenced like a fortress. Keeps the squirrels at bay I guess.


Fences aren’t a bad idea at all, but if you can afford these box Machouses then you should be able to spring for the lovely iron fences.


All the trails are linked with paths like these, between houses. So beautiful to walk through


When I returned home I put out a special mix of nuts and sunflower seeds and Mrs. Mourning dove was first up to the plate. I’m glad because she is my favorite.

Harry the Suck-Up

Harry and I have been having words about sharpening his claws on the furniture.

I lug him to the nearest legitimite scratching post to handle the job.

Today he is trying to get in my good graces.

He is succeeding.

Summer, Where Are You?

On my walk this morning the air was crisp and I needed a light jacket.

On my favorite part of the trail, I spotted a red leaf on the ground. Above me, every leaf was firmly attached and not about to let go and no sign of other red leaves. Just this lone one.


These tree roots will be firmly in place when the rest of us have uprooted.


On the way home, I saw dark clouds forming. I’ll toss a coin to see if this is a hang- out- the- laundry kind of day.


I went out to the back to photograph the endless visitors to the bird feeder but their sentry saw me and they all fled.

Julius Is Settling In

Julius the frog likes his new quarters.

Yesterday he disapeared during a violent thunder and lightning storm and this morning I leaned over the water looking for him.

Turns out he was standing an inch or two beside my foot.He leapt into the water and I just managed not to follow suit.


I may have to give him some tiny flags to wave or I'll need CPR one of these days.

Cat naps

Harry has creative ways of napping.
On hot days he cools off by leaning against the wall.


He’s most appealing sleeping on his back, looking so vulnerable and knowing he’s safe. I guess he's forgiven me for catching his tail in the cupboard door, leaving behind a pile of brown fur.


This is another favorite spot.


Max likes to survey his kingdom from the top of the hutch.

A New Tenant

I made my daily pilgrimage to visit the fish in the pond and someone new had taken up residence.


He was quite amiable about being photographed a zillion times and I hope he finds just the right kind of food so that he'll stay.It would be a bonus if he likes mosquitoes.

This sunflower popped up behind the pond. It came from the the bird feeder I used to keep there.


The magnolia tree is going berserk. The poor thing was moved four times at the other house because It just didn't want to settle in wherever I planted it and consequently hardly grew at all.
I brought it here with me and its settling in nicely. However, this is August and blooming time around these parts is long gone. Nevertheless, there are buds on this little guy. There is also a perfect sucker growing from the base and I will have to read up on how to deal with that. I'd like to think there is a clever way to get another tree out of the process.

Time for My Close-up

It was Elise's first day of horseriding camp and I was thrilled to take her. Despite her excitement she sternly cautioned me on the way, "Gramma, absolutely no picture- taking. You drop me off and you go. No pictures."

This is Elise when she is prepared to pose, with her Uncle Steve.


I managed to sneak a picture of the office/cabin when her back was turned.


In any new situation she turns super cool; suddenly she is nine going on thirty-nine and there is't anything she doesn't know. It's what I call the "yeah, whatever" mode. I was counting on that to catch a shot of her before she headed off to the stables. That wasn't a total success.


I tucked the camera away and departed, leaving her to a blissful sweaty day getting used to her horse- for- the- week named Whiskey. Trust me on this, there is no picture of Whiskey.

Later on the way home, we stopped at Macd's for a little sustenance and she allowed a quick shot while she munched and called her mom about her day.


We both understand about that line drawn in the sand; she knows I'll take a few quick shots and I know that when she's grown she'll pore over pictures like these and the whole wonderful day is re-lived.

Auction Day

It's only a fifteen- minute drive into the countryside before I arrive at my destination, salivating at the vision of treasures that might await me.




A couple of minutes drive down a winding lane and I park, leaving plenty of room for the Mennonite buggies that have their own area.


The building is called the Khaki Club and an inside sign boasts,"Horseshoe capital of Canada." There really are horseshoe pits outside but apparently renting the building out to local auctioneers is a more profitable venture.

There wasn’t much of interest inside today so I concentrated on the outdoor offerings.

This little darling tempted me for a few seconds. What if I got it in a low bid and sneaked it on my son’s lawn? Ah, too much work on such a hot day.


There are lots of tools and garden miscellaneous out here.


I left empty handed and on my way home I passed the horse that never moves from his corner. In all the times I've come this way the sentry is always at his post.Someday I'll stop and ask him for his story.

A Kinder, Gentler World?

When I was a kid most Vancouver neighborhoods had back alleys. Us kids carried paper bags of refuse out back to the cans permanently stationed at the lane and once a week, a truck lumbered down the alley and men emptied out the refuse from the cans. Way in the future would be hydraulic squashers to flatten the debris and the Man From Glad with his sanitary non biodegradable plastic bags.


Parental supervision wasn't in anyone's vocabulary and we played in vacant lots where we made forts, dared each other to touch a passing garter snake and occassionally jabbed at dead rats that had succumbed to the poison left out for them. This was a seaport town remember.
Now the kids have playgrounds where someone else has figured out what they can play with and how safe the equipment is. And who ever heard of play dates?


Mail was delivered to our door six days a week. Six. Now its five days and forget about mail pickup at the mall mail boxes on weekends. My mail box is stationed at the end of the block and I miss the sound of mail plopping to the floor from the slot in the door.
You gotta love that walk to the box on blizzardy days, but curiosity always gets the better of me. It's like hearing the phone ring--it might be someone other than a telemarketer.


In a lot of ways, we had better services but we were tightly reined in about who the neighbors could be and aside from the standard "white bread" restaurants there was a smattering of Chinese and no take outs.

I miss some of those "perks" but today is better. Trust me on this.

Who's the Boss?

When I unpacked after the move I stuffed a kitchen drawer full of baking materials and this seemed a good time to sort through.

Harry has decided the space behind the drawer makes a fine den and he isn't budging.


That boy can out-stare me anytime.

Progress

My house is semi-detached (joined at the middle to its twin) and the deck is off the side of the kitchen. First view stepping out from the sliders was the neighbors stepping out from theirs.

I mean, do you say "hi" each time or do you pretend you don't see one another?

Enter Steve, the mighty carpenter/traveler. He figured out the privacy angle.It worked too, and I have no reasonable explanation for the mirror. The fence suddenly looked so blank and at least I know whoever steps out that door now.



The gazebo tent covering the deck fell into a heap after a torrential spring rain so we tried another tack. The biggest umbrella we could find, fastened to the deck. If that goes, the deck goes with it, probably with the house attached.





The only problem with this paradise in the making is the weather.

It's too hot and humid to actually use the deck.

Next year.

Good Bye Again

Steve the family traveler is on the road again.



This time he’s off to Calgary to work and eventually explore more of the Far East.

Why Calgary? It was his home for years and although he says he loves us, he thinks the Ontario summers and winters are not to be believed, let alone live through.

He’s the perfect houseguest. He quietly studies the way the house runs and adapts himself to that rhythm.

He treasures his friends, some he met through the Internet and has yet to see in person. They are scattered all over kingdom come and he has to be astute with the best phone service to handle all those calls. The Emails are easier but he likes voice contact.

It was a joy having you here, Stevie. Enjoy the next phase of your new life and--- don't be a stranger.