Friday Photos - Birds on a Wire

One of the things I was looking forward to doing in September (here's the complete list) was taking photos of birds sitting together on a wire and I finally got my chance.  

Over the past few weeks, as I was driving to and from work, I often noticed large flocks of birds sitting cozily on a wire or swirling overhead.  It would drive me crazy because there I would be in the car admiring the birds while my camera was sitting at home.  I finally got smart and started taking my camera with me every day just in case.   I was rewarded this week, when I stopped at a red light, to see these birds sitting together on a wire.   I quickly snapped some photos while the light was red and was smiling all the way to work.  Of course, I played around with the photos a bit on Picnik as well.

I'm often extolling the benefits of using Picnik, an on-line photo-editing program, on your photos (see here and here), so I thought I would throw in one photo to show the before-and-after shots.

If you see a crazy woman at a stop light rubbernecking at the birds and snapping photos, please just smile and wave at me!

Friday Photo - Who Has Seen the Wind?

I entertained myself this past weekend at the cottage by taking photos that would show how windy it was.  It's not easy to take photos of the wind, but I like to set myself challenges so this is how I entertained myself.  I went around the island taking photos of wind, or more truthfully photos of the effects of the wind.  

What do you think?  Do you feel windblown when you look at these photos?  When you see the last photo you will see what Juno thinks.

Who has seen the wind?
Neither I nor you.

 But when the leaves hang trembling,
The wind is passing through.
    

Who has seen the wind?

Neither you nor I.

 But when the trees bow down their heads,
The wind is passing by. 

poem by Christina Rossetti

Friday Photo - Leaving on a Jet Plane

I've been having a little fun over the past few Fridays with some blast-from-the-past travel and camping photos.  Here's one more, just to get you in the mood in case you are off on a late summer getaway (you can see the others here,  here and here).

We are all dressed in matching outfits yet again - you would have thought we could sing like the Von Trapps or something.  Anyway we are on our way home from Nigeria where we lived for 2 years.  I was 7 in this photo, and my brothers 9 and 5 years old.   I love how we dressed up in those days just to take an airline flight.

Friday Photo - Camping in the Rain

The last camping-in-the-rain photo just tickled my funny bone so much that I'm showing you another.  It might even be from the same trip as we all look about the same age.   Don't we look lovely in our matching raincoats.

It sure brings back memories - cold, damp, wet ones - which couldn't be further from the weather this summer, which has been, for the most part, hot and dry.

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I'm meeting Susan, of Susan on Design, who is visiting Toronto this week for work.  Susan lives and works in the lovely tiny maritime province of Prince Edward Island and is braving our hot humid weather to attend a buying show for her store Moving Designz Home and Cottage. We have arranged to meet tomorrow and have lunch in the Distillery District in Toronto.   I'm tickled pink to be meeting a real live bloggy friend.   Photos coming soon!

Friday Photo - Camping in Europe

I'm heading out camping this weekend so that inspired me to show you another blast-from-the-past camping photo (see here for the last one).  

We camped every summer when I was a child.  Since my father was a teacher, we had lots of time to go on long trips and with 5 children in the family, camping was the most practical and the most fun way to travel.

This photo was taken in Switzerland when I was about 6 years old - that's me with the red hoodie on facing the camera.  Apparently it wasn't sweltering in Europe that summer!

We lived in Nigeria for 2 years when I was a child and spent our summer holidays in Europe.  I remember bits and pieces of our time there, although I was pretty young.  One of the things I do remember was losing my teeth in different countries and the tooth fairy giving me different currency depending where I lost my tooth.

It's a long weekend here so we're away on Monday as well, but I have a post planned that I think you will find inspiring.  Have a great weekend everyone!

Friday Photo - Suburban Wheat Field Photos

A good friend of mine has recently gone through a difficult separation and is finally now getting settled in her own home.   It is so nice to see her enjoying setting up her house, which I hope to show you a few photos of in the near future.  Her living room and dining room windows face west so it takes on a warm honey-coloured glow in the setting sun.  Although she lives in a suburban area, just over the fence behind her house is a wheat field, beyond which is the local mall and a row of fast-food restaurants.  When you look out her living room window all you notice is the beautiful wheat field and especially when it picks up the golden sunlight at dusk.  

I went over to the wheat field late in the day last week to take some photos.  Looking at the photos you might think I was out on the prairies, but in fact I was standing at a busy intersection taking photos.

I love how these first two photos look like paintings.

The golden glow of the sun through the wheat was just gorgeous. 

And a few vintage-type treatments on some photos:

As threshing separates the wheat from the chaff, so does affliction purify virtue.

Christian Nestell Bovee

Linked to Inspired by at The Inspired Room
I'm Lovin' it Fridays at Tidy Mom

Friday Photos - Engagement Photos

When we were at the cottage for Canada Day I had the opportunity to take some informal engagment photos of my eldest son, Malcolm, and his fiance, Christie.  They smiled and smiled and willingly posed in all the spots I had sussed out, and were good sports about being bossed around.

The first three are my favourites.  

This photo was snapped when Malcolm offered to give Christie a piggy-back ride because her barefeet were sore from walking on the rocks.

Christie is so photogenic - I think there was only one photo where she had her eyes shut.  It bodes well for the wedding photos!

These next two I tried to give a retro cottage sun-washed look using Picnik.

This last photo I included just for fun.  We were all joking around.

I have to say it was difficult choosing my favourite ones.  It was a fun photo-shoot.

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Just a reminder to check out my summer giveaway, which is on until July 13th.

Friday Photo - Flowers

 Have a lovely weekend and Happy 4th of July to my American bloggy friends.

Friday Photo - We Welcome you to Munchkinland

Is this not the cutest cottage ever?  The rounded red door just makes me swoon.  We saw this adorable cottage when we were on vacation several years ago in Parrsboro, Nova Scotia.  The cottage was right down near the beach looking out to the Bay of Fundy. 

It is no more than about 12 x 14 feet with a small second floor loft. I remember that as soon as I saw it I began obsessively thinking up floor plans that would accomodate a small kitchen, a table for two, and a sofa or 2 easy chairs on the main floor.  Not easy to do in such a small area.  It completely captured my imagination.  I would looooove to have gone inside.

 
If this were my cottage, I would walk the beach looking for pretty stones, watch the amazing Bay of Fundy tides, take moody photos in the fog, and then go home for a cup of tea. 

Friday Photo - A Rose with Attitude

I saw this rose on my way to work last week and stopped to take photos.  See how dedicated I am to all you bloggy friends.  I went out of my way to take its picture because this is no ordinary rose.  No ma'am, this rose is:

a)  Working on providing the most spectacular setting for a port-a-potty.

b) The little-rose-that could, working to make the world more beautiful one junkyard at a time.

c) Both.

You've got to admire persistance like that.  Even the graffitti on the port-a-potty seems impressed.

Thanks rose!  We could do with more like you.

Linked to Inspired By at The Inspired Room
Favourite Post at Bright, Bold, and Beautiful

Friday Photo - Roses in our Garden

Roses in our neck of the woods usually bloom in June - except for this year when the very warm spring has brought the beauties out early.

 

Sigh - rose heaven!