Some photos, some fun, some writing, some food, some contemplation…..experiencing life!
In a tiny brief post on a fellow blogger’s page, I just now discovered this link….and wow!
Almost passed it by….
I’m glad I decided to peek instead. 
It will open up another window to our world for you.
It’s such a gorgeous ride with spectacular views….I urge you to have a look….and enjoy! 
This is the link to the blog post, which originally caught my attention….
And this is the subsequent link to the blog post by Karim Iliya, who created this beautiful film.
Clustered together,
Protected with clear plastic,
White orchids as gifts.
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Last week when I was at the grocery store, I paid closer attention to the floral display area.
Looking so welcoming, all those potted plants and flowers greeted incoming customers. A diverse selection of colours and plant types for people to choose to keep…or give as gifts in this Christmas season.
The flowers that primarily caught my attention were these good-sized white orchids. Each plant looking in excellent health, holding proudly several orchid blooms. I smiled. It had me thinking how over time orchids have become more popular.
Many years back when I had a house filled with potted plants of varying kinds, I would hear about orchids and think how particular their requirements are….and that they were barely seen in floral or nursery stores, which further underscored my perception of their elusiveness to have success at growing them at home.
Then in later years, I would see my father avidly taking care of three or four orchid varieties in my parents’ home – all looking healthy and producing beautiful blooms! It occurred to me, when I asked my father about their care, that perhaps they weren’t QUITE as particular in their environmental requirements as I used to think.
So, when I now see these orchids popping up in all manner of stores, I conclude that somehow they have become more mainstream in their appeal and in their care.
And that’s a good thing.
A deepest of reds,
Lovely when fully opened;
The Mallow flower.
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When I was visiting my parents two weeks ago, I spent some time walking about in their backyard garden, to gaze upon and admire all the various flowers and plants that my Dad lovingly tends.
This was the first time for me to see one of their favourites – the mallow. The flowers are huge and enthralling to look at.
Here is a close-up of its center….
The beauty of nature in its finest of details and design….
I had meant to take a photo of the flower with my hand beside it to show perspective, but in the excitement I forgot to do that, so my parents kindly sent me one from their collection.
In this final photo, you can see the comparative size of one of the mallow flowers with my Mom’s hand next to it.
Rural road beauty –
It pops up quickly; then gone,
Sweet nature’s embrace.
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At least once, and sometimes twice, weekly I drive up various back roads to get from my home to a beautiful place called White Lake; also about a 35-40 minute drive further north. White Lake is a good-sized lake, and so there are numerous cottages and homes dotted along its shoreline, as well as a few camping and cabin-renting resorts.
There are some coves and larger bays along White Lake as well. In one area, near Echo Point – good name, don’t you think? – is where I go to visit my senior friend, Leah, of whom I have written a couple of posts. Along Pickerel Bay is the resort Pickerel Bay Lodge, and that’s where I work on Saturday mornings in the summertime (and the occasional weekday morning during pre-season)….cleaning cottages.
Just this past Saturday in the early afternoon, as I was driving back home after working, I passed through this short section of densely tree-lined road – which always gives me a wonderful feeling inside – and snapped some photos. The whole morning it had been raining lightly…. and the sky had been one blanket of light grey clouds.
I always DO feel like nature is giving me an embrace here. I feel the lush greenness of colour, the stillness of the trees, the branches reaching out and over and across, and I feel enveloped. Embraced. I love that stretch of road.
So I decided to share its loveliness with you. I hope you like it. Envision yourself there with the cool, fresh air….and the serenity and calm.
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Note: How fast life can get busy and not leave time for my writing.
Mind you, at least I have been continuously taking pictures so that when I can do some writing, I am able to include those selected…and get writing! 🙂
Yesterday throughout the day we had a substantial amount of snowfall, which was then followed by freezing rain. Now, in this area of Eastern Ontario, freezing rain can wreak havoc with the trees – the weight of the snow and ice causes some distress to them – as well as driving on the roads – oh so slippery! – and even power outages when the hydro lines become affected.
In spite of the stress it puts on nature and us, there is still beauty to be found in the diverse ice formations.
When I was taking the garbage bins out late last night to leave by the road, I couldn’t help but notice all the glittering in the trees that was going on, and decided to grab some shots.
With the house light, the mood was set….
An accumulation of frozen water globules and orbs on the railing….
And then these next two….
…..with the different reflected ice patterns from the branches with the light…..
This next one reminded me of fireworks, with the circular shapes and the rippling outwards effect….
There was a little shrub with its evergreen leaves embraced by the ice….as well as the back side of my car with its bit of encrusted ice layer…..
And finally a variety of icicles and suspended frozen water drops…..
It was a quiet night with a tiny bit of wind and still more raindrops falling.
Wedding Centrepiece;
Clusters of hydrangea blooms,
Sweet-smelling roses.
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At last week’s catering, there were some unclaimed floral centrepieces. Some of the guests remembered to take theirs, and some were left behind.
They looked beautiful in square glass vases at the centre of each dining table.
I was offered an unclaimed bouquet to take home as a present…..but without the glass vase. The vases belong to the restaurant. I found a new, clear plastic bag that was big enough to hold a bouquet gently in its folds without squeezing a petal.
When I arrived back home, I pulled out the bouquet from the plastic bag and found a suitable glass vase for it. Filled almost to the top with fresh water, I placed the bouquet in the formation it seemed to want to stay. Monochromatic beauty. White hydrangeas with five good-sized, cream-coloured, gently sweet-scented roses tucked in as well.
Inhaled deeply and slowly. Ahhhh…….the whisper of a joyful wedding wish.
I have been enjoying my walks along this country road throughout this summer and into the fall. It has been an eye-opening experience for me to really see how much wondrous beauty I could find every day in this small area. And it isn’t always big, smack-in-your-face, eye-popping beauty. Much of it showed up in subtle ways. Almost as if it would just whisper to me, “look here, oh, and over there! What do you see?” I found beauty in the different trees, various wildflowers, occasional encounters with wildlife, and clouds in the sky that would set the mood from bright and cheerful to sombre and stormy…..with occasional sunsets mixed in. I took hundreds of photos on these walks, because every day brought new treasures to light, and I just HAD to capture them on camera.
Funny, the silly notions we can have sometimes! When I first thought about starting these walks and deciding to take a specific route – initially mostly for the distance I hoped to walk, as well as the time it would take – the thought crossed my mind about how long it would be before I would get bored of seeing what I then thought would be the same old scenery every day. Little did I know…..just what kinds of surprises nature had in store for me! And she was a wonderful teacher…..as always.
The top two pictures are of a farm machine – I believe it’s a combine? But I could be wrong, as I’m not that familiar with farm machinery. It was standing in the field, ready to go to work. I saw it on the first part of my walk, and when I was returning, someone had climbed into it and put it to good use in that field. You can see all dried up cornstalks on the neighbouring field, still standing tall….not having been turned under yet.
Then there was a field that had a late hay harvest – last one for this year – which must have fairly recently been baled and left to dry in the sun.
I took another picture of my favourite little cabin by some woods and down a winding trail….with that ever-present rain puddle halfway up. That puddle never seemed to disappear. And I can look back at photos taken from late spring onwards…..of how that cabin and its immediate surroundings slowly changed over the days and weeks.
And finally a fun-angled photo of the two roads at that intersection…..one of which leads up to my home.
I hope you enjoyed this short “walk” with me.
Aquilegia;
Delicate and fine design,
My heart sings to see.
