Mud Lake

On Sunday I visited Mud Lake with Tammy, a local photographer I met last week. As much as I love walks with friends and family, I always feel guilty when I slow down, walk ahead, or interrupt someone in mid-conversation so that I can stop to crawl into a bush. It was wonderful to share a common goal with her, and it was such a pleasant day to explore and enjoy the sounds of the woods.

Turtles on a Log

Last Summer’s Queen Anne’s Lace

Northern Flicker

Two Little Ducklings 

Wild Strawberries

We spent almost three hours wandering through the brush and down by the water, only to find an endless number of footpaths. There is a lot of ground to cover around Mud Lake; hopefully we’ll be back again soon.

To see Tammy’s photos, click ~HERE~

Sugar Magnolia ~ Music Monday

Since I have always loved music, I thought I would share some of my favourite songs that are connected with Nature.

Sugar Magnolia

Sugar Magnolia, blossoms blooming

Heads all empty and I feel fine.

Saw my baby down by the river

Knew she’d have to come up soon for air.

Sweet blossom, come on, under the willow

We can have high times if you’ll abide.

We can discover the wonders of Nature

Rolling in the rushes down by the riverside.

~The Grateful Dead

Lyrics ~HERE~

Listen ~HERE~

Pink and Yellow in the Garden

I had a lovely visit to the Experimental Farm with my Mum today. I wanted to catch the Magnolias while they’re still in bloom, and they’re one of her favourite flowers as well.

It was warm in the sun and cool in the shade, and the sunlight was perfect for taking pictures~ not too harsh. When I looked through the photos I had taken, each one was a shade of pink, yellow, or both. 

Thank you Mum, for sharing the afternoon and your love of flowers with me.

Algonquin’s Spring Garden

Every once in a while I take a detour from my usual commute, and stop at Algonquin College. Their Horticulture Program has a lovely student garden on campus.

I am so thankful for public gardens. They soften the concrete and metal landscape of the city.

P.S.~ Other than the violets and tulips in the last photo, I could use some help identifying these flowers~ thanks!

Reflections in the Water

Here are some more pictures from our walk at Mud Lake. I love the way the sun shines at dusk, turning already beautiful colours into jewel tones.

Emerald and Aquamarine

Amber and Peridot

Ruby and Sapphire

The Winner…

Congratulations to Margie, who has won two prints from my shop. She writes a lovely blog that I follow in my reader, so I am happy to see them go to her. Thank you to everyone else who entered, I really appreciated your wonderful comments.

Have a great weekend!

Mud Lake

On Wednesday evening, when we realized there was still plenty of light at 6 pm, we decided to go for a walk down at Mud Lake. I had never been there before but my Mum has suggested it a few times as it’s a popular bird-watching spot.

We saw many Red-Winged Blackbirds, Black-Capped Chickadees, Canada Geese, Robins, Cardinals, and I even spotted a Northern Flicker, who didn’t want to be photographed.

We walked through a marshy area with pointy tree stumps and wood shavings, and saw a little baby beaver nibbling away on some twigs. Apparently he didn’t want his picture taken, either.

The sun was low and shining through the trees. Many spider webs were revealed by the beautiful rainbows caught in their fine threads.

I’ll be back soon with more photos from our walk.

Waiting

I am still waiting for the flowering crab trees to start blossoming. Meanwhile, I’ll take their beautiful red leaf-buds against the blue sky.

A Giveaway…

I am having a giveaway this week! Browse through my Etsy shop, pick your two favourites, then leave a comment here or on my facebook page. This is open until Friday at midnight when I will randomly choose a winner!

First Farm Trip of the Year

Every year I make a point to visit the Central Experimental Farm at least once. It is a treasure we have right here in the middle of our city, and it holds a lot of family memories for us.

Today my goal was to see if the Magnolias were blooming yet. One tree was partially open, and the rest were ready to pop, so I will try to go back in a few days. I did see a many of these tiny purple flowers; like crocuses, they are popping up everywhere.

These white flowers were growing by the path in the shady rock garden. I love the tiny flower at the bottom looking at its shadow.

I started a Flickr Group for members to post their photos taken at the farm. I hope more people join, I am looking forward to seeing their perspective!

Forsythia

From afar I always thought this was a shrub with pale green leaves. Today a friend of mine pointed them out, saying how much she loved these bright yellow flowers, which were growing wild by the side of the road.

It’s Forsythia, so vibrant and pretty, and I can’t believe that I had been missing it all this time. I looked it up, and I found some surprising information about it here, if you’re interested.

Lesson learned:

Don’t take everyday things for granted. Take a closer look.

Trying New Things…

In the last year or so I have really been inspired to unleash my creativity. It started with my photography, but I have felt compelled and inspired by others to try other things as well.

Embroidery was one thing I wanted to try, and I have a friend who dabbles in it. I asked her to show me a few basics to get started and now I am making this Luna Moth.

I also found inspiration in words written by resurrection fern:

you don't have to be a painter to paint

This resonated with me, because I always felt like something was holding me back from trying new things. I worry too much about being good at it, when all that really matters is the process of learning and enjoying it.

Mini Buntings

I have seen garlands and banners all over Etsy, made with patterned paper, scrapbooking supplies, and even vintage playing cards. So I thought, why not use some of my Paper Butterfly photographs?

A couple of weeks ago I made a couple to hang in my office, and I have to say, I love having them around. They add a bit of colour and whimsy to the room without being too much.

I’ve added them to my Etsy Shop to see what kind of response they get. I am also thinking about making one to decorate my next craft show table. 

See the listings here:

Autumn Dragonfly Bunting

Scabiosa and Spiderweb Bunting

Blackbirds

While I don’t usually edit photos to black and white, these ones just seemed to call for it. The sunlight was so intense yesterday and I took these photos as it silhouetted the trees in my Mother’s yard. We sat out on the deck before dinner, while the grackles entertained us with their chorus of rusty clotheslines.

Up they come…

…through the layers of autumn’s fallen leaves, eager to start flowering before grass has had a chance to fill the lawn.

Today was wonderful, celebrating an upcoming wedding with my oldest friend and her family. This is what was blooming in her mother’s garden. I am so happy flowers have returned; I missed their cheerful colours. Vivid purples, buttery yellows, and periwinkle blues~ welcome back!