...no, He's my Prince!!!

The girls found this rather good sized frog on the edge of the dock on Mississippi Lake. He was pretty docile...so we 'posed' him and took a few shots. Good froggie!

Sun Dog....chasing the real thing!!

I've seen these up north, where they show off really well. Even seen a few really rich ones around here too, but they change so fast. If you don't already have your camera in hand and facing the right space, it's gone so quickly!

This one is not the best one I've caught, but its one of those things that makes me think of cooooold winter days. That's when I seem to see more of them.

Called Sun dog's because there is usually one on either side, and they appear to mimic the sun itself. Careful looking, they appear to be a piece of a rainbow. In fact, I think they are refraction thru upper level ice crystals...so same thing that makes a rainbow in the rain, just waaaaay up there.

Remember Summer ??!!!

Oh ya.... classic, kids off the dock! Out on Mississippi Lake at a friends place. Girls enjoying the afternoon with some fun.

Remember summer sun, heat, humidity? None of this 'wind chill factor' stuff...brrrrrrrrr!!

Something to look forward to. Sun, Beer, BBQ, Water, Friends, R&R....bliss!

Come Hither.... Mr or Ms Slither...

A small boa I think it was....at the snake and reptile show in Ottawa last year. Kids loved seeing and some handling of the animals. Both girls held this little darling.... a very gentle albeit small snake.

and Time Stood still.... well, almost

This is the clock tower being installed in a mall in Almonte. My husband helped build it, and we were on hand one cold November night in2006 when 2 giant cranes were brought in to lift this huge thing into place. And yes, another one of those nights, I'm praying the batteries last, my fingers don't freeze to the button, and hoping I get some good shots. Shut the flash off, and the lights showing were the work likes, bright like daylight, and kinda cool the way they glow all over.

Da Do Ron Ron, Da Do Ron Ron, Da Dew Ran Ran!!!

All over this spider web. Got up abt 430 one AM so I could go get foggy pic's. It was still dark, and as the sun rose the world came out in the most interesting shapes.

This spider web was close by and covered in dew. Used the nightshot and flash to get it. Looks like dark behind, but it was already daylight in real life.

Leave Your Mark

No matter where you go, or who you are. Leave your mark to show you were there! Even the pups managed to leave notice one day in the fresh sprinkling of snow on the deck.

Sun Shadows

Caught this late summer, the sun was that strange red/orange at the end of a few really humid days. On my way home, and had to stop, the wee little clouds actually caused upshooting shadows....

No matter where I go, what I set up, I still find if you slow down a little and look at mother nature with fresh eyes, you'll be amazed what you see right there beside you.

Are We There Yet? ....wait...Where Are We???

Going to visit the inlaws one fine day, and was busy playing with the camera the entire trip. Caught up to this milk truck just outside of Cobden, ON. As we got closer, I noticed it's highly reflective surface, wasn't reflecting us!!!

No matter how close we got (we did pass him), our vehicle failed to show up in the reflection. Credit is the angle of the back of the tank, but looking at it here it looks like it should be flat.

So where are we? I haven't the foggiest idea!

Love the way this messed with me...I snapped 4 or 5 shots as we got closer, hoping to see us 'soon' but never did.

Very cool!

Looking Back a Few Years

This shot, taken at my parents house, is at least from 2001 or earlier, probably 2000. Sun kissed faces, so a bit rosy, but mom (me) and daughter's.

Please....Can I Go Too??

One of the most sorrowful sights, is a depressed Jack Russell, as he stares longingly out the window after the kids (who are on their way to the bus, not to play...), but he doesn't make that distinction. Jude just know's he's been left inside, and he wants to be out!!!!

This window is covered in 'puppy kisses' and it's tough to keep it clean. It must be one of their favorite spots to keep an eye on things from inside. yes I said 'their'. We have 3 Jack Russell's!

Close Up of Deep Roots (Below)

I love taking pics in higher MegaPixel's, allows so much more for zooming in and cropping out a small piece, and the definition is still there.

Check out the ice on the tiny branches...and that's the water screaming down the falls!

Its cropped from the picture below. I'm fond of close up's on occassion.

These Roots Must Run Deep....Hold On Tight!

The River falls in Almonte, right behind Fitzgeralds, the former Victoria Woolen Mill, and a unique 5 sided building!

The river is quite high right now, lots of snow melt and some rain have added to make it impressive to see, dizzying to be near, and fascinating to watch.
In summer, these falls can be almost dry, and as you can see, a small bush has put down roots, and survived long enough to get a bit of size already.
I find it amazing that under the onslaught of the power of this kind of water, something so small, can hold on to it's place and not be torn free.

Touch of cold, Touch of sun...both lend their charm.

Had a gorgeous day yesterday to traips around a bit for pictures. Went down to that little creek again, man it was noisy! Water rushing like a river almost! Took some more pic's. This is cropped out of the middle of one of the shot's I took. Love the ice hanging from the tiny branches, the water in motion...

I'd set the cam on 7MP rather than 3MP so I would have more definition...

Enjoyed the trip. Went into town too and snapped a lot of the falls, as they are rushing like spring as well, dizzying just to be near really.

The Road not Taken.....Normally that is!

Alrighty, today on the way home, I came around a corner, to find a lovely big spruce tree across the road at the bottom of the hill I was about to begin descending!! I stopped in good time...took a moment to consider if I wanted to try to move it myself and decided to go round...it did look rather big. So, backed up and drove down to the 4th line and all the way back up the Old Perth, to my place, just between the 6th and 7th Concessions. Tree was down on the 6th.

I rode this route, the opposite way, every day for school all of my life, and always noticed this little creek. It only runs in the spring, heavy with water, and bouncing down over things all the way. I even saw otters playing there one spring, sliding down the snow covered slope and flipping off the snow bank, as the water babbled underneath! That would have been cute to capture a pic of that! But alas...not that day.

Now, we have had something like 4 or 5 days of almost 10 degrees Celcius this week already. Qualifies for the "January Thaw"...and I'm taking a 'wild guess' that it's the cause of this little creek rushing like mad at this time of year. I stopped and pulled over. Camera in my bag, but no tripod....(coming back tomorrow with tripod in tow, wanna play with the timer, and see if I can get that water moshy look, I'll let ya know)

Took a handful of pics, but I was tired, hungry, and several other things too, and just wanted to get home, so off I went.

I tell ya, if that tree hadn't been across the road, I'd not have gone the long long way home, or even though of looking for this creek at this time of year. And, yes, I did call the township when I got home and told them about the tree so they could take care of it, which they did.

Right in Front of Our Eyes

Almost didn't even see this amazing pic... every needle loaded with water.... just waiting to drop off if you brush too close. Took Brae out to the bus, and had to come back in for the camera to get this...the fog is intense, and every single thing has water on it.

Make It Right - Right on!!!!!

My most recent close personal contact with a famous person....in case you have been living under a rock, way back in the swamp,....Mike Holmes of Holmes on Homes on HGTV. I met him on June 1-07 in Carleton Place, near Ottawa. He had come to town to endorse, and officially open a student built enviromentally friendly home in a new part of town. The highschool students in Carleton Place and Almonte combined thier efforts and built the home. Mike came to speak about it, and show off his gorgeous self!!

I was able to get a moment with him, and a photograph too! He's just a nice guy!....any more, and you'll have to ask me personally, I won't tell! LOL ya right...nothing else to tell!

Anyway, one of my friends said I needed more pic's of me up here, so here's one!

Light Up The Night Crowd

Man oh man, this get's bigger every year!. And a perfect year too, not too cold, not melting either. Cold enough to see your breath, mild enough to not have to fight to stay warm. We grouped close to the stage, sang our hearts out, revelled in the show, and just had a great time! Fireworks at the end were amazing!!! This was the 17th year of Light up the Night, and it was a fantastic time!! I'm always glad we go, even if toes are frozen come the end of it.

Look up, look Waaaaay up!!

This one is pretty old too....and not far from the Black cherry on the same day walk. This is a HUGE white pine, everywhere you look is tree! Love my own backyard!

Mr. Big & Little Man

Don't know why, but the title just sat there...and wouldn't go away for me, so there it is. Took a walk one day, back behind the house in a way I've not gone before.... That always leads to seeing the land with fresh eyes, for the different perspective I think. Needless to say, I found a few things to snap pic's of while wandering around with a few friends and my little dog, JD. Not actually that far back, in a deep part of the tree's, there is a huge rather odd black cherry tree. Odd is probably considered rude to describe it, as it truly looks like it's been there forever, and it's a bit like describing your great great grandmother as 'odd'. She'd probably have a 'few choice words' for ya!! In any case, this tree, not only was an amazingly grande life in it's own right, but held a world in it's arms as well. These little ones were at eye level. The other tree's are just too close by to be able to get a picture of the cherry herself. Even looking up into her arms, she's huge, and you can't see past the first part of the trunk. By the time you step back to see her, she's protected so well by her court, that she's hidden again.

'Mr. Big' sit's up higher, with the big hat overseeing things, while 'Little Man' works tirelessly below...on his 'field'.