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I am a married woman with children out of the home now developing my own interests, hobbies making my way through the heat of the experiences and days of my life. (Click on pictures to enlarge.)

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Sunday, August 30, 2009

Today's Flowers

You are probably getting tired of seeing my pictures from my holiday but oh well, here are a few more!!
You don't see some of these where I live unless you go to the nursery and purchase it there. These are prairie cactus, maybe a weird flower for Today's Flowers, but they do have flowers at one point or so I am told!! I don't know what these pods are but probably seed pods for some cactus type.

Coneflower I think!!

A different view of the Coneflower.
And a different type of cactus. These were hard to see in the grass, and I imagine it would hurt to step on these if you took a shortcut through the grass. My sister kept telling me no shortcuts!!
For more of Today's Flowers, please visit http://flowersfromtoday.blogspot.com/




Saturday, August 29, 2009

Straight out of the Camera Sunday

This is my first attempt at Straight out of the camera Sunday. I saw this post on Carletta's blog so thought I would give it a shot. I have a lot of photos on my computer that have yet to go to photoshop so it was not hard to find the ones here!!
This knarly old tree was on one of the walking paths at Echodale Park in Medicine Hat, Alberta. It looks like its had some hard times, and places where it is bent but not broken. I think it might have some stories to tell, if it could.

These berries are Chokecherries. They are extremely bitter to try and eat raw like this. Even cooking and adding a lot of sugar produces a sour mash to make jams out of.
The trees here were literally loaded with the berries. And us without anything to carry home a bunch of them!!
Has anyone ever tried Chockcherry Jam???
Thank you for letting me participate!! I am off to visit some of your blogs now!
For more pictures Straight out of the Camera please go to visit http://www.murrieta365.com/



Happy Birthday Tracey

Meet my niece Tracey, who is 22 years old today. I can't believe she is this old already. What does that make me?? I sweated it out in the delivery room while my sister went through the process of bringing her into the world. She was the first baby I had ever seen born and that included my own two kids who I slept through each of their deliveries.
I was one of the first people ever to hold this bundle of joy, all pink and squishy and a wee bit slippery.
Well, she is one precious girl, grown up into a warm, kind and loving woman and I am very proud of her.
So Happy Birthday Tracey, hope you have a wonderful day with your mister, and many more happy wonderful years.
Your Aunty loves you lots.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Skywatch Friday

While on my recent holiday to Alberta to visit family, my sister insisted that at any time a storm could come rushing through, that if you did not like the weather at the present moment to wait for ten minutes for a change!! The skies did get stormy, but never completely what I was hoping to see. I wanted huge thunderclouds, big forks of lightning and sheets of rain to name a few. You don't get to see that out where I live and I was wanting to see a bit of it at her place.
This sky is a bit stormy and this was the only rainbow I got to see. If you really look close you can see the double rainbow, really you can!!
This is over the house directly behind my sister's place.
For more pictures of the World's skies please go to visit http://skyley.blogspot.com/


Monday, August 24, 2009

A couple more pictures from my holiday in Medicine Hat, Alberta for you for Macro Monday.
We went out to Echodale Park to walk one afternoon and in the middle of a bunch of brown grass was this one lonely sunflower. I kneeled down and took a few pictures of the flower and as well some of the grasses around it and then stood up and looked down.

This is what I saw when I looked down!! I was standing on a red ant hill and they were all over my feet. So after much jumping around and stamping my feet I left the ants behind. Thank goodness I did not get bitten.
Just goes to show you that you have to watch where you are going!!
I thought both would make for good pictures for Macro Monday and a story to tell.
For more pictures of Macro Monday shots, please visit http://lisaschaos.com/


Sunday, August 23, 2009

Today's Flowers

Some more pictures for you from my recent holiday!!
Alberta is more known for its desert like surroundings, its rolling hills dotted with silver sage and fields of wheat, canola and rye and lots of cattle, horses and if you look closely coyotes and antelope. You have to find the flowers mostly in peoples gardens. I am not sure what some of these are but I think the yellow flowers above are actually a weed.
Don't know what this is either but I like its double colours.
A few snapdragons peeking in!
A pink Hollyhock with a bee collecting pollen.
Some more Hollyhocks for you.
These flowers were all located at Echodale Park outside of Medicine Hat, Alberta.
For more of Today's Flowers, please visit http://flowersfromtoday.blogspot.com/




Saturday, August 22, 2009

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.

On my holiday visiting my sister and family, it is safe to say that we ate a lot of food, good food!! We cooked so much food at each meal you would think we were feeding an army instead of just the few of us.
One of our meals was a brunch we had on one of the first days of my holiday. Brunch because usually this is something you would eat for lunch and we had consumed a couple of pots of coffee by that time for breakfast.

These Grilled Cheese Sandwiches are not ordinary. You could say they have a bit of yummy attitude. We liked them so much we went out that day and got more ingredients to make them again the next day.

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.

1 loaf very fresh Sourdough bread, cut in thick slices
Butter
1 Wheel of Camembert Cheese, sliced thickly
Lots of Fresh Basil Leaves.
Chunks of Good Quality Milk Chocolate

Layer Camembert Cheese over one slice of Sourdough bread, Layer Basil Leaves all over the Cheese Layer and then spread lots of Chocolate Chunks all over the Basil. Top with another slice of Sourdough bread. Butter generously the outside of each of the Sourdough bread slices and grill slowly on a Grill Pan until the sandwich is nicely browned and the Cheese and the Chocolate Chips are all melted and gooey!!
Slice and enjoy.

This tastes like heaven. You can taste the yeastiness and freshness of the bread, the creaminess and richness of the cheese and a hint of the spiciness of the Fresh Basil and the sweetness of the Chocolate all melted and melded together.
An ordinary grilled cheese sandwich will never seem the same again!!

Friday, August 21, 2009

Skywatch Friday

I am back today from my vacation in Medicine Hat, Alberta. I had a great time and I took a whole bunch of photos while there. I have yet to go through them and organize them into some cohesive sense.
Here is one photo of an old abandoned school house smack in the middle of someone's farm field. I loved the views of it against the big prairie sky. It was a slightly cool day, partly cloudy and I think the sky went well up against the school house.
I will be posting more of the photos I took over the next few days so come back and check it out. I discovered Sepia there and went crazy with that!!
For more photos of the Skies around the globe please visit http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Friday, August 14, 2009

Skywatch Friday

I flew to Calgary on Wednesday to visit family for the next week, so thought some of the shots I took outside the plane window would work good for Skywatch. I downloaded them in the wrong order but thats okay. This is looking out just before reaching Calgary.
Flying above the clouds, I liked the formations of the clouds here.

It was a partly cloudy day throughout the whole trip.
I loved this huge cloud and the sunrays that emanated from it.
This is looking down over Abbotsford, my hometown.
For more pictures of skies around the globe please visit http://skyley.blogspot.com/




Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Leaving On A Jet Plane!!

In about three hours now!! Just doing my last minute packing etc. and then my bear and I are off to the airport to check in and also have a bit of lunch. I talked to my son Eric last night and he assures me he will be ready and waiting at the airport. So looking forward to seeing him. It has been too long!!
From the Calgary airport we will drive to Medicine Hat where my sister and her family live. Hope she has a glass of wine ready as that is a bit of a drive!!
So will try to update from her computer as the holiday progresses. I have my small camera and cords so can send some pictures hopefully as it goes!!
Off off and away!!!!

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Today's Flowers

For Today's Flowers, a picture from Westminster Abbey Gardens. The purple spiky flowers in the front of the picture are loaded with bees. All those spots are bees!! Lavendar in the background of the picture.

For more pictures of Today's Flowers please visit http://flowersfromtoday.blogspot.com/

Friday, August 7, 2009

Leaving on a Jet Plane!!!

Five more sleeps!!! Remember when your kids would count down the sleeps to something special? Well, that is what I am doing!!
I am off to Alberta in five more sleeps to see my son Eric and my sister Elaine and her family. Leaving on a Jet Plane!!!
I am very excited!!

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Skywatch Friday

It was an insanely hot weekend last week, so what better place to go than down to the lake. This is Harrison Lake in the Central Fraser Valley of B.C. It was a beautiful sunny day, about 32 Celcius.
Lots of boats out and about, lots of people enjoying the sun.

For more pictures of skies around the globe, check out http://skyley.blogspot.com/


This and That.

1.Our town is having its annual Airshow starting tomorrow and from where I live, I can sit in my Cul-de-sac and watch the planes overhead without going to the actual airshow. It doesn't bode well though if you want to get good pictures, just saves you the cost of admission and you still get to watch the show. I think this year might be the first time in a few years I will go to the airshow, strictly for some up close and cool pictures!!
2.The planes have been up flying since yesterday practising for the Airshow. Its like a pre game warmup and I have been watching that for the past couple of days.
3.Went to the doctor today and got requisition for X-Rays for my sore butt. It has not got any better so its time to see if I am more cracked than I figured. Check down a few posts to see the story of my sore butt. You can leave butt jokes in the comments if you want!
4.My high school reunion is less than a month away now and I have to RSVP by the end of next week. Should I go?? I am curious but a bit wary about the whole thing as well. What do you think??
5.The heatwave of last week has broken and the past few days have been wonderful. Warm enough not to get cold and cool enough not to overheat. I guess you could say moderate. We should all enjoy things in moderation.
6. Must go and make supper, Salad and Fruit, just in case I do go to the reunion, must be vigilant now!!!
That is enough of this, hope you all have a great evening!!

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Watery Wednesday

Its peaceful to sit by a stream of water and just listen to the cascading water sounds and contemplate life.
For more Watery Wednesday shots, please visit http://waterywednesday.blogspot.com/

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Today's Flowers

Every now and then you just have to go into your local florist and buy yourself some flowers. Don't wait for some special occasion and some one to see the need and go and buy you flowers. Take the opportunity to treat yourself and choose a nice bouquet of something that grabs your fancy and take it home with you. The hardest decision you will have to make is what arrangement you want!! They all look good and will look great on a sunny spot in your home.
Click on the picture to enlarge!!

For more pictures of lovely flowers please visit http://flowersfromtoday.blogspot.com/

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Weekend Snapshots

It is a scorcher here and has been now for over a week. We have broken long standing temperature records all over the place and there does not seem to be any relief from the heat in the near future. We went to the beach today and there was a bit of a breeze coming off the water but still in the sun it was hot. I took pictures and we also attended a Photo Expo in Harrison Hot Springs, but those pictures are still on my camera and I won't get at them tonight.
Instead I thought I would give you a picture I took a couple of weekends ago and just last week entered it into a Photo Contest under the category "Purple".
That is me you can see in the reflection of the side mirror taking the picture. I liked the other reflections you can see as well.
I wonder, and this is just my silly mind always on the go, which one is the real world, the reflection, the picture, or the picture of the reflection? When does it cease to be real and only a reflection of the real??
I know, deep thoughts!!!
For more pictures from Weekend Snapshots, please visit http://slack-jawed.com/