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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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Thursday, June 30, 2011

Texture Thursday - Hilda's House

For the past few days I have been featuring photos I took last weekend at Hilda's Garden. If you check back for the past few posts, you can check out what I have posted thus far and also learn the story of how the garden came to be and of Hilda's and Dan's story.
The gardens were amazing to experience but when it came to the inside of the house I was amazed!
I only took a few pictures and missed so much of it by not photographing a lot of it but this should give an idea of how crazy the house was.
The dining room just off the kitchen. Dan, a stone mason by trade, but also a wood carver and metal worker built the hutch, table and chairs, and did all the wood carving you see. Check out the bedroom door to the left. All thick cedar and intricate carvings. The chairs are embroidered by Hilda and the walls are covered in her Paintings as well. Lots of textures!

The view coming into the kitchen from the back door. Looking down the hallway to the spare room. The towel hangers are metal rods, the handmade cupboards, all carved. fur covered kitchen nook. Again lots of textures present.

Cast iron wood stove in the kitchen, tiles on the counter and floor, embroidery and paintings and lots of carvings. The door pulls on the cupboards are huge metal hooks.

I have never seen a fur covered fridge until now! Carved wood with metal pulls instead of door handles. Hand painted trays on top of the fridge.

 The open door to the right is the main bathroom, full of everything Swans. Wood carvings adhered to the side of the fridge. Plants lining the window frame ledge.

Huge Dollhouse, all hand built. Lots of gables, lacey curtains, siding , and shingles. Hilda collected dolls and some of her collection to the left and behind the doll house. Metal frame sheles. Pottery, plants, paintings. She painted everything, tv trays, pieces of tree fungus, etc.

Fur throws on the couch, Stuffed bears in the chairs. Driftwood tables Beanbag chairs, and check out the ceiling! That is a plasted ceiling quite exaggerated. The plaster pieces on the ceiling hung down at least two inches. The room off the back of the living room is a solarium, full of plants and hanging baskets and macrame hangers all made by hand.

Carved stools, painted TV tables, hand made benches pants in Macrame hangers. And more of the amazing ceilings!

Hand made clock, made from old watches and CD's. On Wooden panelling.
The master bedroom had a textured black ceiling, and flourescent stars everywhere. A handmade quilt on the round bed, and all handmade carved furniture everywhere. I didn't take any photos of that.
Hilda passed away suddenly this past April and her husband Dan has opened up the Gardens and the house for tours as a tribute to Hilda and to thier love. It was all so much to see and hear.
More photos tomorrow, come back and check it out!!
To see more photos of Texture Thursday, please go and visit http://thedailywyatt.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Watery Wednesday

Watery Wednesday
I have been posting photos from a garden my Hubby and I visited this past weekend. If you look back on the last few posts you can read about the story of this garden.
Hilda's Garden, built on the side of a hillside, and over five acres in size also had a few water features in it. At the top of the property, which I never went as far up to see is a waterfall, feeding into a creek that runs down the entire length of the hillside, into the Koi pond and down. It was raining most of the day, and the paths and steps were treacherous.
The above picture is overlooking the Koi Pond, as seen from the veranda of the Treehouse.

A statue of the Heron presides over the Koi Pond.

At the top of the hill as far as I went up is a stone bridge built by Hilda's husband Dan. He is a stone mason by trade and built all the stone steps, paths and this bridge. A veritable feat considering he is in his late 70's now, and carried up stones and concrete and sand by the bucket to build the paths/bridge, and these trails were steep to climb and hard to get to.

Here is a set of concrete and stone steps that he built along the side of the creek. This is leading up to the top of the hill, and close to where the waterfall starts.

Looking down from the top of the steps as the creek runs down the hill.

A view from the steps down the hill.

Bushes overgrowing the water.

A wooden bridge built over the creek.

Koi in the pond.

Koi in the pond.
Please go and check out the past few previous posts to see the story of this garden and photos from each day. And come back to see the next photos as well!!
To see other photos of Watery Wednesday, please go and visit http://waterywednesday.blogspot.com/ 

Monday, June 27, 2011

Ruby Tuesday - Hilda's Garden

Continuing here with some more photos of Hilda's Garden, a story I began last post about a woman named Hilda and her beautiful garden. Check out my last post for more on the story of the garden and how it came to be.
Hilda was also a painter, besides the Gardener. There were many garden signs spread out around the garden. I'll post some of those in a couple of days!

Besides the many Fuchia plants about the gardens, there were also feeders around as well.

Mountain Laurel.

Peonies. After the rain!

Hilda planted many rose bushes around the garden but the Deer ate them as fast as the roses grew. The only rose plant that survived was planted right next to the house. Here is the one rose growing on the bush!

This is a huge Treehouse, built between two big Cedar trees. It even had a veranda around the front part of the treehouse. The treehouse overlooks a Koi pond and the creek leading down from the top of the hill to the bottom, feeding into the Koi pond. I will post pictures tomorrow of the water features of the garden.

A large plaque next to the front door had "Welcome" written in each of the hearts in different languages.

The front of the Treehouse, the door next to the clock that entered into the inside of the treehouse.
Come on back tomorrow and see some of the Water feature pictures from Hilda's garden and read the previous post about the garden.


Sunday, June 26, 2011

A Very Mellow Yellow Macro Monday!!!




My hubby and I like to find different places to explore on our weekend Date days, so yesterday we visited a Country garden way in the back of Mission BC. The garden was the labour of a woman named Hilda who for the past 32 years has carved a beautiful sanctuary out of the side of the mountain she lived on with her husband. The garden is 5 acres, and includes a waterfall and creek running from the top of the property down to the bottom. It has two Koi ponds and a huge Treehouse built between two huge Cedar trees.
Hilda passed away in April after suffering a very short bout of cancer leaving her husband of 38 years alone. He has opened up the gardens as a tribute garden for his wife and invited all in to see her labour of love. Over the next few days I will post photos taken at her garden. It was such an amazing and serene beautiful space I have to share it. And it is a love story lasting over 40 years that brought tears to my eyes.
Here is some of the photos and over the next few days I will post a lot more. Make sure to come on back and enjoy!

I think this is a Banana Slug, pretty slimey thing it is!!


It was a dreary cloudy grey day and for about half the time we were there yesterday, it rained. But I do love raindrops!

A wet Poppy with some awesome raindrops.
I have about a thousand photos to go through, so this is it for this post, more tomorrow. Check out yesterday's photos for the awesome Fuchia's that were all over the garden as well.
Later......


Saturday, June 25, 2011

Today's Flowers

Done as a watercolour painting.

With Texture added during processing.

And some basic photo processing.
Hummingbird's favorite flowers.
To see more of Today's flowers, please go and visit http://flowersfromtoday.blogspot.com/
Fuschias three different styles!

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Texture Thursday

My neighbour's cat Valentino comes to visit me each morning when I leave for work, and is sometimes around when I get back. Sometimes he pauses long enough for me to snap his photo, but most of the time he just wants to say hi and he's off again.
I blended him with Soft Light and added a texture from Shadowhouse. His fur is full of texture too!!
Check out here for more photos: http://thedailywyatt.blogspot.com/

Monday, June 20, 2011

Ruby Tuesday and some Midweek Blues

A little fun with a huge picture frame, my brother and sister in law, and Photoshop!
Ruby Tuesday can be found at http://workofthepoet.blogspot.com/

And another fun photo with my brother and the huge frame and photoshop!

Midweek Blues can be found at http://thedustycellar.blogspot.com/

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Mellow Yellow Monday

This is my first post here in Mellow Yellow Monday!!
I hope you pull up a chair and stay awhile, check out some pictures and enjoy your stay!
Come back soon!!
To see more photos of Mellow Yellow Monday, please go and visit http://mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.com/

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Macro Saturday

I never tire of blossoms of any kind!


I am sorry to see them go though, and to think I have to wait another year to see them again!
The last of the tulips here for you!

To see photos of Today's Flowers, go and visit http://flowersfromtoday.blogspot.com/