The Road Less Travelled

A crisp, fall evening drive home from Picton. The setting sun seems so much more precious when you know winter's on its way. Isn't that the best part about living in a four season climate though?
Yesterday, I set four orange 60's style kitchen chairs by the roadside for free pick up. They were gone by this morning. Because they are orange, and it's autumn, and they're free.
We all scramble to appreciate at least four times a year, knowing that all is about to change. OK, maybe three times a year. Those last few days of winter are often anything but precious.

Doop doop doop, lookin' out my back door...

It's been a mighty mixed up trip, but it looks like we're getting closer and closer to our Trent River home. With all the confusion surrounding the selling of our schoolhouse, we kept our distance from the new home on the Trent. Kind of the reverse of keeping ones eyes on the prize. We didn't want to get too attached.
Two days ago we got word that our buyer is dropping her conditions, which means the finalization is growing near. So we went to visit the river house to make sure it's still standing and to make sure we still love it.
All's well on both fronts.
With any luck I'll be able to throw my jack o' lantern in the river!

Un Petite Ville

Taken from Mount Pelion and with my eyes squinted just so, this view of a church and library in Trenton sort of looks like a wee European village. OK, so maybe you have to squint for a while, but no one can say she's not a pretty sight. All these years, we native Bellevillians have been raised to discount Trenton as a blight on our Southern Ontario radar. Then, ever so quietly, the little town went about primping and prettying herself up with hanging baskets of abundant posies, clean streets, a growing number of better than good restaurants, and now some lovely photos.
Slowly but surely, she's won her place on our map! Viva la Trenton!

A Chair Prepared

This chair has followed me through life for as long as I can remember. It sat at our hall telephone table when I was a teen (we got to know each other reeeeeally well then) - it's held many pairs of bluejeans and bras when it was a bedroom chair -and it was always an extra chair at family dinners. So why, oh why, did it take till now before I gave her some attention with paint? Some misplaced loyalty to my mom, who cherished all old family things in their original form. There was a caveat to her sentimentality though. She liked all old things to be useful - the good silver to be enjoyed daily, the centuries old cruet set should sit near the dining table, handmade quilts must never be packed away....so....what better way to make the shabby, old wooden chair useful than to swathe her in sunny yellow, place a pillow on her seat and let her sit amongst the other chairs in the sunroom. Finally, the spare chair becomes a member of the family!

Lighten Up Lucy!!!

Our Lucy is a most serious dog. She takes the business of being a dog very seriously. Everything is extreme. She runs fast, wriggles too much, and sleeps like the dead. The up side to the seriousness of Lucy is that we've found she's incredibly easy to train because, as with everything else, she takes studying very much to heart. Two tries and she knew to 'stay'. 'Sit' is still accompanied by a lot of twitching but she's trying.
Lucy tries sooooo hard.
I love Lucy.

A Tree Morphs in Trenton

Sometimes fall just breezes by, skimming the leaves in it's way, but this tree looks as if it's been dipped into some sort of cosmic leaf tinting bucket!

A Closer Look

Today I wrote an article about a gun that shoots into rock and identifies all of it's ingredients. It's for geologists to use on 'digs'. Imagine if we could use one of these guns on...well...........everything. How difficult can it be...a bit of xray technology, a holster, a recharging station and awayyyyyyy we go.....
I'm thinking my brain will have released this idea in a couple of days. Too much information is sometimes too much information.

tomato tomahhhhhhhhhhto

The last of the garden always seems to finish off with tomatoes and more tomatoes. While the paper thin petals of summer flowers faint with frost, the tomatoes just get redder and shinier with each cool day.
Yesterday we visited a favourite old radio friend, Phil Flagler. His step is slower, his arteries are complaining and various surgeries loom, but Phil perserveres - proudly uncovering his very first attempt making homemade cream of tomato soup. SPECTACULAR!
Tomatoes....everything's alright!

Keeping the Pretty

The other day we went for a drive through our hometown, passing all the big Old East Hill homes that have always stood strong, elegantly beckoning passersby to admire their fine gardens and freshly painted porches.
Something is horribly wrong.
It's been about two years since we drove these streets and I don't think I want to do it again anytime soon. The front steps are caving, paint peeling,and very few had any kind of garden. I can't express the sadness. What happened? This isn't about money or economy. It's pride of owning lovely homes and maintaining beautiful neighbourhoods. I want to know how this turned around in such a short time, and why? Is it just our Belleville (Beautiful City) or is neighbourhood apathy spreading?

Contain Yourself!

Still life at it's most contemplative. My friend, Susan, has started photographing rhubarb lined glass vases, and yeah, it's a good look. Who knew? Not sure my pineapple plays out as well, but at the end of summer I look everywhere for inspiration!

Eyes to the Skies!

Parking lot pavement, stray grocery carts and the traffic weary bridge into Trenton. Can a sky captivate? Only if you look up.

The Windowsill that Couldn't

Going on seven years now!!! This little plant pot has been housing a red shamrock...yep that's it peeking through the basil. The shamrock blooms, dies, blooms, dies...but never really gets going, hence the planted basil....which, by the way, is also a runted version of what it should be. It was only meant to be a competitive diversion for the lacklustre red leafed thing, but clearly it is no threat at all!
Summer to fall...betwixt and between. Bring on the evergreen!!!!

When Dining With Your Daughter...

Always remember to bring her bib! This pretty girl's not afraid to get messy which makes dinners out lots of fun, and quite private!

When Time Catches Up...

Betty(top left)recently circulated this pic taken in her mom's kitchen when we were teens.
Smoking cigarettes, drinking tea all day, talking trash....hours spent on nothing.
Easy to pick up where we left off!

Perceptions

When you see a fat person wearing too little do you think it's obscene or do your admire their resiliance and confidence? That's what colours our outlooks, isn't it? Our kneejerk reactions.
When I'm in doubt obout my judgement passing, it's important to look at a fresh flower. Negative never works.

Beach Bound

It makes good sense to roll up the jubblies of this world, pack up the wee trailer and head to the beach. The boardwalk, the pups, the smell of clean sand and warm waves...if only they could bottle it!