Black and White Wednesday

I took this picture two weeks ago, after an early morning rain.  We haven't had another drop of moisture since and the gardens are beginning to wilt.  The grass is getting crunchy and there are forest fires north of Toronto.  The weather man keeps threatening severe thunder showers with heavy rains, but so far he is talking out his hat.  Come on Rain.  We're ready!

Link up with Mrs. Claus at Like Christmas Every Day to join in Black and White weekly fun.

Click on the photo to enlarge.  Enjoy.

Mrs. Claus
Great photo! Thanks for joining in!! This will be our first attempt at facebook judging, so be sure to tell your friends to "like" your photo on

https://www.facebook.com/likeChristmaseveryday

ps.  titles for up-coming posts include (but not limited to):

School Boy Regatta

Prius - the Hippy Car?

People Who Need People

Stay tuned, Folks.

Black and White Wednesday

Linking up with Mrs. Claus at Like Christmas Every Day, here is my submission for B&W Wednesday.

The peonies are out in all their splendour.

 Please enlarge to fully appreciate the delicate petals so intricately displayed.

Have a good week.

See you next time.

I Bought A House

It was late in the evening when Hubby called me to say hello from Ontario.  There is a two hour time difference between home and Alberta and he was already in bed, just about to turn off his light and snuggle in for the night.

-Guess what I did today?  You'll NEVER guess.

-Ummmm....did you deliver a baby?

-No--I bought a house!

There was a pregnant pause on his end and then,

-Tell me about it.

Well, I came in a very big, heavy box.....

We never counted the pieces, but the instruction book was 35 pages long!

The process began by laying out the four main pieces.

It was a sunny Saturday morning when we began.

Our little carpenter joined right in, doing his part with the toy saw and screwdriver.

The instructions were very clear:

-This project is to be built by an adult, with an adult helper.

I was delighted to be the "adult helper".  

Time for a potty break, toy pliers in hand.

Our "not-an-adult helper" kept very busy, doing his best to contribute.

Having just had my status promoted from "Adult Helper" to "Assistant Carpenter", 

I was nearly fired when I poked my "Boss" in the eye with my finger nail!!!

He recovered, thank goodness.

What happens next?

It had been more than two hours, 

the sun was hot, 

we'd shed some layers, 

the beer was open and 

we were nowhere near finished.

My son-in-law is a finish carpenter and actually knows how to do this kind of thing.  I would have thrown in the towel long before this point if I'd been alone.

Our little helper was in there like a dirty shirt (as Mum used to say) working with the adult tools.

Mum got in on the action between feeding and changing the baby.

For the most part, Sully slept thru it all.

Neighbours came to play too.

Super Dave answered the phone and made coffee

-on his knees.

Cupcake house warming was a real hit!

Check out the window boxes, the working door bell, the attached picnic bench....

and the bay window.

It was a major project.

It took all day to build and then seal with stuff that got in my hair and all over my clothes.

We had a ton of fun and the little guy adores his new house.

Come for coffee any day before or after naptime.

You'll enjoy the hospitality.

A Puff of Wind

Those of you who are regular readers will have noticed it's been a while since I've written anything.  Black and White Wednesdays have been an easy and diversional post for me for over a month now.  Did you know that April was mental health month in Canada?  I've been languishing in a mental health miasma (a dangerous, foreboding, or deathlike influence or atmosphere) for about a month now.  Bouncing from Caribbean lazy days, to death watch, to newborn baby delirium will do that to a person. 


May brings the new life of spring to Southern Ontario.  I have begun to feel more healthy and alive since finally getting back home, digging in my garden, waking to the chorus of birdsong and driving  my little car with the top down.  My first Sunday back at my home church filled me with peace.  It's been five whole months away....way too long.  Thanks must be made public to my Wonderful Husband and Dutiful Son, who have been loving me and patiently making no demands, waiting for me to recover.  (Maybe I shouldn't make this so public...it's been nice being waited on and pampered!)


As I am now revelling in spring, my friends in Australia are just beginning to experience autumn.  My friends and family in the Rocky Mountains have spring, but a very different one--it snows there every other day, all year long!  Yes!  It is good to be home.  


And so, as we roll around to another B&W Wednesday, Mrs. Claus welcomes submissions to the contest for best photo of the week.  I wonder who the anonymous judges are?  Are they photographers?  Or do they just "know what they like".  Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.   Maybe they will find my offering this week "beautiful", or "artistic", or "photographically special", or "whatever" it is they deem worthy of the prize.


As the grass greens up, along come the dandelions.  One puff of wind blows the seeds across the lawn to make more "lovely" yellow flowers/weeds.  I got home in time for the spring weeding extravaganza.  In this case, I was too late to intercede in the propagation of more.....

Please enlarge for better viewing :)

Don't you just LOVE dandelions??????

Off-Roading

On the weekend, I finished off my time out West with a little bit of off-road fun.

Yes, he's buckled in, but he didn't like his head being whipped around,

so we clung to each other for support.

 Grand #2 and I had a blast in the back seat for the first go-around.

What a bouncy ride, with steep pitches as the jeep tackled verticals of 25 degrees.

I had to close my eyes and stop myself from screaming.  It felt like 90 degrees, straight up!!!

My son was brave enough to allow his father to take the wheel.

When this shot was taken, Hubby was hooting and making unmanly sounds.

Too bad I was't able to get a face-shot of his girly hollerings!

The Can-Traffic Services Cochrane facility has lots of interesting structure to play with for

Black and White Wednesday.

So here is my entry for this week...

I pushed the ISO to create an ethereal effect.

Please enlarge by clicking on these photos to better appreciate them.

This second one is a bonus shot for fun.

Black and White Wednesday

Joining in with Mrs. Claus at "Like Christmas Everyday" for

Black and White Wednesday.

Today we have Sully, one week old, on a crackle canvas.

I think he is a total winner in any colour!
Of course, as his Grandma Roe, I'm allowed to say that.