Uploading like there was no tomorrow!

I've been uploading like a maniac because I am absolutely stunned that half the year is done
and... Where have the days gone?!

Here are some images and the rest can be viewed by clicking on THIS LINK. s always, I would love to hear from you and appreciate your comments, suggestions, even a quick note to say hello.

Mary's Centrepiece

"Truth is always the Strongest Argument"

Railing detail in the middle of winter at Niagara Falls

The day that Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson passed away
and we had just heard on the radio a minute before we saw this double rainbow!
May they both rest in peace... along with others that the world has lost...

A quiet afternoon...

Seed Wreath (yes, made out of seeds)

Henry House Kitchen

Henry House - Kingston Limestone

The General Store

Robinson House

After an amazingly stressful week, I took some time off on a relatively clear Friday afternoon to take a trip down to the museum by the lake, the Oshawa Community Museum.

After going into Guy House to pay their extremely minimal fee for a tour, I was guided, one-on-one, through Robinson House to look through their current exhibit, Mourning After: Victorian Celebration of Death.

Despite the seemingly creepy subject, my tour guide imparted such fascinating facts and history of the City that I now live in, Oshawa.

Post Mortem photography, so a-la "The Others", were the first display that I was guided through. I must say that it was a bit disconcerting, but it is fact that at that point in time, photographic images were expensive.

The next house, Henry House, is beautiful. It's made of Kingston Limestone and although it was made up to look as how it was when Elder Henry passed away.

Add a little spookiness... Henry House is also fabled to be Haunted.

If you haven't had a chance to go, it's a really interesting glimpse into the past, the tour guides are so friendly and knowledgeable, the whole experience I had was amazing, and it was well worth the trip.

Peony Festival

Teaching the Child to Stop and smell the flowers

Taking a peek at the tadpoles

It was a lovely day for a Peony Festival...

The annual Peony Festival in Oshawa was held this past weekend, 13 and 14th June 2009.

Delicate fragrance filled the air and it was the perfect opportunity to teach the little one to appreciate his surroundings and realise that the beauty must be protected in his own little way - recycle... help keep our surroundings clean...

Hope you enjoy the flowers.

Lynde Shores Field Trip

It's hard to believe that the school year is almost finished... 2 weeks left and then summer break - Junior Kindergarten done! Where did the time go?!

The last field trip of the year was to Lynde Shores Conservation Area. If you've not been, it's worth the trip - several trails lead you through the wetlands and it's really nice quiet time.

Look into Conservation areas or trails in your neck-of-the-woods (yep, extremely bad pun intended) and enjoy getting back to nature!

The little one was fortunate that both mum and dad were able to go on this trip, which thrilled him to no end, and he had a blast feeding the little chipmunks!

Little bits of information that are great to pass on - don't feed birds and/or fowl bread - gives them bad bellies and close to no nutritional value - bread = bird junk food.

As we wind down the school year and look forward to the summer break, take time to stop and smell the flowers, take a walk and enjoy the weather and your surroundings. It's the little things in life that count.

Have a safe and fabulous summer!

Feeding the Chipmunks.... Alvin? Simon? Theodore?

Looking up a tree

Canadian Family... of Geese
(and that's dad squawking... boring mom with the drama)

Protected Wetlands

Life's Purpose

Do you ever wonder why people come into your life? Some stay, others go. Does it ever cross your mind to wonder if you were the "teacher" or you were the "student" in the experience of friendships... acquaintances... even with passers-by?

Cancer, that awful word that affects us all - having it's tentacles touch us either through friends, loved ones, or even yourself. We've had several friends and loved ones in the past few years that have had to wage that battle. Most, thank God, have survived.

The youngest child's Resource Teacher has had a recurrence of her battle with cancer. She has been amazing with her care and concern with our little one - she has been his teacher and has had quite the impact in his life and to quote her "they have a bond that cannot be broken". And I completely agree.

There is much that I wish we could do to help her in her battle, yet no matter how much I wrack my brain and the offers of help for her and her girls,ultimately she must face the battle on her own with all her strength and will.

I ask that you please keep her in your prayers, good vibes, and whatever positive thoughts and positive beliefs you have, that she finally overcome this disease and allow her to enjoy a healthy life with her girls. And that if you do, that good karma find you and return the favour in your time of need.

She and her girls have had to utilize Cancer support before, and it would be great if you could take a minute and check out this site. It would be even better if you could donate - time, money...

Her name, is Denise. She's a teacher and a mom.

http://www.hearthplace.org/

Crazy Day, Crazy Articles

Misty Morning

The Barn

The season's first tulip in the Garden

Health and Safety First!

From crazy hot yesterday - 27 degrees C, to a tad bit chilly and rainy today - 7 degrees C, the weather's just been crazy.

Trying to compile all the Health and Safety information for my department's quarterly H&S meeting today has been insane too... all of it is starting to catch up on me as I'm not feeling too hot. :(

I read these today: all I can say is... both articles are disgusting and Common Sense is not so common!!!

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article2399352.ece

http://www.newsdurhamregion.com/article/124888


Hope you enjoy today's photos.

Traumatic Weekend

Ker-ash!!!

Base of the Tree

Well... the weekend started promisingly enough... nice and warm, the sun was out. Off to swimming class for the little boy and then to go shopping for clothes for said boy as he has outgrown ALL his clothes! The kid's a poster child for the benefits of milk! He's only turning 5 at the end of May and is now outgrowing 7/8 and is now hitting the 10/11!!

As we were shopping for Spider Man swimming shorts, I get a text from the daughter stating "I've got to go to Vaughan Mills TODAY because I put my PROM dress on hold and she's not even supposed to put it on hold." Prom = university/college soon. I have been accidentally-on-purpose trying to forget that the former baby of the family has been accepted to one university and is hoping to get into another for this fall. Empty nesting already!

So off we trot to Vaughan Mills at 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon and do we not drive into a full fledged lightning-thunder-wind storm that knocks out power in good portions of the GTA (Greater Toronto Area). Get to the mall and dash in, get soaked and then fork over the $197 for the dress, dash out, get soaked again and spend 2 hours going home as a good chunk of the intersections had to do the 4-way stop (no lights).

Add all that insult to injury... I get woken up by the hubby this morning with the statement of - a tree broke and fell on the garage. BRILLIANT! How does one bring down a tree off a roof?

I hope the week goes up from here. Positive thinking! Positive thinking!

April's almost done!?!

It's hard to believe that the first of May is next Friday! April has just been a blur.

I recently read a blog about photography, and his advise was to choose a select few photos to publish so as not to be a bore.

Taking that to heart, here was my April... (minus the ones I already posted in earlier blogs, of course.)

And as always, I'd love to hear from you, so feel free to leave comments! :)

On one of our drives to get the daughter from work... 8 deer! A herd even!!

Sunrise on the way to work

Trees in our backyard (a.k.a. Hacienda's Jackpines)

Garden Flowers - taken while BBQing dinner

Tyler's Easter Resurrection Garden (his JK teacher is THE BEST!!)

Our tour through the country for Hubby's Birthday

The cold snap we had the first week of April

Glorious Day! and Happy Birthday to the Hubby!

What an absolutely gorgeous spring day we had today! Sunny, 21 degrees C, light breeze... perfect timing to take a day off work! It's also the hubby's birthday today so.... he dropped the kid off to daycare/school, and we jumped into the truck and took a tour.

Headed toward Peterborough to pick up our pellet stove - which in and of itself is a story and a half, however we finally got it! Yay! The dudes (and dudettes) at Friendly Fires are AWESOME! http://www.friendlyfires.ca/html/ I finally got my Harman 25 year anniversary pellet stove and I can't wait to have it installed and have one of our Ontario winters - um, wait a minute... actually, I CAN wait, we just finished winter didn't we!

Anyway, since we were up there, kid-less for the day, we drove up to Curve Lake and one of the First Nation's reserves. A whole lot of barns, cows, fields, and a little bit of crazy currents and, of course, the Peterborough locks. http://www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/on/trentsevern/visit/lock21_e.asp

And a drive through downtown Peterborough and the colleges as well. All in all, a really relaxing, out of the rat-race, long overdue, day.

P.S. After preparing for hubby's birthday and getting his gifts early, what do I do? I forget them at work!! Then after asking some colleagues to bring it home with them as we were seeing them last night, what do I do? I forget the bloody things in THEIR HOUSE!!! What a total twit I am!! Oh well, he'll have to wait until Monday to get the gifts now.

The puppy below, Baron (Red Baron) is Ty's new friend. Rolling around and peals of laughter as Baron gave puppy kisses and nibbles.

Baron - our little boy's new friend

Barn somewhere near Nestleton

Peterborough Busker

Peterborough Building

Mmmmm! Maple Syrup!

Curve Lake Woods

Curve Lake Welcome

Glorious Spring Day

Spring Buds