Everything is a Photo Opportunity #33

William over at Ottawa Daily Photo got me thinking about the big ice storm from 1998 after he posted some photos about it. Even 17 years later I still remember the storm and the impact it had. We lived on a farm north of Barrie, Ontario at the time, and our power/water was out for three days, the school buses were cancelled, and some trees were damaged. The storm caused tremendous damage and massive power outages in eastern Ontario and Quebec.

With school cancelled, I remember walking around outside with Dad taking photos (he was the photographer, I was his little buddy). We got some great photos, and shown below is one of a fence covered in icicles. The trees behind it are also covered in a thick layer of ice. Dad says the ice stayed on the trees like that for nine days. It was one hell of a storm.

Everything is a Photo Opportunity #32

My favourite flowers growing up were a patch of black-eyed Susans that grew along the back edge of the grain field on our farm. They were my favourite because it was always an adventure to get out to see them, which made me think they were special. It was probably less than a kilometer to reach them, but as a little kid it felt like a very long walk. When we finally made it all the way to the back, it was nice to see such beautiful flowers.

A few years ago a friend gave me a potted black-eyed Susan that she grew. We transplanted it into the backyard and it has since spread out and we have a nice patch of these beautiful flowers. They are in full bloom now and I just love looking at all the yellow.

Everything is a Photo Opportunity #31

We attended a wedding in Toronto last weekend that was held on Ward's Island (Toronto Islands). It is a beautiful location that allows visitors to have the feeling of cottage life in (or near) the city.

Here is the Toronto skyline captured from the return ferry on Saturday evening.

Everything is a Photo Opportunity #30

I started reading Treasure Island for the first time, and what better place to read it than at the beach. My Dad loves this book and we've set a date to watch the movie together when I'm done. I've also put Muppet Treasure Island on hold at the library so I can catch up with that version too.

The beach was beautiful when I visited on the weekend, but it's currently only good for reading/sitting/or walking, as the water won't be warm enough for a good swim for a few weeks yet. A few hopeful people ran into the water while I was there, but they quickly ran back out. 

Everything is a Photo Opportunity #29

I'm posting this photo so I can tell you about the jealous feelings I'm currently experiencing.

You see, my Mom is on vacation with her sister and their high school best friend and they've gone to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I'm super jealous because the weather there is amazing (30°C/86°F) and this photo was taken from the balcony of the place they are staying. I want to be that close to the beach!

Let's all just gaze upon this photo longingly, especially if we live in a region that is still hovering around 10°C (50°F).

Everything is a Photo Opportunity #28

A similar photo to this one has appeared on the blog before, as my little Gary knows a good thing when she sees it. I'm not sure what is so comfortable about sitting on puzzle pieces, but she always seems really happy when she does it. Maybe she thinks she is helping.

Everything is a Photo Opportunity #27

The best part about receiving an order from Amazon, is that it always comes with a brand new hang out for Gary Bear. Pretty much the instant I unpacked my items and set the box on the floor, she claimed it. On a brief break from being in her new box, we managed to slip a fleece blanket in it so when she returned it was even more comfortable. Perfect for some cute cat naps.

Everything is a Photo Opportunity #26

Our friends, Brendan and Colleen, are doing a really amazing art project to decorate one of the rooms in their house. They are painting cats. All kinds. And lots of them. And they are getting willing participants to paint cats too. A few of us went over last weekend for 'cat painting night' and it was so much fun. I love adult creative play, and it made me so happy that we got together to make some art. We got really into it, too, and there were moments when the six of us were painting in silence, as we were all so focused on our cats. It was a pretty awesome way to spend a Saturday night.

At last count B and C had 54 cat paintings on the wall they are trying to fill. I'm not sure what number they want to get to, but I am really looking forward to painting another cat if they need it.

Below is the cat I painted on Saturday. I called him 'Hipster Cat' as he has a cool scarf and a neat hat. And hipster glasses, obviously.

Everything is a Photo Opportunity #25

There is nothing better than a sleepy kitty. Gary always looks completely blissed out when she's sleeping, and this picture shows her in one of her favourite windows catching some zzz's. I also love this photo because you can see green grass out the window, something I can't wait to see again.

Everything is a Photo Opportunity #24

It's been a pretty festive week around here. I got the tree up on the weekend, and last night I spent the entire evening reading by the tree lights. We put an additional string of lights around the tv, so there was lots of ambient light to read by. The mellow light was really relaxing. To take this photo I used the "High Sensitivity" function on my camera so no flash was used. Festive!

Everything is a Photo Opportunity #23

Often times when I dip candy or cake pops into chocolate, I end up with some leftover melted chocolate. When this happens, the options are: (1) eat with spoon; (2) let harden and re-use next time; (3) harden with sprinkles for a tasty treat. I'm most likely to opt for option one or three.

Here are my favourite sprinkles in some leftover dark chocolate from Monday's experiment. It was a tasty snack and made for a colourful photo.

Everything is a Photo Opportunity #22

A few summers ago I took this photo at my friend Taye's cottage. I had just started using the Hipstamatic App on my iPod and I was taking photos of anything and everything, as I was under the impression that a 70's filter made everything more awesome. It wasn't always the case, but this is one of the better photos I took.

Everything is a Photo Opportunity #21

Went for a nice walk last week before all the rain hit. A neighbour was having a small fire in their yard (brush and leaves I think) and the sun was shining through the smoke beautifully. It could be because I'm currently reading The Lord of the Rings, but sometimes I feel like I live in a fantastical land (but with paved roads and cars).

Everything is a Photo Opportunity #20

The weather has been beautiful for much of October. A few rainy days, but mostly just bright sun and perfect for walking. I love fall colours and the rail trail doesn't disappoint to show off the beauty of this time of year. I'm attempting to soak in every moment of sunshine I can. Outdoors or bust!

Everything is a Photo Opportunity #19

We are surrounded by a lot of outdoor beauty around here, and this summer we found a boardwalk along one of our local beaches. It's a great place to go walking, and each time we've been, we've run into other people walking dogs, pushing strollers, jogging, or just standing around watching the sunset. I think the boardwalk is pretty neat, and with a gorgeous view of the water, it's a very peaceful place to spend an evening.

Everything is a Photo Opportunity #18

We had a roast chicken last week which got me thinking about turkey which reminded me of this photo. Why did these turkeys cross the road? They definitely made it to the other side, stopping traffic as they crossed. Key rules for a successful animal road crossing include (1) traveling in large groups and (2) venturing out during the day. These guys made it across no problem.

Everything is a Photo Opportunity #17

This is my nephew Earl's other farm. This one was crafted by my talented sister-in-law for his birthday a few years ago. Nothing beats a good theme cake, and I especially love all the details she added (the toy tractors and animals are so cute).    

Everything is a Photo Opportunity #16

This is my nephew Earl's farm. When he reviewed this photo he told me this was the best one I took, and I agree. It definitely has a lot of action, with many farm vehicles being put to work. He also let me know that the silo in the background was full, so he had to get a second one (a coffee can).

Everything is a Photo Opportunity #15

The Tall Ships 1812 Tour docked in Midland, ON last weekend and Betony and I spent a rainy Sunday afternoon walking around and checking them out. Pictured is the STV Unicorn, which I learned from their website is "the only all-female crewed tall ship in the world". How cool is that? The ship is partnered with a New Jersey not-for-profit called Sisters Under Sail that is "dedicated to helping teen girls and women build confidence, develop leadership skills, and witness first-hand what women can do together when focused on a common goal." So it turns out I photographed the coolest tall ship ever.

Everything is a Photo Opportunity #14

We just got home from a fun beach tour. The beach we like had no parking, so we checked out another beach heading toward Wasaga. The water was pretty rocky so not perfect for swimming, but it still looked beautiful and relaxing. On our way home there was parking at our beach, so we got a nice swim in. We are having a mini-heat wave up here, so spending time in the water was wonderfully refreshing.