Day 63 – 04Mar2011 – Standing on One Foot, originally uploaded by thegardenshutterbug.
Project 365 – Standing on One Foot.
Day 63 – Atop a building near the wharf sat a gull. With the beautiful blue sky behind, it was quite photogenic. It wasn’t until after I downloaded the photo that I noticed the gull is either standing on one foot or is missing a leg…
DAY 29 – 29Jan2011 – In the Blink of an Eye, originally uploaded by thegardenshutterbug.
Project 365 – In the Blink of an Eye.
On Day 29 I had the opportunity to spend some time amid my friend’s horses, and in the process I captured Willow’s eye with my long lens.
If you look carefully, you can see my reflection in her eye!
What gentle souls these creatures are… we have much to learn from them!
There are lots more horsie photos on my Flickr Photostream – check it out!
All for now,
TGS
DAY 27 – 27Jan2011 – Man & Beast, originally uploaded by thegardenshutterbug.
Project 365, Day 27 – Man & Beast
Thinking all day long that this weather is “not fit for man nor beast” and then lo and behold… the man and the beast!
DAY 17 – 17Jan2011 – Peek-a-boo Rosie, originally uploaded by thegardenshutterbug.
Day 17/365 – Peek-a-boo Rosie
I went x-country skiing this afternoon with friends, and their dogs, in the woods near Annapolis Royal. It was gorgeous!
Here’s ‘Rosie’ playing peek-a-boo from behind a tree. She very much enjoyed her run in the snow!
DAY 1 – 01Jan2011 – Barred Owl, originally uploaded by thegardenshutterbug.
On a “field trip” on my first day of Project 365, an owl flew over my car and perched in a roadside tree, allowing me lots of time to get out and photograph it from several angles. I’ve always been drawn to owls, so it seemed serendipitous that this experience would happen on DAY 1 of my undertaking Project 365. A good omen…
Strolled the French Basin Trail Good Friday morning – what a treat! Lots of critters…
Canada Geese coming in for a landing
Closer now...
Touchdown!
A Happy Couple...
Lunch time!
Painted Turtle
Painted Turtle - up close & personal...
Muskrat Sam
Shy Squirrel
Frog
Check out more on the French Basin Trail on the Attractions Annapolis Blogsite.
I took a walk along Annapolis Royal’s French Basin Trail Sunday morning. It was an incredible spring day, and the birds seemed to be having as wonderful a time as I was… except for those few moments when a bald eagle came by to make trouble, and was soon chased off by the Seagull Sentry!
The Seagulls put the run to an Eagle
Swallows making a home...
Buffleheads
Robin
Canada Goose
Nature's Sculpture
This final shot is of a fallen tree, but to me it looks like something more… it looks like a cormorant with a fish in his mouth. Am I wrong??? I love it when these little pieces of nature take on a personality.
GPS Folks… To find this treasure, navigate your way to N 44 44.647 W 065 30.778.
I’ve always felt that a picture indeed tells a thousand words, and as a musician I certainly understand the magic it creates as well. But never have I seen a better example than when a friend sent me a link to a Youtube video the other day.
You may have heard the story of a lion named Christian, adopted in the late 60s and eventually re-integrated into the wild, and of the remarkable reunion with his “humans” some time later in the African jungle. In text (follow this link) it is truly a touching story.
Now add video and music… and perhaps grab a box of kleenex first. For me, this is an excellent example of the transformational powers of film and music!
A couple weeks ago I blogged a bit about the Hillsdale House pets. And since that time, I’ve caught nothing but grief from a certain black feline who calls me Mom. “How COULD you write about other cats before you introduced ME to the world?”
My response, as I give her another kitty treat and pat her on the head apologetically, is that I wanted a “practice run” before I wrote about her, because hers had to be purrfect!
So here goes. Sheba came into my life about 14 months ago. For all my adult life, my feline family consisted of Nikita and Jude. I adopted them as kittens. They grew up together. They grew old together. Nikita died at age 17, and four years later Jude died at the tender age of 21. After Jude died, I decided to try living sans kitties for a while and then decide whether I wanted to have more pets. Of course, that was just denial on my part – family and friends knew that wouldn’t last very long. So about 6 months later, someone came to me with an offer – Sheba, a 10-or-so year old cat, was in need of a home. Her Mom was sick and going into a nursing home. Sheba had nowhere to go. So I thought about it – once again, my family and friends knew immediately I would take the cat, but I convinced myself that I needed to “sleep on it” before I jumped. Family and friends were right… Sheba came to my home shortly thereafter and immediately made herself at home. She took charge of the household right away, just like all good kitties do. And all is well with the world.
Is she buying my excuse for the delay in her “coming out party”? Nope. But she loves me anyway. For now, that is… we have a visit to the (shhhhhh) V-E-T next week and I have a feeling I will be out of her good graces for a while after that!
I love taking animal shots, almost as much as flower shots. And one of my favourite haunts for pet shots, aside from my own critter, is at Hillsdale House Inn. Owners Paul & Val are pet lovers, and as a result they have decided to make their Inn a “pet-friendly” accommodation! Yep – they welcome you AND your critters! They have house rules of course, for the safety and comfort of all guests, but how wonderful is it to be able to stay in such a fine accommodation with all your loved ones!
So let’s meet Paul & Val’s family…
First, there’s Simon. That’s Simonette really, she’s a girl, but everyone calls her Simon. Simon is often seen greeting guests in the Hillsdale, and often she goes off site to provide this same service at the nearby Historic Gardens!
Simon the Cat - Hillsdale House Inn
Simon loves to take reservations!
Then there’s Hannah, a beautiful Burnese Mountain Dog… a “rescue” from the United States. Hannah’s a sweetheart!
Hannah & Paul greeting guests.
Val & Hannah chillin' out
And last, but not least, is the story of Charcoal… Val’s rescue of a local feral cat. This story is a long one, so I won’t even try… but if you want to know more, please read all about it at the Hillsdale House Inn Blog. Charcoal has been recently adopted by one of the Hillsdale staff, so you won’t see him at Hillsdale House – he has a home all to himself now!
Charcoal the Cat
So now you have the story, although knowing Val & Paul there are many more chapters ahead! The following photo, taken in their parlour, speaks volumes for the Hillsdale House Inn…
|
