Macro Monday

For Macro Monday, a few pictures of some birds I have lately seen.

I love this little guy's feet!!

This little guy was at Bloedal Conservatory, a resident there of the gardens.

Another resident of Bloedal Conservatory.

To see other pictures of Macro Monday, please visit http://lisaschaos.com/

Today's Flowers

A few flowers today for you that I took while visiting Bloedal Conservatory in Vancouver.

I think this is a Hibiscus flower. Please correct me if I am wrong!!

A few blossoms from a tree, not sure at all what kind they are, except pretty!!

I think this is a Lily of some sort. I like how the petals reach up and the flower's stamens go down.

To see other photos of Today's Flowers, please go and visit http://flowersfromtoday.blogspot.com/

Monochrome Weekend

Even flowers can look good in black and  white!

For more photos of Weekend in Black and White, please go and visit http://blackandwhiteweekend.blogspot.com/

Friday's Favorite Five

Summer has finally arrived and its time to look at the things of Summer I like the most!!
1) Cherries!! I wait all year for fresh B.C. Cherries to show in the stores and they are finally here! I eat so many cherries when they come out so I hopefully won't miss them when their season is done.

2) Raspberries: The Central Fraser Valley where I live is the capital of Raspberry growers. They are now ripe and in all the fruit stands and ready to buy. I love them just plain and fresh but they are also really good with Vanillla Ice Cream!

3) Strawberries!! Are you sensing a fruit theme here!! You can get strawberries all year round, but the fresh picked locally grown berries are the best.

4) I could post more photos of fruit if I had some but maybe its time to move on here. For number 4 I love the Farmer's Market. Every Saturday morning we head on down to the market to check it out. A cup of delicous free trade coffee fresh at the market and a fresh baked Eccles Cake makes a good breakfast on  a Saturday morning. I love buying bunches of fresh herbs at the market.

5) The Sunshine!! We have had a wet cloudy spring here so seeing the sun finally come out for more than a couple days in a row is wonderful. The heat is in the 20's (Celcius) and the wind helps keep the bugs down and the air a bit cooler. I love some summer!!!

For more entries of Friday's Favorite Five, please go and visit http://susannesspace.blogspot.com/

Watery Wednesday

One of the things I like about spring and wait all year to see is all the baby birds. Baby geese, baby ducks!!

For more photos of Watery Wednesday, please go and visit http://waterywednesday.blogspot.com/

Prawn and Orange Noodle Salad.

It's very hot today for the first full day of Summer. Not so much hot in temperature but hot in humidity. It's not a day to heat up anything cooking or otherwise. A cool supper out on the back sundeck was in order.

Combine in a large Salad Bowl:

1/3 cup Soy Sauce

1/4 cup fresh Lime Juice

3 TBSP Vegetable Oil

2 Garlic cloves, minced

2-3 tsp fresh Grated Ginger

Pinch Chili Flakes

Cook 1-250gram package Rice Noodles,according to package directions

350grams cooked Salad Shrimp

1 large Orange, peeled and sectioned. (Can use Mango too)

1/3 English Cucumber, thinly sliced

1/4 thinly sliced red Onion

1/2 Yellow Pepper, thinly sliced

1/2 cup Roasted Cashews,coarsely chopped

1/4 cup fresh Cilantro, chopped.

Add Noodles and remaining ingredients to the salad dressing in large bowl and toss to combine ingredients.

I think this salad would of gone really nice with an ice cold glass of something like Chardonnay but I did not have any here. Next time though!!

Bon Appetit!!

Macro Monday

I am not a fan of creepy crawly things so its surprises me every time that I will even get within 10 feet of something that has more than four legs.

I hate spiders but we have an agreement. They have to stand perfectly still until I have my picture and then I will go away fast!!!
For more photos of Macro Monday, please go and visit http://lisaschaos.com/

Today's Flowers

First, a Happy Father's Day to all the Dads who participate here! Enjoy your day!!!

I don't know what kind of blossom this is, I just know I was struck by its beauty and quiet simplicity. This was taken out at the Bloedel Conservatory, a huge indoor garden that is a perfect place to visit on a wet, rainy day.

Another blossom, again not sure what it is other than pretty in purple!!

Some colours just make you happy to see them!!

To see other entries of Today's Flowers, please go and visit http://flowersfromtoday.blogspot.com/

Happy Father's Day to all the Fathers out there!
My Dad has been gone now for over 10 years and it seems sometimes like only a day has passed and other times like its forever. It's the little things that chance to happen that bring back memories for me now, some creep slowly into my conciousness and others hit me like a ten ton truck full steam.
Father's Day used to be a painful thing to go through after he passed away. The memory of his death was fresh and raw, I missed him a lot. I still to this day can see him in my mind's eye, the last time I saw him. Today though, 10 years later, it is bittersweet. The little things that enter now usually make me smile, make me feel like he is just here checking on me, making sure I am doing fine and then off to continue his travels.
So to celebrate Father's Day and remember my Dad, I am going to do a few things he would of loved sharing with us. My Dad's favorite breakfast was Bacon and Eggs. I can still hear him coming into the kitchen when Bacon was cooking, saying "Is that Bacon I smell??" And he loved his white bread. Wonder bread toast. And maybe after I will head out to the local parks and feed some birds. He never went a day without feeding birds. My dad loved to fish, loved the water. Seeing boats reminds me of him.

So I think that spending the day doing some of the things that gave my Dad so much pleasure is one way for us to spend the day celebrating all he meant to us.
Whatever you are doing to celebrate Father's Day, I hope it is a fun and loving celebration for you all. And to all you Fathers out there, enjoy your special day!!

Monochrome Weekend

For Monochrome Weekend, I chose a Dandelion Puff out in my yard. I don't like them much in my grass but I do like taking photos of them.

I like making them other worldly while I'm at it.

To see other photos of Monochrome Weekend, please go and visit http://monochromeweekendtheme.blogspot.com/

And a Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's out there!! Enjoy your day!!

Watery Wednesday

For Watery Wednesday, I found a cool Water Wall at Minter Gardens in Chilliwack. I had to stop and see if I could freeze the waterdrops in the falls.

So the first picture is a close up of water drops stopped in the air.

The next picture is a step back to see the wall.

And a final picture of the Water Wall, a bit closer. If you look through the water curtain you can see the plants on the other side of the water.

For more pictures of Watery Wednesday, please go and visit http://waterywednesday.blogspot.com/

The Simple Woman's Daybook

Outside my window, a blue jay is taunting me on the lawn. I know if I went to get my camera he would fly away. Lovely colours on his feathers, cheekiness in his heart.

I am hearing, my hubby and employee in the living room talking about a case they are working on.

I am wearing black Adidas trackpants and a black t-shirt. White New Balance runners.

I am thinking that I really should be getting some dinner on the go but I do love to post!

I am wondering how I am ever going to get all that I have to do done in this week. I need more time!!

I am grateful for so many things, so grateful I had to write a list a couple of posts back about my gratitude for that one simple day. Check it out if you have extra time.

From the kitchen, will soon have emanating the smells of Pork Chops and Greek Salad. Nothing now, its clean and waiting for me to get there!

I am going for a long walk in the park after I get supper over and done with. Love the light evenings now, they are cooler and much more fun to walk in.

I am reading a book on Light and Exposure of Photography. Just finished "The Diary" by Eileen Goudge. It reminded me of my mom when I was reading that.

I am hoping that my busy week goes off without a hitch, everything that has to get done is done in timely fashion and I am not too tired at the end of it all!!

Around the house Spring Cleaning is happening the past week or so. So nice to de-clutter and claim my spaces back from it.

One of my favorite things lately has been sitting outside on the sundeck at our brand new table and eating supper with my hubby. No TV, no radio, just him and I am nature.

Something you may not know about me is that I love being able to go to the beach and wander along the shores, I could spend hours just watching the waves.

And a photo I would like to share with you all, I love being home, spending time in my home. After a long day at work and my two hours commute in the day, there is no place like home. I am sure we all think the same of our own homes, and they do come in many shapes and sizes. This Paper Wasp Nest that I found in my back yard yesterday was home sweet home to a Wasp at one time, and I think they probably liked it just as much as I like my home.

For more entries of Simple Woman's Daybook, please go and visit http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

For Macro Monday, a couple  pictures of insects on flowers for you!!

A Bee on a Clematis Flower.

For more photos of Macro Monday, Please visit http://lisaschaos.com/

Today's Flowers

For Today's Flowers I have a Globe flower with a bee and a fly. For the life of me I cannot think of the real name of this flower. If anyone knows, help my forgetful self and tell me!

Another one of these Globes, this one has a hidden lady bug in it. I could not coax it out to take its picture.

And a red Dalhia with another bud just opening.
For more of Today's Flowers please go and visit http://flowersfromtoday.blogspot.com/

This and That, a list of gratitudes for a wonderful day.

Its been a wonderful day today, out all day in the glorious sunshine with my hubby. I took my camera with me but there just did not seem to be any occasions where I had to take it out for pictures. So I don't have anything to post for here!!
I read another blogger's post the other day http://charlaneg.blogspot.com/ or Ramblins, and she posted a list of her 100 or more favorite things, so thought instead I would post a list of today's favorite things, seeing as how it was such an awesome day.
1. Spending the day with my best friend.
2. Sleeping in a bit and waking up to sunshine finally pouring in the bedroom. It rains a lot here!
3. Coffee with brown sugar and cream.
4. My new PopPhoto magazine.
5. Going out for breakfast to the Phoenix Diner. My hubby played Bejeweled with the diner's five year old son while we were there. I love seeing them play, it's become a every saturday thing to go there for Breakfast.
6. My Omelette loaded with fresh veggies and gooey cheese.
7. Marmalade on my toast.
8. And another cup of coffee!
9.Walk through town to go and see the weekly Farmer's Market.
10. Seeing all the bright, fresh farmers vegetables. Colourful peppers, purple eggplants, garlic, onions, mushrooms and so many herbs. The sun shining down, warm and the plethora of wondrous scents in the air.
11. Tasting homemade relishes and salsas on corn chips at the various stands, All the different home made jams and jellies. It's hard to know what to get.
12. Face painted children running around, sun dresses, cute sandals. Lots of energy abounding.
13. Back to the car and on the road again. There is another farmer's market in the next town over.
14. This market is twice the size, so much to see.
15. Artisan breads, scones, muffins!
16. Home made jewelry.
17. Home made aprons, pottery, crafts.
18. Chalk art, budding artists hard at work.
19. Deep blue skies, you have to squint the sun shines so bright.
20. Lots of eclectic stores around the area of the farmer's market. Off to explore some of those as well.
21. Ice Cream!! And I have not even had lunch.
22. Pineapple Gelato ice cream with a scoop of Coconut Gelato ice cream on the top!! Summer in a bowl.
23. Comic book store.
24. Used Book store. So much to browse.
25. Buy a beaded Hummingbird with very colourful beads to hang on my rear view mirror in my car.
26. Candy store! Pez candies in sour, chocolate and sweet. So much to choose.
27. Chocolate bar, dark, with Chilies in it. Different.
28. Back to the Mall for a bit of lunch.
29. Cream of Potato Soup with chunks of bacon in it liberally sprinkled with fresh ground pepper.
30. Stealing a big pickle slice from hubby's sandwich.
31. Sharing a Coke with hubby.
32. Another book store!!
33. Finding two books on Photography to read.
34. Finding a series of TinTin comic books priced rediculously low for my hubby. He collects series like this.
35. Back to find the truck, time to go home, hang out and read our new treasures.
36. Home now.
37. Meeting my neighbour's brand new baby daughter Mia for the first time. Three weeks old of beautiful baby!
38. Coffee with Brown Sugar and Cream on the sundeck, new books to peruse.
39. Watermelon
40.  Liberty Moka flavoured Yogurt. To die for!!
41. Listening to the next door's Classic Rock on thier stereo. It's not too loud, just enough to sing along with.
42. The park behind our hosue and watching the dog walkers, the walkers, listening to the kid's play in the field, and on the playground.
43. Enjoying my greenspace behind my house.
44. Wireless internet so I can sit outside and write my list.
45. My cats, enjoying the day with us from the safety of the house. They are indoor cats only, hate for them to escape, we'd never catch them.
46. My beautiful purple Clematis that just bloomed this week in the planter box to my left.
47. Purple roses blooming in my yard.
48. My one lone yellow iris that bloomed this year. Must thin out the irises so they will bloom. Grateful for the one though that did!
49. Time for a glass of Fuzion Malbec wine from Argentina. It's long past five o'clock here!
50. All of you who visit my blog to see what I have up next. I really appreciate your visits and I love to visit yours as well.

Watery Wednesday

My Water Pictures today are of a small waterfall in Minter Gardens. I was playing with the shutter speed on my camera to get different effects of the water.

Slow Shutter Speed:

Fast Shutter speed:

For more photos of Watery Wednesday, please visit http://waterywednesday.blogspot.com/

Macro Monday

Welcome to Macro Monday. I also have a few photos that I posted yesterday in the post below so hopefully you can check those out as well, and my contribution today is a Dandilion with a bee!! Even those nasty weeds that infiltrate our gardens have something to offer to the lowly bee!!

I like the little curlies on the dandilion!

To see more photos of Macro Monday, please go and visit http://lisaschaos.com/

Today's Flowers

For Today's Flowers, a Clematis bloom. Picture taken at Minter Gardens yesterday.

And another Clematis bloom!!

A Clematis bloom and a Bee!

And a final Clematis bloom! Get the theme of this post!!

For more pictures of Today's Flowers, please go and visit  http://flowersfromtoday.blogspot.com/