i got away

and it was great!

sitting on the dock of the....

this dock was built today

with old pallets and fence posts

my canoe will be stored their for winter

when I wanna paddle

I can slide the canoe  out and slip into the pond

The water is low right now

but just to stand and watch the bird activity

and hang the feet over the edge

I have a song and it works well to the tune of "Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay"

Just Sittin'

sitting on the dock of the pond

waving a magic wand

feeling not so blue

as nature's calling is true

worries and frustrations

turn into tiny illustrations

cause I am sitting on the dock

of the pond

part-time hobbies

starting a new part-time job

July 6

 and will be

working with my high-school buddy to boot!

She gave me the heads-up on this job

at a local hearing centre

I will be contacting people about future

hearing clinics and booking appointments

I did not enjoy the flower shop, I did not make a connection
with any of the staff so "..no fun no workee".. (that's my rule) and

no more cleaning flowers, filling pails of water and hauling dirty vases

around and washing them

The experience is always good and i got something from

my short flower shop career - I now know  that flowers are delicate

and alot of work  and expensive!  

It was a soap making morning for me today.  I make soap every 3 months.  It's bright yellow color
comes from the Almond Milk I use instead of water along with Coconut Oil and Olive Oil
We love this soap a Kirkville!

the canoe has been used once so far
we have a lake across the highway from our
place called "Leech Lake" (not for swimming in!).  Brian and I felt  God's presence that
Sunday morning as we we glided on the water, enjoying the scenery and surrounding

countryside.

What to do with pictures sitting in a box?  I had an old lampshade that is now

displaying some older photos.  I bought a new lamp stand at Value Village and put on

some trim of Washi tape around the shade.  This was fun and every time I turn on this lamp

in our guest bedroom it takes me back to younger days!

kirkville wetlands

this pond is 3 times the size of our pond at the old kirkville acreage

it was so relaxing and nice to be out on this water

I almost cried...emotional ... 

canoeing in "Downton Abbey" style...still the best sun hat!

Tom is here for his vacation for a week and he has been

put to work helping set up garage and compost and recycling all unpacked

moving boxes to Sarcan and building saddle stands...he has been put to

good work and he is a stronger paddler than me too..!

newness

The images on my header above are from a few of my favourites from professional photographers on the photo sharing website Flickr

1st on the left is Sally Taylor (freelancer1982)

Middle is Carolyn (CarolynsHope)

far right is Serch 

I am also looking forward to plunking in some water with my canoe on our huge pond.  Must enjoy summer time

as much as possible!

On the water in my canoe - love the noise of the water......sharing a bit of my paddling time

venting and problem solving

i do leave myself vulnerable

i realize that my last post

gave my home location to all

internet creeps; I am debating about

deleting it?

i stressed out on thursday and vented and

got what I wanted. Our neighbours phoned and said they would clear out

 the lane, driveway if i wanted and

so the acreage got cleared out so I could drive out of here

to go to work on Friday.  (great neighbours because I know they

are ready to assist if Brian is away)

( you can see the ridge of where the top of our 8 foot fence is)

I vent now out loud because it helps to come up

with solutions, but then I must remember to keep calm after

a certain point and carry on.  that is the trick really for me

vent but know when to stop and start to calm down

life has its stressors and it is good because it teaches you

lessons on survival

i worried about the horses, i worried about my son and husband coming home

safely from work, so I am a fan of cell phones it keeps the connection

of communication open.  It is a feel good comfort to know you can call someone anytime and hopefully anywhere, depending on the call coverage.

on a funner note we are going out for supper to KIVA cafe.  Great home cooked food

and healthy food with tidbits of sweetness and dessert too!

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON!

earth day birthday

my son put this earth day feature on a website, you should clic on it and enjoy!

EARTH DAY APPRECIATION

 my birthday is today

 i canoed in our pond

Tommy and his bird boxes are up and painted white this year

so great this weather today
keep enjoying it!

Carefree Adventures

Tom showing me how to take "macro" shots of flowers

I ended up at Lac Pelletier on Monday because I was looking for the kayak rental spot by Duncairn Dam. I discovered later that day that I had to go through the town of Simmie and then North a bit to get to "Carefree Park". I never heard of this place but now I do know where it is. Tom and I had our cameras in the car just in case we felt like taking a photo or two. It ended up that it was the majority of our afternoon spent taking photos as the kayak rental business is only open weekends Friday 8:00 p.m. to Sunday 5:00 p.m.

Check out the map and prices and hours by clicking here "Carefree Adventures" if you ever want to take relatives, friends out for a kayak, canoe ride this summer.

Here are some of my photos while at Lac Pelletier.....

my favourite view

seeded crocus

golden bean flower (some call it the buffalo bean plant)

the bluebeard flower

boys at the lake

Have a great Wednesday as the sun is shining brightly this morning with no wind.  I better get outside and enjoy. 

Tom's SOOC Saturday

{Tom Kirk FujiFilm Finepix S1000}

Yesterday we went to the reservoir for another canoe journey and along the way we stopped and took a rest break on the other side. Tom took this picture {much to my delight}, so I am sharing today as it is SOOC {straight out of the camera} Saturday.
I am enlarging this picture and framing it!

Check out Melody's blog for some professional photography SOOC shots!

Highfield Dam - My Best Shot Monday {night}

Only a few miles from our home is a reservoir, a very voluminous reservoir of water, which actually is a dam.

This is my best shot Monday. Driving along the Highfield Dam Road searchng for a good entry spot into the water with our aluminum friend, the canoe.

My boys used to fish along this dam. It wasn't until just this past July when I frequented once again to head to No. 1 East highway when Brian said "heh..why don't you try canoeing on that body of water"? and so we glided the canoe onto its waters in July and then again yesterday. Tom came with me this time and of course it was a “heavenly” experience of nature. Tom knew all the birds on the water and all the gulls noisily resting on the sandbanks and flying over our heads, the “grebes” nesting with their eggs right on the water. The water was crystal clear but very heavily weeded as is the "norm" for August.

I feel so balanced and joyful …it is a wonderful long lasting feeling. I have my own body of water to slip my canoe into when I am feeling disjointed and unsure.

Echo Lake retreat....

view of Echo Lake in the Qu'Appelle Valley from the top of the campgound area
ahhh at last in my canoe and loving it. Wendy and I camped at Qu'Appelle Valley at Echo Lake this last weekend. ....it was quite serene and a bit of hard work canoeing to get as far as we did!

Wendy enjoying the serenity.....



we also drove into Regina on Saturday and attended an event at the Ex

The 51st Annual Canadian National Arabian and Half-Arabian Championship Horse Show, better known as the Royal Red

.....wow if you are a horse lover of any kind the talent and beauty of these horses will amaze you......here is some info from the Leader Post write up....

“The Arabs do practically everything,“...They do really anything,” agreed Greg Hazlewood, owner of Hazlewood Arabians in Arizona. “They race them. They use them in cutting classes. They’re just a very, very versatile horse. I think probably the most versatile of any breed out there.”

they also have a very unique trot as their legs can extend and stretch straight out like no other horses in the world. The Arabian horse show has "native eventing" full arabian costuming on the horse and rider as well as the old english/hunter country show with rider in full tailcoat and top hat, as well as the "stallion halter" event. Only purebred arabian stallions who are brought into this world to breed and are very difficult to control were shown off in this event.


i am so grateful to have independence, a friend who is open to new adventures and my health...what a spectacular way to wind down August and renew my spirit for September!

getting ready for fun...

my canoe is peeking around the corner saying "come on let's go!". i am starting to get ready for my mini holiday with friends. i just talked to Wendy last nite and she has free passes to a very special event being held at the Ex in the Queen City... We will be spending the day in Regina on Saturday afternoon and evening.....yes we will have to leave our campsite and canoe for awhile......you will have to check in next week to find out where we went.

better remember my camera....very excited am I.