Barnstorming!

On the way to yoga class, down a winding country road, there's an old barn that grabs my attention every time I pass it. Finally I got a few photos of the charming place, thanks to my chauffeur stopping the car in the middle of the road so that I could lean out the window and grab some shots.

It's a two-part barn, which is interesting in itself, set on a slope so that one building is higher than the other.

It's charming and bucolic in the way that barns are
to city folk like myself.

But what really fascinates me is the sag in the middle where the two structures adjoin each other.

I didn't manage to get a photo that really shows just how much they dip in the middle but I tried for so long that night finally fell upon the scene.

Well, not really, but orange you glad that I played with the picture?

Here's the other end of the barn as we drive past it, heading home.

One last glance down the field
 between the barns and the farm house.

Hands up all those who can spot the cat in the grass!

For a completely romanticized version of this bent barn, just hop over to my art blog, Ragzedge.  It's well worth the exercise, I promise you, if you are at all romantically inclined.

Trespassers will be shot!

Driving down a back-country road the same day that I visited the tree camp (seen in previous post), I came across this picturesque old vehicle mouldering away in an otherwise empty field.

By "empty field" I mean just that...no houses, sheds, shacks, teepees, barns, dog houses, outhouses, sheep pens, hovels...nothing, zip, nada.  Just the old truck.

Of course I had to stop and get some pictures to cart back to my blog, but just as I was happily snapping away, a loud angry voice started shouting at me.

My heart dropped into my rubber boots as I turned and saw a large bearded man in a black tee-shirt and jeans, accompanied by a big black dog heading my way.

All the colour seeped out of my world when he hollered,

"Whaddya think yer doin'?!"

"Well, I'm just getting some pictures of this old car, if you don't mind.  I mean, if you don't want me to, I won't," I squeaked in reply.

His surly retort? "Well, I don't have my shotgun with me...

 I guess you look okay. 

But really...you shoulda asked!"

I hurriedly grabbed a few more shots 

and then motored on out of there.

Before I left, the guy informed me that the vehicle 

was a 1948 or '49 Willys Jeep.

I guess that meant he'd forgiven me.

Can't say I felt the same towards him.

Pondly Yours

This miniature cottage sits on a diminutive island near the far edge of a small pond that I pass on my walks. It must have started out as a dog house but I've seen it used by ducks and, more recently, by a pair of honeymooning Canada geese. 

I wonder if they took the time to admire the birds' eye view (or maybe in their eyes it was a fowl sight).

I imagine when you're a bird, flying in an ocean of sky over a sea of water, it's sometimes hard to tell which way is up.  Sometimes it's not so easy for humans, either, which reminds me of the Richard Farina book title, "Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up To Me."

It's a topsy-turvy world we live in. 

All those ripples from over the pond with so many people casting their Euros in it to make a wish for stability, if not sanity.

Let's hope it doesn't cause a global tidal wave.

Right now I'm going to wave goodbye to you for a little while.  You'll hardly even notice I'm gone.  It's just to let you know that I won't be around to answer any comments you might leave on my doorstep or visit with blog friends for a few days.
Meanwhile, stay sunny side up!

Grim and Bear It

Look what Mother Nature is handing out in our neighbourhood for Hallowe'en treats this year

Close-up of a frosted lollipop?  Not quite. 

Sherbet?  Not so tasty. 

Nope, snow crystals, gloopy icy, big fat snow blobs snorted onto my bedroom window this afternoon.

Now is that any way for a grande old dame like Mother Nature to behave?

At least it provided me with the opportunity to play with some images in Photoshop today because there was no way I was going out for a walk in such nasty weather. 

Rather like myself, the windows got a bit steamed up over the situation.

Did you like to draw on the fogged-up car windows when you were a kid?

Looking out through rain-streaked windows reveals a distorted, fluid sort of alternate world

This threat, this pointed hint of things to come makes me want to wrap up autumn in a big sheet of cling-wrap to preserve the warmth of its colours.

The condensation on the window applies a natural texture to the image beyond.

Life imitating the art of Photoshop this time.

Mother Nature signs each piece of her artwork with an original symbol, just as each snowflake is unique.

The world is still full of colour.  The sun will come back tomorrow. 

This was just Mother Nature kicking up her heels and having a bit of fun.

But appropriately enough for Hallowe'en, she certainly did spook me!

Hey, look what I got while I wasn't looking!

Thanks to Hilary at the Smitten Image

for the "Just Plain Good" award this week

Horse Face

It was a gloriously autumnal day today, complete with moody clouds hanging about the sky, so I grabbed my camera and went out for a long walk. I was taking a picture of the way the road climbed to the horizon and then disappeared ...

but when I checked the image in the camera, I discovered there was a horse in the field.  Seeing the possibility of blog fodder, I went closer to investigate.

The horse in question was a rather odd sort.

She was very involved in trying to eat the fence.  One could even say obsessed.

She did take time out for a brief game of peek-a-boo with me as I tried different heights to get her portrait.

When I reviewed my pictures of this strange creature tonight, I discovered she was really not very photogenic.  In fact, rather disturbingly homely, with great patches of hair rubbed off the nose, probably from all that fence nibbling.

I did my best with Photoshop to try to make a silk purse from a pig's ear  horse's nose but the resident critic's reaction was, "It's not a very pretty horse is it."  Oh well, you whinny some, you lose some.

I think she's interesting enough to put in Bonnie's Photo Art Friday gallery, though.  Don't you?

Wildflowers

On my near-daily walks, I often follow what is known locally as the lake road. 

This is my favourite view over the fields that line the road.

Soft golden grasses recall the rays of the summer sun (not that we saw much of it this year).

 

 The bullrushes, or cattails, have gone to seed now, all exploded fluff drifting on the wind like furry fairies.  I was surprised to learn from my Environment prof (long ago) that bullrushes can be ground to make flour.  Cattail bread?  Maybe not.

These must be the tiny nests wherein the fairies dwell, and the lace with which they fashion their wings.

Wildflowers or weeds, what's in a name? In early autumn days, these are the plants that line the ditch along the lake road.  Or, they did, until last week when they were mown down.

Blue: straight out of camera; Pink: adjusted in Photoshop

Now probably I "should" know what these sweet little lavender blue posies are called.  But I'm really not very good at being able to put names to plants, and anyway, I subscribe to the philosophy that there is no such thing as "should."

It was a very windy day and I planned to come back to get close-ups of these flowers but on my next walk, they'd already been cut down by the village road crew, for reasons best known to them, although I suspect it has something to do with a pay cheque. 

So, instead of close-ups, I offer up a painterly version of this particular roadside attraction.

And while I'm at it, I 'll take the opportunity to contribute this to Bonnie's Photo Art Friday.

I encourage you to take a virtual stroll through the gallery there of artistically rendered photos from bloggers all over the world.  It's a great way to feast your eyes, soothe your soul, and find inspiration for your own picture making.

I wish you happy trails, wherever your feet may roam!

Let Me Albert County the Ways

News Flash:  I received a Reader's Choice Post of the Week award from Hilary, thanks to a recommendation from Merisi!  So  honoured!

The Award Winning Post:

Last posting, we were out for a lovely Sunday drive through the scenic county backroads.  How about if we pick up where we left off for another eagle-eye view?

While there are a number of charming old houses in the area, there are also many neglected or derelict ones,  not without their own eccentric charms. 

Although this old house has sadly experienced a fire at some point in her past, leaving her gaping windows looking as if her mascara has badly run, she is still putting up a good front, with lovely colours and a jaunty feather sticking out of her cap.

With so much snow, it's not surprising that some people have left up their outdoor Christmas decorations.  In fact, it is not uncommon for some folks to leave them out all year round, which seems to demonstrate an optimism in still being around next year.  Or, I guess if you're not, you won't really care that last year's Christmas decorations are still up.

Here's another colourful structure, freshly shorn of its roof full (rooful?) of snow.  Shovelling the roof of one's house is the latest Albert County sport this winter.  I think it may even be overtaking snowmobiling in popularity, perhaps because a shovel is much more affordable than a skidoo.  (Just so you know, I don't indulge in either "sport.")

Somebody was obviously gripped by Inukshuk Fever and built an entire snow fence of them along the edge of their property. 

Or perhaps it was a homage to Brancusi?

I was particulary charmed by this trio of trailers.  One each for Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and Baby Bear?

Well, things do tend to be reduced to the "bear" necessities during a long snowy winter of hibernation.

Speaking of which,

There's nothing like a thick blanket of snow to tuck over and around the gravestones in an old (1880) cemetery.  This one is called Bay View Cemetery, although why the residents would be requiring a view of the bay is quite beyond me.  I guess it's just another of those charming, eccentric country ways.