Colour Ramble 5

A week after our first ramble to peep at the colours, nothing much has changed. Most of our world remains green. So, it is probably a good idea that we still haven't ventured terribly far. On Sunday, we hit the road again on a short jaunt that turned out to be even shorter than we had thought.

We plan on taking new routes sometimes, so I make a Google Map of where I'd like to go. I draw it out on the computer and then send it to my phone. Sometimes it works; sometimes there is a hitch. It worked yesterday.

This was the route that I planned. We are in Carleton Place toward the bottom right, but I didn't need help to get to Union Hall, so that is where the plotted route begins.

Once we got to Rosetta, we were on a new-to-us road. From there we headed to Arklan before finding our way to Middleville along an unpaved, rural road.

It was at a bend in that road that I stopped to take my first photos. I liked the bend plus the unique fence beside it and some colour around the turn. The sky was good that day, which beats the blank sky that is murder on photos.

At the same spot, I took this shot of a turning tree across the field, looking to the left in the above photo. Unfortunately, the sky came out drab in this photo. Blame the photographer.

After Middleville, we found ourselves on another new-to-us road where another corner yielded another photo.

Shortly beyond that point we came across a fence with all sorts of rusting machine and implements. This is a photo of an old tractor, one of the many many item lined up there.

We had purchased coffee and muffins back in Carleton Pace at the beginning of the trip, and so we stopped by Clayton Lake for a break. I thought the clouds looked like angel wings.

At that point we cut our ramble short and headed in a different direction to visit Shauna in Perth, which is about a half hour west of our town. The seniors residence where she is now employed is just opening for occupancy. She was there getting things ready and called to invite us for a visit.

I trust that the colour will improve. It usually peaks around Thanksgiving which is still two weeks away. I haven't taken any wall-worthy photos yet and, in point of fact, that may not happen for me this year. But it is still quite pleasant to toodle about the countryside on these lovely autumn days.

And for my own records, this is a link to the Google Map should I need to revive that route: https://goo.gl/maps/UV23hGoXcmfYXnTP8 .

A Tense View of Usage

The way we use language certainly changes, and, I think, more rapidly than ever. In sports, for example, a really good play will likely be described as "Sick." I believe that I have also heard it in SYTYCD although it has been awhile since we caught that show. I think it crops up every now and then in The Voice too although we get so inured to the newer usage that I am guessing that I don't always notice it.

Here's an example of another trend that I am noticing: "Does Cale Fleury start the season in Montreal?"

You don't have to know the context to see what is happening here; a present-case construction is being used for a future event. Up until recently, I don't think that there is much question that it would have been written with will and not does. Now, I see the present tense being used frequently for a future scenario.

I probably fall into the trap every now and then, or at least the present tense one because our ears get used to the language that is being used all around us. I don't like it, though. And if I ever catch myself using the word, sick, in that context, well, I just may throw up.

Colour Ramble 4

Thank goodness! I have emptied my queue of posts, which became rather lengthy and resulted in me posting double for a few days.

Before, I get to Ramble 4, however, I pause to thank those who wished me well health-wise. I have had an ongoing condition for a week that I don't think is serious but is both wearying and aggravating. Blood work has been done and an ultrasound is scheduled for Monday.

The relevance of this is that we have kept our rambles relatively short and local. We did have one in mind that would have taken us further afield yesterday, Friday, but we decided that we'd stick closer to home once again. Sigh.

We motored up to the Mill of Kintail, only about 20 minutes away, if that, for a short walk around.

Both the drive and the walk revealed very limited colour, especially in the woods at he Mill.

On our little traipse, I liked this setting as a composition for Sue. Colour is absent, but I still like the setting.

I tried a number of shots of branches amongst colour and light but trashed most of them. I don't spend much time contemplating such shots on these sorts of excursions. I see something that looks like it has possibilities and fire a quick shot. Most, I trash, but I am fairly happy with this one, however.

That was it from yesterday, so I will post a few from the previous day, Thursday, when I went on a brief, nearby ramble on my own whilst Sue was up to this, that, and the other thing.

Today, it shall rain apparently. Tomorrow looks promising followed by a few more rainy days. There is not all that much time to enjoy this fleeting season, so I hope that I feel up to a ramble tomorrow.

Doors Open Tea Plus

Doors Open is a province-wide event held each year. It is up to communities to participate, and ours has for the past few years. The idea is to be able to visit places that may not always be open to the public. While we had seen most places on the list, there was both a tea and quilt show at St James Church.

It was an old-fashioned tea with the servers playing their parts to perfection. These were the two ladies who served us, mostly the second lady, but the first did help us with refills.

We happened to have Danica with us for a while that day, so we got a few pics of her enjoying a scone with jam and cream.

The centerpiece was unique.

We wandered into the sanctuary where there were many many quilts, from both now and the past, but I didn't take a single photo, at least partly because I was having a difficult health day.

But then Danica asked about the organ. It's a big pipe organ, and she could't understand how it worked. So they got the organist in to play just a little bit, and I must say that the sound certainly filled the somewhat small church. At the last minute, I was able to snatch a brief video clip.

We made one more stop to the former Federal Building, which was the post office for many years. As we walked in the door, the owner began to address the small group assembled about how he has worked diligently to restore the place as authentically as possible. It was a great talk, but once again I didn't take any photos, this time largely because we were a group in a small area, and I didn't want to disrupt proceedings.

I did take one photo because it was such a delightful little touch. Every postmaster has signed his name to the inside of the vault. I wasn't able to get close, but you can see where we were looking in this photo.

I was done in by this point, so I went home to bed while Sue and Danica went shopping for a birthday present for one of Danica's friends.

Colour Ramble 3

On and on we go. Where we ramble no one knows. Or, I suppose, cares for that matter. Whatever the case, yesterday, I went on a very short ramble, just taking a rural road for a mile or three as it exits town.

Touches of colour. I wonder if we will get that whole copse on fire at one. Probably not: I suspect that some leaves may drop before others turn.

A little past the copse was a farm, or at least a property where some farming was done. There are both blooming sunflowers and autumn colours in this photo, along with a shed that I think anchors the scene. I like the strip of hay as well.

A barn with just a little colour on the adjacent fence by the road.

A closeup of colourful leaves by the fence.

If I may digress slightly, I have changed my display at the cafe where I show some of my work. I always do a crappy iPhone shot of the prints which I otherwise take so much care with. But it's mostly for the record because I forget what pictures I have posted almost immediately.

Carleton Place Junction

When the railway stopped running, the town purchased the land, as did the other municipalities through which it passed.

There emerged a grand vision to create, not only a walking trail, but also a recreational area that honoured the past. So, in the vicinity of the actual historical junction a mock railway station and water tower were erected. You might recall that I blogged about it here when the water tower was raised into place.

Last Friday night saw the official and ceremonial opening of the junction.

It began with entertainment by two young ladies who fiddled, and banjoed, and step danced.

There were a few speeches that didn't go too long.

Mayor Black

The Committee that worked on the project.

Joanne, who worked extensively on the project, was presented with a photograph that my friend and photographer Bob McDonald took of  The Junction.

Bob took more photos.

The ceremonial ribbon cutting. I was at a bad angle, but the mayor sharing a light moment is kind of cool.

The historic Findlay whistle was resurrected and blown for the first time in years as part of the tribute to the past. The sounding of the factory whistle was heard throughout the town daily at 12 and 5 o'clock for many year. I managed to take a short video of the blowing. I wasn't exactly prepared, and it is jumpy, but it is only 10 seconds long.

A bit of Findlay history here.

The youth were not forgotten and performed on the new pump track.

There is also a skaters park inside the track, which I have shown previously.

Colour Ramble 2

This is another double-post day as I have another autumn ramble to interject.

Sue and I went on another short spin yesterday, by which I mean not very far and lasting probably less than two hours. It was an overcast morning, but it's still nice to toodle about, see a bit of colour, and maybe snap a few photos.

The foreground trees provided a bit of a frame for the bits of colour in the background.

This old farmstead caught my eye.

We stopped at Clayton Lake for this photo before turning toward home.

Hopefully, we'll still have more driveabouts as the colour continues to develop.

But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?

I know there's seemingly no end to my morning photographic romps, but these too shall end — for the most part, anyway, as winter comes.

I returned to the trail bridge where I hadn't been for a few weeks and was pleased to see something of a sunrise. Two photos of the smokestack and sunrise beyond at the former McArthur Mill.

As I moved to a different vantage point, I was intrigued by seeing the sunrise light through the windows. I could have lifted the shadows on the building a little as I did take a brighter exposure but decided that I liked the silhouette.

It was a very different experience to look west toward townhall.

A Later Morning

I didn't get out very early on this day. The sun was about to rise, and I was still in my own driveway. So, I just drove around the corner.

There is construction nearby, and a new road has opened, which gave me a glimpse of the one clouds in the whole sky. Now, that cloud was toward the sunrise. So, I took a snap which included the communications tower. It is a record shot only and not one for the wall. That's for darn sure.

Around another corner I went. With a corn field in front of me and a road beside me, I took this shot towards the rising sun. It is actually a stitch of seven photos shot vertically. In theory, I could print this many feet or even yards wide and hang it behind the couch. In practice, of course, I won't. Speaking of practice, that's really what such a shot is for me.

I took one more photo, similar to the scene above but just concentrating on the rising sun.

The First Bits of Colour

Since I have about 5 posts in the queue, stretching to Friday, I am double-posting today because yesterday we went for an initial autumn drive as autumn colourization begins. We didn't go long or far, but we did spot bits of colour.

If I put this in the queue and posted on Saturday, this post would be out of date as the colour will have advanced by quite a bit.

Besides that, autumn officially begins today.

So, with no other words to add, here's a peak at what I saw. There could have been more photo ops, but as I was taking one photo the sun went in, so I more or less put my camera away. These were taken on an unpaved backroad called Mountainview, a rather grand name for the road, but if you were on the right property you would have a fair view. Of course, we landless plebeians . . .

We then stopped by the unique Pakenham bridge, where I took my camera out for this photo, which includes my young bride.

Morning and Evening

First, I have two more photos from the morning that I have been posting about for the past two days. As I turned around (again, this turning around thing) I noticed the rising sun just hitting the trees on the other side of the bridge, so I went across and took this photo. It is not a bad photo in its own right.

Then, I went down to a pier on the left, but by the time that I got there, I was no longer impressed with the light on the treetops, so I took a shot back toward the bridge. It is not particularly special, and I almost wasn't going to post it, but it's not terrible either.

That evening, I returned because I was told that they were going to bathe the town hall in purple to honour big brother and big sisters on their special day.

They tried, but it didn't work very well, so I took some other photos.

Yes, AC is back to light trails but from a different point of view with a dramatic sky in the background.

Here's just a slice of the bridge.

Then I went wild with some ICM, Intentional Camera Movement. Yes, wild and silly but kind of fun too. I blended the ICM photos onto a standard photo and got some light streaks.