That's about it. Whatever will I think to blog about next?
Showing posts with label riverwood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label riverwood. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Belated Cottage Pics
Even though it's not Christmas, like Cratchit I am a little behind my times with this post. We have been back from the cottage for almost three weeks, but it took me awhile to get around to posting these pictures because I first had to finish working with photos from our Down East trip,. Let's face it; it just had to be done. This batch I like from a photographic point of view.
I walked into the woods, not very far in, to see what I could see. Soon, I heard chickadees cheeping and headed toward the sound. They were brave enough to stay within camera distance for awhile.
While I was standing still and taking chickadee pictures, a chipmunk stopped in front of me for quite a long time, trying to take the measure of such a weird, clumsy creature.
On another occasion, I passed this Monarch butterfly in the trees. Apparently, they have been somewhat scarce in the past few years, so I was glad to see this one and others later on.
Evenings found us down at the planer mill. We'd light candles inside and start a campfire outside. As you can see, it gets quite dark in the country.
There is a garage/shed on the property. I have taken pictures of the front, but this time I focussed on this simple picture of the window in the back wall.
There is also a picturesque red bar on the property. Again, I focussed on a small area including a window.
Every year I seem to take a picture of the planer mill. It really was a working mill up until about fifteen years ago. Now that it has been screened in, we can be indoors away from the bugs but still feel like we are outdoors.
We call this cleared area Bench Sward because years ago, my nephew and his friends built a Friendship Bench there (to the left of the willow tree in the photo). Although it's hard to see from this angle, we can get down to the river for a swim at one spot. It's a bit of a steep access, but we can manage. It's always cold in the Crowe River, however.
Through the screen, I spied with my little eye Auntie Lychee walking with Zach. I quickly took two pictures: one with the people in focus and one with the screen in focus. They're both okay, but I prefer this one with the screen in focus.
That's about it. Whatever will I think to blog about next?
That's about it. Whatever will I think to blog about next?
Friday, September 10, 2010
Of Grampas, Wheelbarrows and Faulty Memories
While at the cottage just the other week, I chanced to put Nikki Dee in the wheelbarrow and Cuppa chanced to be there with the camera. ↓↓ This photo brought back memories, at least some of which have turned out to be faulty.
Cuppa remembers a photo of her dad pushing Thesha in a wheelbarrow. She might be right, but our box of old slides is so stupidly disorganized that I haven't yet been able to uncover such a gem. I will continue to look and will post if I come across it.
However, be it real or not, her recollection caused me to remember an old photo of my grampa pushing me in a wheelbarrow — or so I thought. But I've been through all of the albums, and I regret to inform the world that (GASP!) my memory is faulty. There is no photo of him pushing me in a wheelbarrow. However, I did find one ↓↓ of me in his wheelbarrow about sixty years ago. I wish he were in it, but alas ...
I so wish I could sit down and have a long talk with my grampas now. There's so much I would like to know: about their childhood, their families, their crossings to Canada, their stories about work, etc. One reason that I blog now is to leave a bit of record behind should my own scions ever wish to know more about the nuts in their family tree: nuts with faulty memories as it turns out.
Cuppa remembers a photo of her dad pushing Thesha in a wheelbarrow. She might be right, but our box of old slides is so stupidly disorganized that I haven't yet been able to uncover such a gem. I will continue to look and will post if I come across it.
However, be it real or not, her recollection caused me to remember an old photo of my grampa pushing me in a wheelbarrow — or so I thought. But I've been through all of the albums, and I regret to inform the world that (GASP!) my memory is faulty. There is no photo of him pushing me in a wheelbarrow. However, I did find one ↓↓ of me in his wheelbarrow about sixty years ago. I wish he were in it, but alas ...
I so wish I could sit down and have a long talk with my grampas now. There's so much I would like to know: about their childhood, their families, their crossings to Canada, their stories about work, etc. One reason that I blog now is to leave a bit of record behind should my own scions ever wish to know more about the nuts in their family tree: nuts with faulty memories as it turns out.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Last Cottage Pics
Before I move on completely from our little winter vacation, I want to post a few more cottage photos. It seems appropriate to show winter photos as we head back into colder temperatures in this area after experiencing some fairly mild ones in the past two weeks. Just the other day, I was almost basking as I waked through a parking lot with my coat unzipped with the sun making an appearance of sorts.
We found quite a few fallen trees this time, particularly on the less trodden pathways which probably haven't been cleared in the past few years.
Although snowshoeing can be quite exerting it can also be a lot of fun. Here Cuppa turns to bless me with her happy countenance.
It's amazing how one can find comfort in the great outdoors even in winter regalia. The cat-like Cuppa is a master of creature comforts.
One day, I found myself in the nearby hamlet shopping for provender and stopped to take a picture of the restaurant that we had visited while waiting for the cottage to thaw out. Also, a few days before, my BIL and I had cause to drive past, and there must have been two dozen snowmobiles parked outside. Seriously, the upper parking area was overflowing to the point that many of the machines were forced to park by the road. Sadly, I didn't have my camera at the time, but I did this time and had just taken a picture when the logging truck went by. I thought how Canadiana it was, and if the snowmobiles weren't going to come out to play on a work day, I could at least get something authentic. I managed to squeeze the trigger just before the truck roared out of sight.
On the way back to the cottage, I stopped the car by a little valley and took these pictures. While I'm not totally happy with them, they do show you more of the local geography: snow, trees, and water.
We found quite a few fallen trees this time, particularly on the less trodden pathways which probably haven't been cleared in the past few years.
Although snowshoeing can be quite exerting it can also be a lot of fun. Here Cuppa turns to bless me with her happy countenance.
It's amazing how one can find comfort in the great outdoors even in winter regalia. The cat-like Cuppa is a master of creature comforts.
One day, I found myself in the nearby hamlet shopping for provender and stopped to take a picture of the restaurant that we had visited while waiting for the cottage to thaw out. Also, a few days before, my BIL and I had cause to drive past, and there must have been two dozen snowmobiles parked outside. Seriously, the upper parking area was overflowing to the point that many of the machines were forced to park by the road. Sadly, I didn't have my camera at the time, but I did this time and had just taken a picture when the logging truck went by. I thought how Canadiana it was, and if the snowmobiles weren't going to come out to play on a work day, I could at least get something authentic. I managed to squeeze the trigger just before the truck roared out of sight.
On the way back to the cottage, I stopped the car by a little valley and took these pictures. While I'm not totally happy with them, they do show you more of the local geography: snow, trees, and water.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Winter from the Cottage
I posted a rather lengthy and tedious, narrated tour of the cottage after a visit last March, and I'm sure that no one, including me, could manage to sit through a sort of repeat, so I'll just share a few photos with short notes, this time around. Both then and now, however, I begin at the gate looking toward the house. I must take this picture on every visit in every season, and that is pretty well true for the rest of the photos too.
A plough has knocked the sign somewhat askew this winter, but you can see that the place has been named, Riverwood, which is certainly appropriate as a river forms the eastern boundary, and there are acres of woods throughout.
Looking southward: on a typical winter day, we'll stack our snowshoes in the space between the house and the shed. The remainder of the photos are more or less taken from that same space.
I turn from facing southward to northward, and see a gate beyond which a slope leads up to the woods. Our quaint snowshoe tracks lead off in that direction although they really represent out reutrn route in our treks of this last visit.
The snow was falling when I took the next photo just to the right of the one above. It's the garage/workshop.
To the right of the (almost looking east now) is a little shed that isn't really used for anything but always waits patiently and contentedly to lure the next amateur photographer into its picturesque snare. In this case it catches the low morning light.
The next photo looks southward from behind the house, across the backyard, toward the field that was possibly ploughed or at least grazed a few times in days of yore. There has been frost in the trees that morning, and there is still some remaining on the little trees in the middle of the photo (which you might see if you click through to the larger version).
Panning a little right from the above photo in a more southwesterly direction we see some of the backyard, including a red humming bird feeder, which, for some strange reason, was not attracting too many hummers last week.
Maybe I'll post another set further from the homestead in the next few days.
A plough has knocked the sign somewhat askew this winter, but you can see that the place has been named, Riverwood, which is certainly appropriate as a river forms the eastern boundary, and there are acres of woods throughout.
Looking southward: on a typical winter day, we'll stack our snowshoes in the space between the house and the shed. The remainder of the photos are more or less taken from that same space.
I turn from facing southward to northward, and see a gate beyond which a slope leads up to the woods. Our quaint snowshoe tracks lead off in that direction although they really represent out reutrn route in our treks of this last visit.
The snow was falling when I took the next photo just to the right of the one above. It's the garage/workshop.
To the right of the (almost looking east now) is a little shed that isn't really used for anything but always waits patiently and contentedly to lure the next amateur photographer into its picturesque snare. In this case it catches the low morning light.
The next photo looks southward from behind the house, across the backyard, toward the field that was possibly ploughed or at least grazed a few times in days of yore. There has been frost in the trees that morning, and there is still some remaining on the little trees in the middle of the photo (which you might see if you click through to the larger version).
Panning a little right from the above photo in a more southwesterly direction we see some of the backyard, including a red humming bird feeder, which, for some strange reason, was not attracting too many hummers last week.
Maybe I'll post another set further from the homestead in the next few days.
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Even More Cottage Snaps
I think this post will bring me up to date with the photos that I have been working on since returning home from the cottage, and so, I'll soon have to think of other topics to blog. You can explore the larger versions of some of the photos by clicking on the link underneath the photo. I'd like to think that some of them are worth enlarging if you will permit me such immodesty.
Apart from the house, garage and shed, there are three old structure at the cottage. Oddly enough, I resisted shooting the picturesque but frequently photographed red barn this time. However, it struck me that the following, particular views of the former planer mill and the older barn hadn't been done. Or not much anyway.
The planer mill, on the right (above and below), was just that when my BIL bought the place over ten years ago. Eventually, the former owner returned as per the sale agreement, took the inner workings, and left the shell. A few summers ago, Treebeard started working on screening the structure and managed to finish it in time for the wedding last year.
The other building, the Older Barn, remains just that — older than the more photographed red one . Apart from storage and probable habitation by wee critters, it isn't being used at this point in time. Someone once said something about converting it into an art studio, but who knows if that really represents its future. I would think that it would require a ton of money and/or sweat to accomplish such an overhaul.
A river forms the eastern border of the large property (above). In this photo, the camera looks upon the part of the river that we normally access if we wish to swim, which we didn't this year — brrrrr! You'll notice that the grass is kept trimmed in that section and that there is a bench. My nephew and several friends built the Friendship Bench a number of years ago. Personally, I think it's time that he return from from his globetrotting and sit in it.
I noticed this flowering plant on the edge of a little grade that overlooks the newer barn and decided to experiment with the macro function on Cuppa's camera (the others on this page were taken with mine). My BIL thought he knew the name, but of course I can't recall what he said. In the photo below, you can see the newer, red barn very out of focus (intentional).
Apart from the house, garage and shed, there are three old structure at the cottage. Oddly enough, I resisted shooting the picturesque but frequently photographed red barn this time. However, it struck me that the following, particular views of the former planer mill and the older barn hadn't been done. Or not much anyway.
The planer mill, on the right (above and below), was just that when my BIL bought the place over ten years ago. Eventually, the former owner returned as per the sale agreement, took the inner workings, and left the shell. A few summers ago, Treebeard started working on screening the structure and managed to finish it in time for the wedding last year.
The other building, the Older Barn, remains just that — older than the more photographed red one . Apart from storage and probable habitation by wee critters, it isn't being used at this point in time. Someone once said something about converting it into an art studio, but who knows if that really represents its future. I would think that it would require a ton of money and/or sweat to accomplish such an overhaul.
A river forms the eastern border of the large property (above). In this photo, the camera looks upon the part of the river that we normally access if we wish to swim, which we didn't this year — brrrrr! You'll notice that the grass is kept trimmed in that section and that there is a bench. My nephew and several friends built the Friendship Bench a number of years ago. Personally, I think it's time that he return from from his globetrotting and sit in it.
I noticed this flowering plant on the edge of a little grade that overlooks the newer barn and decided to experiment with the macro function on Cuppa's camera (the others on this page were taken with mine). My BIL thought he knew the name, but of course I can't recall what he said. In the photo below, you can see the newer, red barn very out of focus (intentional).
Monday, August 31, 2009
One Fine Morning
I wrote how the nights and early mornings at the cottage were deucedly cold, but it wasn't all bad. Sometimes it was very good. One day, I took my chair outside to read whilst Cuppa remained in the mill. Although it was best to wear a light jacket, I found the weather very pleasant and even wonderfully bug-less. As much as I revelled in the weather and the lack of insects, I felt blessed with the long grass around me and beautiful scenes in front of me. I asked Cuppa to come out and take some pictures. Of course, she had already thought of this and taken one from inside the mill.
Being the accommodating woman that she is, she did come out to take more frontal views.
Then, she left the camera with me, and I took some photos of what I saw when I looked up. The barn was dead ahead.
When I shifted my gaze to the left, I saw meadow and bush lit by the sun.
I was very fortunate to be me that day. It was my version of Splendour in the Grass. It was a fine morning, but, having arisen at 5:30 today, I am much less sanguine about this morning.
Being the accommodating woman that she is, she did come out to take more frontal views.
Then, she left the camera with me, and I took some photos of what I saw when I looked up. The barn was dead ahead.
When I shifted my gaze to the left, I saw meadow and bush lit by the sun.
I was very fortunate to be me that day. It was my version of Splendour in the Grass. It was a fine morning, but, having arisen at 5:30 today, I am much less sanguine about this morning.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Cold Morning, Hot Coffee
We're back from the cottage, and I must declare that I picked a rather unfortunate time to pack lighter than usual. I mean to say, it's August, still summer if you will, so why would I bother with track pants and sweatshirts and the like. I should have though; I really should have because the nights and early mornings were darn cold. Yes, it went down to near freezing on at least one of our four nights, and the other three weren't exactly balmy, believe you me.
Cuppa couldn't resist taking these pictures one morning when she got up to find my BIL and I severely bundled, he in a hoodie and down-filled winter coat, me wrapped up in a duvet. The days were tolerable and even pleasant, but my goodness, the nights and early mornings were glacial-like. In fact, I think if you squint, you might be able to spy a woolly mastodon lumbering by the window.
At least the coffee was hot.
Cuppa couldn't resist taking these pictures one morning when she got up to find my BIL and I severely bundled, he in a hoodie and down-filled winter coat, me wrapped up in a duvet. The days were tolerable and even pleasant, but my goodness, the nights and early mornings were glacial-like. In fact, I think if you squint, you might be able to spy a woolly mastodon lumbering by the window.
At least the coffee was hot.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Riverwood Tour
One day last week, while tromping around in the snow, I found myself wishing that I could share with you what it was like there at the cottage that we call Riverwood. While both I and Cuppa have certainly shared pictures before, I have never felt that I was able to convey the sense of the place very well. Then the idea cam to me to make and narrate a sideshow, post it on YouTube and display it here. Of course, it's easier said that done, but I have stumbled through an attempt anyway because I can be a persistent old cuss at times. It's pretty ordinary stuff, but I think it works ... sort of.
As you will be able to tell from the get-go, I spoke whatever popped into my head without benefit of a script. That's easier said than done, and I did make mistakes such as saying the river is higher in winter when I meant spring, but it will have to stand as will my mistake on the amount of acreage on the other side of the road, which Cuppa informs me is more than ten acres. I can't imagine going to the bother of carefully scripting so much material for such an off-the-cuff project; neither am I about to re-record my glorious commentary because it's work, and I'd simply make new mistakes anyway.
On some frames I have arrows, labels and numbers as reference points, but I'm afraid that some of them get squished very small by YouTube. That's just the nature of the beast and something that I didn't consider when originally processing the photos. The file on my computer give me a much larger image.
If you have the time to spare, I hope that you get something out of my first attempt to do something like this. Hopefully, it will give, particularly the non-Canadian readers a better idea of what rural Canada (rural beyond the farm belt, that is) can look like.
As you will be able to tell from the get-go, I spoke whatever popped into my head without benefit of a script. That's easier said than done, and I did make mistakes such as saying the river is higher in winter when I meant spring, but it will have to stand as will my mistake on the amount of acreage on the other side of the road, which Cuppa informs me is more than ten acres. I can't imagine going to the bother of carefully scripting so much material for such an off-the-cuff project; neither am I about to re-record my glorious commentary because it's work, and I'd simply make new mistakes anyway.
On some frames I have arrows, labels and numbers as reference points, but I'm afraid that some of them get squished very small by YouTube. That's just the nature of the beast and something that I didn't consider when originally processing the photos. The file on my computer give me a much larger image.
If you have the time to spare, I hope that you get something out of my first attempt to do something like this. Hopefully, it will give, particularly the non-Canadian readers a better idea of what rural Canada (rural beyond the farm belt, that is) can look like.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Another Magical Riverwood Weekend
For the second consecutive weekend, Cuppa and I travelled to Riverwood. Both weekends were wonderful for different reasons. The first, the wedding weekend, has already been discussed, so what about the second?
The foremost reason for this second trip was to collect and bring home wedding related stuff that was still up there. But we arrived to glorious weather and soon began to relax. Much of our relaxation took place in the newly made over planer mill. Below: B and I walk towards the mill.
When B and H bought the property a decade or so ago, Riverwood still boasted a functioning planer mill. Although it was soon gutted, the shell remained intact. Eventually, B began to work on his vision for the place. He poured concrete flooring, built the side wall, and screened the windows. The screens separate us from most of the forest insects most of the time, and it's quite a pleasant place to sit, sip, and see, and were doing some of that in the next photo.
There is a lovely, tranquil view in all directions from the old barn (next below) to the South Woods (two below).
We trundled down there both evenings of our too-short weekend and sat by the campfire toasting marshmallows and chatting. But the highlight was H reading some of her short stories to us. She is developing into a marvellous writer, and while not conventionally published yet, she has won several prestigious contests. Our imaginations fed upon her delicious prose as she read story after story by the glow of the fire under a star-filled sky far away from the urban light and haze.
Thanks guys. It was balm to the soul.
The foremost reason for this second trip was to collect and bring home wedding related stuff that was still up there. But we arrived to glorious weather and soon began to relax. Much of our relaxation took place in the newly made over planer mill. Below: B and I walk towards the mill.
When B and H bought the property a decade or so ago, Riverwood still boasted a functioning planer mill. Although it was soon gutted, the shell remained intact. Eventually, B began to work on his vision for the place. He poured concrete flooring, built the side wall, and screened the windows. The screens separate us from most of the forest insects most of the time, and it's quite a pleasant place to sit, sip, and see, and were doing some of that in the next photo.
There is a lovely, tranquil view in all directions from the old barn (next below) to the South Woods (two below).
We trundled down there both evenings of our too-short weekend and sat by the campfire toasting marshmallows and chatting. But the highlight was H reading some of her short stories to us. She is developing into a marvellous writer, and while not conventionally published yet, she has won several prestigious contests. Our imaginations fed upon her delicious prose as she read story after story by the glow of the fire under a star-filled sky far away from the urban light and haze.
Thanks guys. It was balm to the soul.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
A Walk in the Woods
In view of yesterday's post, it's time for some lightheartedness, so here are a few photos from our walk in the woods at Riverwood on Sunday.
Above: a soft mossy carpet
Below: Cuppa and Treebeard stroll down Maple Lane
Above: A lighted tree in the forest gloom
Below: Just a pine cone surrounded by dead needles
A few years ago, Cuppa and I seemed able to spend protracted periods up there, but we seem to be limited to quick visits these days. Short or long, it's always good to get back there a refuel the soul.
Above: a soft mossy carpet
Below: Cuppa and Treebeard stroll down Maple Lane
Above: A lighted tree in the forest gloom
Below: Just a pine cone surrounded by dead needles
A few years ago, Cuppa and I seemed able to spend protracted periods up there, but we seem to be limited to quick visits these days. Short or long, it's always good to get back there a refuel the soul.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Seasonal Charm
I promised you more pictures, so whether you like it or not, here they are. This is a bridge to nowhere. The property backs onto the Crowe River, and there is a large tract of forested land on the other side. Some of my BIL's hunt-loving neighbours built this bridge in order to access said land during the appropriate season, but the owner barred the way, so it remains as a Bridge to Nowhere. While I don't love the notion of hunting, I also don't care for the landowner's selfishness. I have seen this more than enough up there where there is an abundance of almost unused land. We're a strange lot, we humans.
Another snowy pine branch and cone very near the other in the previous post.
The previous two photos showed how sunny it was, but then, as I mentioned in the prior post, the wind whipped up the snow in some sort of devilish fury. It was sudden and strange and only lasted for a few minutes.
And this was was of those moments. That's Cuppa and BIL trudging through the driving snow. BIL's two dogs accompanied us, and they are both in the photo, but you might only see one in the size that I am showing you here.
So, you see, all of ye doubters, each season has its beauty and charm. Having made that point, I hasten to confess that I've just about enjoyed my quotient of winter charm for this year.
Another snowy pine branch and cone very near the other in the previous post.
The previous two photos showed how sunny it was, but then, as I mentioned in the prior post, the wind whipped up the snow in some sort of devilish fury. It was sudden and strange and only lasted for a few minutes.
And this was was of those moments. That's Cuppa and BIL trudging through the driving snow. BIL's two dogs accompanied us, and they are both in the photo, but you might only see one in the size that I am showing you here.
So, you see, all of ye doubters, each season has its beauty and charm. Having made that point, I hasten to confess that I've just about enjoyed my quotient of winter charm for this year.
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