Memorable Pizzas

When Vicki posted of specific memories with food, I thought of pizzas: three specific pizzas.

We had a good youth group at our church in the mid-sixties. We often went out together, and one Sunday night after church, we went to a pizza place that, I think, may have been called Vesuvius.

Perhaps I hadn't been exposed to pizza very often because I didn't have my first one until I was 15, but this particular pizza seemed spectacular. If I had it now, I am not sure how it would stack up, but it was great on that Sunday night, out with the church youth. I am not even sure who was in the group that night, but I remember the pizza.

I had my second memorable pizza on our first anniversary. We had ordered pizza to our motel room in Stratford on our wedding night. I don't remember that pizza being special although the night was pretty memorable.

We've had pizza almost every anniversary since then, but that first anniversary dish was really good. We had been drawn to the place, Sir Pizza, because one of Sue's bosses had invested in it. That pizza was so good that we ordered again sometime later. We were disappointed, so that was that.

In 1998, just after New Year, perhaps even on New Years Day, but I forget exactly, we took both daughters across province to Ottawa. The youngest was going for a semester work coop, and the oldest, Shauna, was going with her in search of work.

I drove a U-Haul truck, also pulling a car on a dolly all the way. Including a two-hour stop in Waterloo to gather Allyson's belongings, it was a 14 hour trip. The last half of the journey was in terrible snowy conditions as we passed various cars who had run off into the ditch. I was not a truck driver, but somehow I managed to drive that miserable truck-plus-car to the girls' new apartment in Ottawa.

Shauna asked a neighbour across the hall for a recommendation for a good pizza place and returned with a recommendation for House of Pizza. It was close to their new apartment, so we ordered. It was sooo good, and it wasn't just because the day had been horrendous, for it was really a most excellent pizza. We had it several times afterward when we visited the girls in Ottawa, and it was always scrumptious.

One of the times was in 2001. We had stopped in Ottawa after driving home from the Maritimes. We picked up from House of Pizza and drove to a park by the Ottawa River. As we sat there enjoying the food and the pleasant day, flock after flock of Canada Geese took off flying into the wild blue yonder. It was a most glorious sight. 

Not everyone will think of pizza when they think of memorable food, but we are pretty plain folk, and that is what came to my mind.

Just a Cup of Water

Life is short and hard for some living entities. Every spring, the neighbour(s) hang(s) a nice potted plant: always in the same spot. Come  every darn year, I think that, just maybe, this will be the year that they might water it on occasion. Every doggone year, they don’t. Every dadgum year, it perishes quickly. Every freakin year, it saddens me.

It’s not a deep mystery. Potted plants need water in some form or another just about every day. And surely it isn’t all that onerous to deliver a cup of water. Or you wouldn’t think so  

The house is owned by a mom who only lived there for a short while before moving in with her boyfriend. Her three daughters have lived there ever since then. One young lady remains, possibly in her mid-twenties now. Twenty-five is not too young to know enough to deliver a cup of water to a plant. It is right on the doorstep after all.  

She’s young but not that young. I guess she deserves some credit for starting out in hope every spring, but really, a cup of water … just a cup of water …

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Now I am thinking of the gospel song, Follow Me, by Ira Stamphill.  "Just a cup of water" is major phrase in the song. He came to our church as an evangelist in maybe the mid-fifties. We purchased his LP: our first ever I believe. We later bought a record player so we could listen to it.

If anything I thought that I might find another artist doing the song on YouTube. Unexpectedly however, I seem to have have found, Stamphill himself, just the recording though. But is takes me back to our little, one bedroom, upstairs flat on Connaught Street, in Saint Laurent, Montreal.

The Helper

In '09 and in other surrounding years as well, we saw a lot of our grandkids. On this day, Danica was likely over for a sleepover, and she was happy to help her amma to water the flowers.

Sue recently wanted photos of someone helping for her daily prompt. When she remembered these pictures, we did a search and found them in the back drawer, as it were, of my photo files. I thought that I would post them as well. I don't think these made it to the blog at the time, but many other grandkid photos sure did.

Danica was two years old. Those were good days.

I'll begin with Sue's new composite and post the originals below. 

Look at the Stargazer lilies, below, Margaret. It's a pity that they only lasted for a few summers; they were both beautiful and fragrant.

Danica was and remains a sweet child although as a senior in high school it is probably inappropriate to call her a child.

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Photo Variations

I have been roaming around in old photo folders recently. One day I found myself in July 2018. This photo jumped out at me, for I had recalled it recently. Sue and I had been to an outlook spot along the river, and I told her that I had a photo showing a big rock in the stream: a rock that is no longer visible, or perhaps the river is just running higher these days and covering the rock.

I already had a previously previously edited photo of this subject, but I had taken more more than one picture at the time, so I edited a different one than I did six years ago. This is the new edit.

I liked the photo then, and I like it now, but then I decided to experiment with the Adamski effect where one applies a motion blur. 

I made two versions, one with the rock removed and one with the rock remaining. 

As I understand it, we are supposed to use the second method with a foreground object in its original detail with the Adamski effect, but I like the version without the rock too. In fact, I like all three variations.

An August Cottage Vacation

For more than 20 years, we would visit Sue's sister's cottage in their cottagey near-north amongst the rocks and coniferous trees. Once I retired, we would usually go for a week or so in early autumn and/or winter, but I can't remember why were were there that particular August. Perhaps we lingered for awhile after one of the two family reunions that took place there. 

It was a good place for me to amble about with my camera,

Let's begin the photo reveal with our accommodation that summer.

Actually the tent was just where we slept: outdoors in the cool breezes amidst the sounds of the crickets. We had a very comfy air mattress, and with the cottage facilities just a hop, skip and a jump away, it was like having the best of both worlds.

During daylight hours this was the the eastern view from behind the tent.

One evening I took a long exposure from just outside the cottage, looking down toward the barn. The original exposure was actually darker than this, but knowing how a low-light photos tend to look very dark here in Blogger, I did lighten it.

Early the next morning, I took a photo from close to the same spot.

I believe that I also took the next photo on the same morning as I wandered about the acreage and saw the rising sun peeking over the trees..

A few mornings later, there was a grand sunset looking in the other direction, westward toward the front of the property.

The next night, the colours were exceptional. I took a variety of photos: this one on the road just outside the fence line. I was in photographic heaven.

There was a full moon that week; I think it was a supermoon, and I also think this may have been my first attempt at photographing the moon. I am pleased to say that I have had better results subsequent to this one, but this is also about my memories and experiences that week, and so I include it here.

A small river ran along the back of the property, but one morning I drove the car about 15 minutes to the nearest lake, hoping to catch a sunrise. My lake pictures were quite meh, so I shall move us along to my return trip to the cottage.

At one point I pulled over to photograph the crows on the road. I did not exaggerate the colour of the sky. It was impressive, as you shall also see in the photo after this one.

I took this next photo at another roadside stop. I love how the wires on the right are lit by the rising sun.

Those last two photos should give you an idea of the geography of the area. It is rural, rugged, and often appealing.

What pleasant memories we have from there and not just from this occasion.

The Return of the Bees

They're back!

I posted, worriedly, some time ago about the dearth of bees on the Joe Pye, but last evening  I saw one, and then I saw more.

I had gone out back to take some trash out and also to fill the birdbaths. After I filled the farthest bath, I saw a bee flying around the lilac bush.

So I checked our Joe, and I saw it again, or perhaps a different one. And then I saw another and then a whole bunch. I guess they just come late to us, perhaps as other food sources diminish.

I was greatly pleased.

The photos are not from last night but from September 2022. 

Oh . . . Since then, that sneaky scalawag, Sue, snuck out and took some current photos.

Caturday 68: Sabine is a People Puss

This is the third and final (for now) Sabine Caturday installment. She's kind of a people puss, in a way that Lacey isn't. It's an enjoyable change of pace.

That's it. That's the post.

Have a good weekend.