Packing

I'm taking a short break...... I've started making long lists and collecting things that need to go into the suitcase.

Yep.... there are piles of clothes all over the place, and I'm busy doing laundry, clearing out the food in the fridge, changing money, making phone calls, arranging a ride to the airport.
I'll be in England for a week, then Scotland for 12 days with the Men of Note Concert Tour.  I'm definitely not singing, I'm just a hanger on.
I bought a new rain jacket as it always rains in Scotland, but the weather forecast for the area in England where I'll be is HOT! I hope it's not too hot, I wilt in the heat.

Mrs Henny Penny

Here's Mrs Henny Penny and her 3 chicks....

.... created from wire, aluminum foil, masking tape, paper, glue, gesso, paint and googly eyes from the dollar store! All sitting on an egg-shaped field of daisies.

Painting en Plein Air

Yesterday I joined some of my painting group and we went into the green Ontario countryside, armed with chairs, easels, water bottles, paints and canvases to do some outdoor painting, something I'd never tried before.
We went to a secluded spot which used to be farmland before the Federal Government took it over to build an airport that never happened (and I hope it never will, long story!). The trees have grown tall in the past 30 years, and the land is overgrown.
I set up my chair and easel in the shade, put on my big floppy sunhat, and stated to sketch, and then paint. Our instructor said only use 6 colours (a warm blue, red and yellow, and a cool blue, red and yellow) and white.
It wasn't easy, so much detail, so many shades of green, so many trees to choose from, how to fit those huge trees into a small canvas. And then there are the bugs, mosquitoes, ants, the breeze, the sun drying the paints, the moving shadows, so different from painting indoors.
But the sunshine, the clouds, the birdsong all combined to make it a fun experience. I'd do it again. Here's my basic painting.... lots more to do on it.

On the Roof

When I first moved here, the cable TV from the previous occupants was still hooked up and working, so I continued to use it for over a year until the cable company came knocking on my door and disconnected it. Spoilsports!
So I decided that cable TV was far too expensive to pay for all those channels showing TV programmes that I don't want to watch, so up went the antenna on the roof.

It's connected through my TiVo, and I  have a choice of about 25 channels.... most of which I never turn on, they are either religious, or in a different language, or ancient American TV shows that I'm not interested in.
CBC, CTV, PBS and TVO provide everything that I want to watch.
I share Netflix with OlderSon.
And I can follow the sadly dwindling fortunes of the BlueJays on MLB.TV via Chromecast.
So I have lots to entertain me.

Next was the internet.... which I can get through a private internet provider for less than half price of my previous monthly bill. Then it was time to get rid of the land phone line and sign up for VOIP internet phone..... after an initial outlay of money to get started, just top up the account two or three times a year. Definitely a lot cheaper than any of the major phone companies.

I've been successfully using these innovative systems for 3 or 4 years now. It all works just fine! Thank goodness for YoungerSon who has helped me connect all this technical stuff, I would have never been able to negotiate through this minefield by myself.

Dandelion Delight

Golden sunshine is springing up all over the back lawn, so let's make use of all those sunny dandelions. They may be considered weeds, but for me they have their own style of beauty.

I'm sure my neighbours were peeking out of their windows wondering what is that weird person doing on her hands and knees......

In French the lowly dandelion is named piss-en-lit. Rough translation.... wet the bed! So called because the leaves are diuretic. The whole plant is edible, and once I made some pretty strong dandelion wine from the blossoms.

After completing this piece of "performance art" and taking some photos, I dashed off to pick up my grandies from school as usual, and when I got home, the lawn mower had been by and my masterpiece was no more!

But there are plenty more dandelions to come.

The next day, my sweet grandie Emma was at my house for her scheduled "dinner date", and helped make this lovely dandelion sunburst.
Can you see the little violet in the centre?

Inspiration comes from the art of British artist Andy Goldsworthy. Make sure you scroll down to see some of his inspired work.

Early Morning Visitor

I peeked out of my front door this morning at 7:00am, and guess who was snuffling about on the grass, looking for a breakfast of tasty bugs and grubs?

She (or he?) eventually wandered off past the garage so I ventured down the front steps to see where she had gone. But she changed her mind and we met at the garage wall, almost nose to nose. Both of us hastily beat a retreat.
I had seen the same skunk the previous evening, investigating a neighbour's deck and looking in their door. I guess when you are armed with such a powerful aromatic defensive weapon, you can be as bold as you like, nobody wants to argue with you.

Young at Art

Each year the Gallery shows student art from all the elementary schools in the area.

This is the school where my grandies are students, but I don't know if any of the featured art is their work. There's some scary interesting stuff here!