Ice . Ice . Baby

Lots of neighbourhood tree damage from the layers of ice, but all OK here. March is going out like a lion this year.... the same way he came in.

Up North

Would you like to live in this little house? The neighborhood looks a bit bleak, probably a long trek to the nearest grocery store for supplies. But lots of fresh air!

Imaginary landscape created from painted papers (yes, I have bins and bins of assorted bits of coloured paper, no piece is too small to keep) and little houses cut from an Arctic Adventure Cruise holiday book that arrives in the mail every year.  The cruises look like loads of fun but are far too expensive for me, and as the cruise company is kind enough to send the brochure, I make use of their nice illustrations. Waste not, want not.

Syrupy Sweet

It's been syrup making time at Younger Son's house country estate, with lots of help from the rest of the family.  Not maple syrup.... it's walnut syrup!   The driveway is lined with mature black walnut trees, so a full tap line was set up back in January with 48 taps, ready for the spring sap run.  It takes 40 litres of sap to boil down to 1 litre of syrup. The home made wood fired evaporator got lots of use!

20 litres of finished walnut syrup this year, I'm hoping one of those jars might have my name on it! 

Older Son also taps his trees in the spring, but his trees are sugar maples, and only 4 or 5 trees, so not so much syrup but enough for a pancake feast.

Congratulations, lots of hard work to do this, a job well done!

School's Out

 One more from the Altered Board Book.

There's always an individual who insists on swimming against the current, isn't there? I'm sure we all know someone like that.

Image created using acrylic paint, potato bag string, home made stencils printed on rice paper using the gelli plate, Japanese washi origami paper, and Goldfish Crackers ad from a magazine.

Mega Mansion

I pass this enormous building site every Thursday as I drive to my artist group meetings.... the house gets bigger and uglier and more ostentatious each week. Domes and turrets and what-not. I think this is just a single dwelling and it's hidden away on a narrow country road. But I suppose it won't be a narrow country road forever, the city is encroaching.

I can't hazard a guess as to the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and there's probably an indoor swimming pool in there somewhere. Would you like to live in a house like this?

Listen to the Music

Open House and a free concert at the Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra. All the familiar orchestral hit parade pieces.... Beethoven's Fifth, excerpts from Swan Lake, some Strauss waltzes, Pomp and Circumstance of course, Offenbach's "Can-Can", lots of foot tapping themes.  Finishing up with a rousing chorus of "O Canada", Elbows Up!

As well as the familiar classical music, North Atlantic Drift played some Celtic selections. Dan Macdonald on fiddle, Brian Taheny on guitar and banjo, Ross Griffiths on Uilleann pipes. The concert hall was full, I was there with Older Son and 17 year old grandson.

It was a Petting Zoo for instruments! Grandson tried out the drum kit, I investigated lots of different percussion rhythm instruments, and we both had a go on the trombone, it sounded pretty awful! I'm sure the trombone player's ears were hurting. There were lots of instruments to try; violin, cello, clarinet, trumpet, oboe, French horn.  This all took place at the Chinese Canadian Cultural Centre so some Chinese instruments were available too.

An enjoyable afternoon. Thank you CBSO.

My Furry Neighbour

Meet Billy the Squilly... sunning himself on my deck railings on one of the first above freezing sunny mornings for a long time. He's enjoying the warmth of the sun through his furry coat and through the wooden railing.

The cheeky chap's hoping for a yummy handout, better luck next time, Billy, nothing to spare today.