Ruby Tuesday - Touches of Nova Scotia Part II

Ruby Red Touches of Nova Scotia

I can't help it - I love Nova Scotia! It's a bit of a therapy for me to revisit my summer travels through photos. I am deeply affected by stress so I am very aware of how fortunate I am to be able to have an entire summer off with such rewarding sights and sounds and textures.  

Thank you to everyone who so kindly leaves a comment. The blog is really for me and as selfish as that sounds, I actually don't mean it that way at all. I say that in a humble way because I post so much and all of it is esoteric or odd or personal and commonplace. It always amazes me how the comments from other bloggers has led me to such interesting discoveries - new friends, new perspectives, new skies, new ways of looking through a lens. I'm especially fond of Ruby Tuesday. Red is a warm color on the color wheel and this is nicely illustrated by the warmth of the Ruby Tuesday participants. Thanks, Mary, for creating it and keeping it going.

RUBY TUESDAY

Camera Critters

This is Omar, our friends' boxer. I adore him and never miss an opportunity to photograph him when our friends bring him along to visit. The above photo was actually the final one of his visit:  he's waiting patiently for his people who made him get into the truck, only to stand around and gab for another fifteen minutes. He's a patient boy and posed nicely for me. This is my favorite shot of the series I took of Omar.

Camera Critters is a photo meme dedicated to all animals, great and small.

Today's Flowers, My World, Sky Watch Friday, Camera Critters and Watery Wednsday

It's a lot to bite off in terms of photo memes, but I believe that this will deliver to all five memes!  :-)

A Walk Along Lake Pleasant

Sunday, May 23, 2009

Lake Pleasant was once (see full correction in comments) a reservoir for public drinking water for the residents of Turners Falls and Montague, in lovely rural Western Massachusetts.  Though it is considered trespassing (sush, don't tell anyone), a few townsfolk hang out there once in a while - literally a couple at a time. Overall the area is respected and kept wild and untarnished.

I now take you on today's walk. Watch your step - there may be Lady's Slipper under-foot! 

Looking up toward the sky...

a mixture of sun and fluffy clouds.

Discoveries along the trail...

A painted turtle that my hawk-eyed and determined mate caught for a photo op. It was quickly released back to the lake.

A wild turkey wing

and these guys.

Today's Flowers

Sky Watch Friday

That's My World

Camera Critters

and

Watery Wednesday

Fotos

SG1 in Lisbon

click on photos once, then twice, for optimal viewing

A collection of sort of quaint and charming and European and all of that, to share with you. I chose them quite randomly and was surprised to note that they all have a person in them (only one known to me) and then there is the cat. I very rarely photograph strangers. Other than the black kitty and SG1, the others are all sort of tourist props. Though I think the gentleman in front of the elevator was just a regular local. All of these are from Lisbon and Obidos, Portugal.

Love,
Pagan Sphinx

Honest Scrap Award

You know I've made a blogging comeback when the first real, substantive post I put up is based on a blog award. A tad pathetic perhaps, but it does the trick for entertaining me at the moment. Besides, I like it that the famous Utah Savage (the esteemed blogger) whom I most admire, thought of me when doling off her honest scrap. :-) I mean, the woman inspires great painters! Enough said.

Thank you, Peggy and may you spread these little trinkets my way any time. Anything that gets me back to your blog. With the added bonus of making me feel less like a failure in life. ;-) I'm a bit droll these days. My apologies.

I've yet to get the rules of this award straight. I think you're supposed to invent seven honest things about yourself and then pass the award on to seven other bloggers. I think that's where the honest factor comes in. Sort of. I also noticed something about poetry and I perked up! Poetry? Why, of course. Poet? Of course not! :-)

In any event, it's all fun and good, isn't it? If I've failed to follow the rules, I may either have flopped the award meme or created my own! Who knows, right?

The Seven Honest Things (is this sort of like The Seven Deadly Sins? That was a brilliant one from Kay, wasn't it?

1) I love to eat raw fish and seaweed. Sometimes I scare myself trying to figure out what creature(s) I would have been in other lives.

2) I am fiercely protective of those I love.

3) I am very practical and I have common sense; usually. Especially in terms of every-day life matters, raising a family, work, etc. I often butt heads with people who are neither smart, creative nor flexible and who are incapable of articulating their ideas or don't want to. I know. It sounds arrogant. It is, probably. But I'm being honest, knowing I am neither an angel nor a demon. My name is Gina. :-) I'm okay. Ha! That feels good to say!

4) I am sensitive. My emotional side is always at odds with my rational side. I believe that I am almost equally in charge of all the sides of my brain. I am bad with numbers but functional with geometry and patterns. I had a very early and precocious predisposition to literature, poetry, art, nature and equally so a keen sense of people; (unfortunately mostly mixed) by a pretty young age. I loved my parents and they loved me and come to think of it, that's all that really matters. :-)

5) It takes a long time to really get to know me and thus really love me. ;-) But I think it's worth it! :D

6) One of my favorite quotes: "Love all, trust a few, do harm to none."
~Willy the Shake

If I were to reinvent that quote to suit me personally, I would change it to

"Be civil to all, trust and love a few, do harm to none or nothing." ~ Pagan Sphinx

Okay. So I'm not Shakespeare. But you get my drift. I hope.

7) I'm currently in love with a family friend's dog; a bulldog named Omar. Just look at that face! I don't so much know if it's the breed or this particular dog. All I know is that if Omar ever needed a home, I would take him in in a heartbeat! What a sweetie!

Isn't he cute?

Honestly, while I personally enjoy these awards, I'm at a point where I don't know who to give them to because it's hard to keep track of who likes them and who doesn't and, even, who has already received it a hundred times. Instead of giving the award, I'll link you to seven great blogs and if their respective blogger wish to pick up the award and display it, by all means. As always, no obligations! We all have enough of those in our day to day, non-blogging lives, right? I just hope you pay a visit to these lovely people, if you haven't already.

Little Bang Theory - Cunning Runt
The Five of Us - Catherine
Phantsy That - Susan
Color Sweet Tooth - Steve
After the Bridge - Sherry
Betmo's Corner - Betmo
Imac's Photos from the Mind's Eye - Imac
Why, What Have You Heard? - Mojo (plus a huge thanks for helping with my photo sizing)
Forks Off The Moment & Do You See What I See? Dianne

I think that's more than seven but I've never good at counting...

Camera Critters # 26

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A few weeks ago as W.P. and I were driving home from the peach orchard, we spotted this beautiful painted turtle crossing the road. W.P. pulled over and ran to rescue it from passing cars. We took it for a little ride to a local lake surrounded by woodse, which is a part of a local reservoir. Enjoy, critter lovers!







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Camera Critters # 25

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We completed our Monarch life cycle science unit with the kids today. Here are the caterpillars on their milkweed leaves. These were found by teachers on our team and brought into school.

It was difficult to get a good photo of the chrysalises because of the way they suspend themselves from the cover on the fish tank. They're a beautiful green, with little dots that look like gold trimming the top.

The monarch sheds its now thin chrysalis and begins to prepare for its life as a butterfly.

Several small fingers invite the monarch to sit a while.

Time to lay this beauty gently on the butterfly bush to stretch its wings and begin to prepare for flight.

Please check out the many fine entries at the Camera Critters site.
And a huge thanks to our hosts there!

Camera Critters # 24

MEET COSMO

I'm sure it's been done before on Camera Critters, but I couldn't resist throwing an old camera into the composition.

My future husband W.P. adopted a five-week old motherless baby squirrel last week. At six weeks, he's getting healthier and feistier by the day. The photos below were taken a week ago...

and these, just yesterday.

Check out other critter entries at Camera Critters.

Camera Critters # 23

What is Camera Critters you ask? It's a weekly photo meme where people submit pictures of animals and pets. I know about it from my friend Bobbie who is a regular participant. I thought it would be fun to try to submit something, so here is the dragonfly photo I took when we were boating on the Connecticut River a few weeks ago. Click on the icon below to check out the list of participants who have submitted entries this week.