Thursday, February 27, 2014

Sundown over East Gwillimbury

 Sunset #1

The top two photos are actually of the same sunset but from two different locations.

Random 5 Friday

1. We are still in the grips of winter here. I'm still embracing the beauty I see, but my heart is moving towards looking forward to spring. For you in the northern hemisphere, does spring start on March 1st or March 20th?

Sunset #2

2. Tim Horton's Roll Up The Rim To Win season: I like my morning coffee and - when I'm out birding - my coffee of choice is found at Tim Horton's. From mid February to early April, Tim Horton's runs an annual contest. The BIG prize this year is a Toyota Corolla (one of 50). I'll let you know when I win. So far, my husband and and I have rolled up 10 rims, all of which suggested we "Try again."

3.  A fundraiser at Wilfed Laurier University (Waterloo, Ontario) collects "Rims to Win" to distribute to homeless people in her area. Last year she collected 600 winning rims, which meant she was given 600 chances for homeless people to sit in a warm place to drink coffee or/or eat donuts. She is hoping to collect 1,000 winning tabs this year. I'm impressed.

4.
Creative flower arrangements at Get the Jump on Spring, Toronto

Last Saturday to beat the winter blahs,  a few friends and I attended Get the Jump on Spring at the Toronto Botanical Garden. To be sure, one of the main reasons to attend was to be surrounded by flowers.

5. Alice Munro - a wonderful Canadian short story writer - has such a delightful, subtle wit that makes me laugh. I just reread her only novel this week: Lives of Girls and Woman.  It's probably the least favourite of the books I have read by her, but it left me wondering how she would describe some of the grumpy people I've met lately for whom life is rarely as good as it could (or SHOULD?) be. 

I am linking to Sky Watch Friday HERE.
I am joining  Random 5 Friday Here

45 comments:

The Cranky said...

Beautiful shots, and a beautiful way to help the homeless as well!

Andy said...

I like the beauty that you are finding in the winter scenes. "Roll Up The Rim" is something that I don't seem to have any lucky at. That all changed yesterday with my first try that rewarded me with a free coffee.

William Kendall said...

That is a beautiful sunset.

As I don't care for coffee I never go into Tim's.

And Alice is such a marvelous writer.

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

Beautiful shots and even though I' a lot further south than you I am really looking forward to what is looking to be an elusive Spring.

Here at the gas company we had a consultant weather forecaster in to give a talk. He predicts more cold weather for the northeast through April.

Darla said...

Good stuff here. The floral arrangement in the take out box made me smile. I recently read some Munro short stories and enjoyed. I think it was you who brought her to my attention.

Darla

MadSnapper said...

I like that large photo in the collage... Jump on spring sounds like my kind of place... i love the second shot of the sunset with that beautiful fallen tree.
great idea on the free coffee for the homeless.. i often say to bob, can you imagine waking up with no bathroom or COFFEE?

Vagabonde said...

I have heard the expression “eye candy” and I think it is appropriate for your beautiful sunset photos – I could stare at them for a long time.
We do not have this Tim Horton coffee shop here in metro Atlanta, but I went into one once in Columbus, Ohio and had a great sweet roll. The snow here did not last long. It even was 70 F degrees last Sunday, now we are back in the 50s but slowly going back to the 70s. I saw daffodils in the Smith-Gilbert gardens last week, so spring had arrived there.

LONDONLULU said...

Oh I haven't read that Munro yet, though you've piqued my curiosity! These are lovely shots and I can use all the help beating winter blahs I can get - I can't wait for spring, even if it doesn't look like spring here till April/May!

Rose said...

I hope I can remember to look up Alice Munro...

Beautiful sunset! Going to a botanical garden sounds like just the thing.

Kathy said...

At first I thought that basket might be lunch! Love your comment on grumpy people. I'm getting lots of lessons from my mother!

TexWisGirl said...

i like the collection of winning lids to help the homeless. :)

Coloring Outside the Lines said...

Lovely shots- and I love the idea of winning lids for the homeless- that's a great idea.

Stuart said...

Beautiful sunsets. Looks like it will be a while for spring to arrive there. Here it seems it arrived last week! At least that's what the cherry trees think.

John @ Beans and I on the Loose said...

Wonderful sunset photos with the snow in the foreground. No Tim Hortons here; he'd have a tough time against all the Starbucks littering the countryside. I think we've already had our spring as the trees are budding out in flowers already due to the heatwave weeks back. Now the rain has beaten them all down. Nature is so confused.

Small City Scenes said...

I love the Orange Sky in you previous post. Just great.
And the sunset over EG is very impressive. Rims to Win sounds like a great idea.
Spring here is March 21--always. MB

RedPat said...

Here's hoping you have luck with the rims! A really good post for the day, EG!

Malyss said...

On the calendar, march 20th;But we don't really have a winter, at least not like yours !Your pictures are sooooooooooooo beautiful!

Karen said...

Gorgeous sunsets! Spring is March 20th this year. I'm not a Tim's coffee drinker, but I like the idea of giving your rim to a homeless person. Loving that flower arrangement in the chinese food take out box!

Ruth Hiebert said...

Gorgeous sunset scenes. I am waiting for spring,but then so is everyone else.

Grandma Barb's This and That said...

Beautiful sunset photos! Visiting the botanical gardens surrounded by flowers is a wonderful way to spend a cold winter day. I'm not sure when they say spring starts here but I don't think it's going to start until the first of May the way it looks.

cieldequimper said...

Very nice musings this week!

You do still have a lot of snow. It was pouring with rain here today...

Sprin ALWAYS used to start on 21 March when I was young. I wonder why it changes all the time nowadays (20, 21, 22, 23 March) but to the best of my knowledge, it'll only be in March here.

Lisa Gordon said...

It's March 20th, but like you, we are still in the grips of winter. It is soooooo cold here right now, that no matter what the calendar says, I think spring is a long way away, but I am very open to surprises!

Your sunset is beautiful!

Lowell said...

These are gorgeous shots and I appreciated the opportunity to look at them, but now I hear that Gordon Lightfoot song in my head and it will probably stay there for several days! Sheesh!

eileeninmd said...

Gorgeous sunset shots! Have a happy weekend!

Michelle said...

I do hope you win! I love some Tim Horton coffee.

Linda W. said...

I love your first photo, especially the snowdrifts in the foreground.

Cloudia said...

How VERY lovely! Nice photos, Girl






ALOHA from Honolulu
Comfort Spiral
=^..^= <3

Anonymous said...

What pretty shots!

avalon said...

Your shots are pretty but make me shiver :-)
Spring is now: I'm picking primroses, violets, daffodils and bergenia already. We had no snow or ice this winter. In a way I miss it.
Sky Poet

Mascha said...

Beautiful pictures!
The calendrical spring begins on March 20, the meteorological early as 1 March. But everything is relative: in the previous year, he started for us at the 15th April and this year by the February 15 around ...
I will look in the library for a book of Alice Munro, the name I've still heard here in Germany.
Have a faster springtime

Sarah Huizenga said...

I have enjoyed the Alice Munro books that I have read. The flower show sounds delightful.

Nicki said...

Gorgeous sunsets - even with all that snow. I love the idea of using the Chinese food takeout with chopsticks for a flower arrangement - hummmm, might have to try that.

Let us know when you win. :)

Elizabeth Edwards said...

Tim Horton's are great ... i have been twice - on our different trips. they are very addictive. do you have a favorite item or drink? maybe a treat? ( :

Snap said...

lovely sunsets ... i miss them ... can't see them from the middle of the big city. great idea to help the needy with the rims. i love garden shows and gardens. i bet this made you wish for spring that much more. lovely mosaic. happy friday ... stay warm!

VioletSky said...

Your snow looks so white still!
I haven't won a thing with my roll up the rim and I'm not pleased. Usually, by now I'd at least have had a coffee.

Anonymous said...

Love your photos!

I wonder if Tim Horton in the US holds the same contest..With my luck, I probably will only get "Try again"!

Veronica Roth said...

You know, Chloe was just telling me that she has to stay out of the cafeteria at her uni just now because of those darn roll up the rim cups. She's not a coffee drinker but could drink tea for Canada, and, as a starving fourth year student, the $2 tea is too expensive for a daily treat. Wait till I tell her about the fundraiser and she'll probably want to start something like that herself at her uni. It's a brilliant idea. I've been hounding the flower shops, nurseries and botanical gardens myself these days. So desperate for some lovely flowers. Hope your weekend will be lovely and warmer. :)

Lynn said...

any way of contributing to the homeless is great, good for TH's. I love Alice Munroe..the flower arrangements are so pretty and original..snow photos are gorgeous.

Gail Dixon said...

I ordered Tim Horton's coffee beans for my husband for Christmas and we love it. I had heard so many good things; I'm sure it's better at the local cafe.

Pamela Gordon said...

I love your story of the women saving and sharing her roll ups with the needy. Very inspiring! Hubby rolled in Montreal airport and won a free coffee. :) Enjoy the weekend.

maryaustria said...

These sunsets are gorgeous! So beautiful!

Nancy said...

I'm hoping this last blast of winter this weekend is it for the season! Thanks so much for sharing this week my friend. xo

Anonymous said...

One of the gas station chains here sells Tim Horton coffee and I am not a fan. I love coffee, but I usually have to doctor it up with hot chocolate. LOL

Anonymous said...

Lovely photos. I have to say, I'd be one of those grumpy people right now. I'm looking forward to spring flowers.

diane said...

Beautiful sunset shots!
Winter ends/Spring begins on March 20th here ... not soon enough! It has been a long, cold, snowy winter.
Have a great weekend.
diane @ thoughts and shots

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East Gwillimbury is a rural town less than an hour north of Toronto, Canada's largest city. My family calls me CameraGirl because I take my camera with me wherever I go.