Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Camera-shy Self


A twofer - take one photo and get two selfies

April 1 is CDP Theme Day and the theme is My Camera-shy Self.

Imagine walking down the Queen Street, Port Perry and seeing in a jewellery store window a necklace with two pictures of yourself on it! Well, it happened to me and here's the proof.

A longer view



Later, I found another twofer of me!

I am linking to City Daily Photo Theme Days  HERE

Male Redhead (Duck)

 Male Red-head (Aythya americana)

No question here how this duck got its name. Many redheads breed on the North American Prairies but some breed in Ontario and, in fact, stay here all year long. They nest in a variety of places such as marshes, open lakes and bays. BUT some don't build nests at all, ..

Red-headed Duck and Lesser Scaup

instead lay eggs in other bird's nests. Strangely enough when I first saw these two males I couldn't help but think they acted like brothers, following each other everywhere and even fighting if one found a treat and the other didn't. It wasn't until I returned home that I learned that the redhead's mother may have laid her egg in the Lesser Scaup's mother's nest, so these guys may very well have grown up together.

I am connecting to Stewart M's Wild Bird Wednesday HERE

Monday, March 30, 2015

Massey/Anderson

 Repurposed farm equipment factory, Newcastle

Some buildings are built so well that they reincarnate more than once, which is not always the case in North America where builders tend to tear down structures to construct new ones.

In 1849, two years after an Ontario farmer named Massey began making labour-saving ploughs and agricultural tools in his farm workshop, he moved his business a mile or so north to the town of Newcastle. The wheat market was expanding and Massey recognized an opportunity.

Sadly the original foundry burned down in 1864, but Massey quickly built a replacement on the same land. The photo above is of that building.

Massey, his sons and later his grandsons were astute businessmen, promoting their machinery across North America and Europe. When the Massey harvester won the grand prize at the 1896 Paris National Exhibition, the company began exporting their products worldwide. In 1953, the company merged with another company to become Massey Ferguson. (I bet all you farmers have heard of that name!)

J. Anderson Smith

By 1879, the company had moved to Toronto. But in 1910 J. Anderson Smith bought the abandoned building and turned it into a factory for making containers for ammunition, which later morphed into a factory for making jewellery boxes.



The Massey Building has morphed again! The ground floor has been renovated for commercial use and there are apartments on the second and third floor.


Added later in answer to Pamela's question: the company's first name change was to Massey-Harris, then Massey-Harris-Ferguson and later shortened to Massey Ferguson. :)

More photos from Our World can be seen by clicking HERE.

Sunday, March 29, 2015

End of March

 Private Pond, no snow this time LAST year

Winter is still lingering on here north of Toronto but after a harsh winter it does feel and look a bit like spring. Night temperatures have been below freezing and a few days have risen above 0°C (32°F) but wind makes the days feel much cooler. In spite of this, much of the snow and ice has melted.

 Local creek, some snow and ice in full sun, yesterday

 Patches of snow in partially shaded areas

Patches of ice along the edges

I am linking to Sunlit Sunday HERE

 Please visit Michelle at Rambling Woods for more NATURE NOTES.  

Saturday, March 28, 2015

Railings and Stairs

 Frenchman's Bay railing and shadow #1 

These photos were taken on March 17, a sunny but cold day. The shadows were dark and clear.

 Frenchman's Bay railing and shadow #2


Shadows down to the dock, Darlington Point

I am linking to Shadow Shot Sunday 2 HERE.

Here's Looking At Ya!

Three Limousin Cattle

Yep, I sure am fascinating...to cattle.

I am linking to Saturday Critters HERE.


Friday, March 27, 2015

Post Office Vertigo

Refection in post office door

1. It can be a dizzying experience to buy stamps in Canada. To send a postcard or letter from here to anywhere in Canada it costs $1.00 if you buy one stamp at a time... or 85 cents if you purchase 10 for $8.50.

2. The cost of sending a letter or postcard to the U.S.A. is $1.20, to other international destinations $2.50.

Another view

3. Speaking of ever-rising prices, it’s amazing how little you can get for a million dollars these days. The average price of a detached home in Toronto is $1 million. After paying the mortgage would there be much left over for food?

4.  Would you believe exotic colour names sell products better than common names? Apparently it's true. A study involving candy revealed that jelly beans called unusual names such as razzmatazz were more likely to be chosen than those with ordinary names - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, brown or black - even if the candies both looked and tasted the same.

5.  Razzmatazz is one of 23 different red-coloured crayons sold by Crayola. FYI: I won't be eating any crayons soon, no matter what they call them.

To enjoy reflections from around the world, visit James at Weekend Reflections HERE

I am joining Nancy's Random 5 Friday at Rural Journal HERE

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Yellow Brick House

White picket fence

I'm not sure why this home has two front doors. Perhaps one leads to the downstairs and the other to the upstairs.

A few weeks ago, I saw a list of fill-ins in on Rose's blog.  I copied the list and filled in the blanks for the first five here.  Next I filled groups of five here and here and here.

Now here's 21 through 25:

21. If I were a food I’d apple-pecan-blue cheese salad. Yum!

22. If I were a place I’d be the sandy shore of a lake or ocean on a mild, sunny day.

23. If I were material I’d be wool in winter and cotton in summer.

24. If I were a taste I’d be salty. I can pass by sweets but it’s a struggle to avoid salty foods.

25. If I were a scent I’d smell like fresh apple blossoms. Mmmmm.

I am linking to Good Fences HERE

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

S/Alphabe-Thursday 2

Striped shutters

S is for STRIPES

Closed up for the winter

Modified #1

Modified #2

Modified #3

I am linking to Jenny Matlock at Alphabe-Thursday HERE 

I am linking to NF Digital Art Meme  HERE.

I am joining Geometric Friday HERE.

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Decorations Still Up

Christmas in March (photo taken last Saturday, March 21st)

Someone asked me yesterday if the house shown here still had Christmas decorations up. Yep! Not sure why!

This is a different house, down the same street. The driveway is ploughed, the walk is shovelled...but the decorations are still up at this house too. Perhaps the owners are waiting for warmer weather to put it all away. Or could they be in Florida and hiring someone to clear the walk and driveway? Or maybe they leave the decorations up all year long?  What do you think?

Monday, March 23, 2015

Coot feet

 Coot standing on ice looking for seeds

One week after saying HERE I was hoping I'd see a coot  walk onto some ice, guess what! I photographed a coot on ice!

Looking for seeds or admiring its feet?

More photos from Our World can be seen by clicking HERE.
I am connecting to Stewart M's Wild Bird Wednesday HERE


Older Home

 Port Perry House

Saturday, my husband and I met friends for lunch and afterwards took my camera for a ride down some of Port Perry's oldest streets. Sadly, it was blustery and COLD so I do need to go back and get some better photos! However, this is one  older home I photographed.

 Front door

 Cantilevered porch

Front window


More photos from Our World can be seen by clicking HERE.

Sunday, March 22, 2015

Alien Invasion?

 Aliens from Outer Space (AKA ariel lifts)

Take us to your leader!

 Head alien in drybrush

 Head alien in poster edges

Head alien in inverted poster edges

I am linking to Mandarin Orange Monday here

Blue Skies & Melting Snow

Bond Head

I'm loving the sunshine and blue skies!


Pacing, waiting for the ice to melt

These two Canada Geese were walking back and forth in front of this branch. Geese are claiming their territories, honking ferociously to keep others away.

I am linking to Sunlit Sunday HERE

 Please visit Michelle at Rambling Woods for more NATURE NOTES.  

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Pergola, Bond Head

At the beach in Bond Head (Newcastle)

The shadows make the pergola made of  aging wood look quite fancy.

I am linking to Shadow Shot Sunday 2 HERE.

North American Beaver

 Closeup of beaver

I think this may be a young beaver as it let me get quite close to take these photos. I didn't have my telephoto with me. OOPS! Well, I was lucky that the beaver was more interested in chomping down twigs than in worrying about that crazy lady with one BIG, clicking eye looking at it.

 Right outside the entrance to it's lodge

I've passed by this ancient lodge many times and had no idea there were beavers living underneath the cattails growing above it. I just happened to see this guy hauling a long thin branch across the road so I turned around to watch, then slowly crept closer to see if I could get a decent photo. It's sitting on its tail, the reason you cannot see it.

I did eventually sneak in too close and the beaver scurried down the hole.


A second beaver?

A few minutes later (I was still there but further away taking photos of the tree it had been  peeling bark off) I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye. This beaver was not nearly so tolerant and did not hang around long. Notice its tail. I think this beaver has been in a war.

I am linking to Saturday Critters HERE.

Friday, March 20, 2015

Spring!

Coot in the harbour and reflection of pier, Wednesday, March 18th

1. Spring Equinox 2015 happens today - 6:45  EDT. So now it's official:  spring in the Northern Hemisphere.  FYI: I'm not putting away my winter duds quite yet and I still have gloves stuffed in my coat pockets.

2. Or does spring actually begin today? Not according to most meteorologists! They say North American spring started on March 1st.  To them the three warmest months are called summer, the three coldest are winter and those in between are spring (here March 1 to May 31) and autumn (here September 1 to November 30). Meanwhile since March 1st in Australia and New Zealand, it has been autumn.

Icicles dripping off melting snow on the river bank

3.  Although I love spring and flowers, I'm not quite ready to let go of winter yet - I haven't yet had my fill of making photos of ice and icicles.  

4. I AM looking forward to not wearing gloves when I'm making photos, though.

Ice and reflections in the river

5.  It's maple syrup season here north of Toronto, when daytime highs are above freezing but the nights are still below.  Sweet, don't you think?

To enjoy reflections from around the world, visit James at Weekend Reflections HERE

I am joining Nancy's Random 5 Friday at Rural Journal HERE





Thursday, March 19, 2015

Temporary Fix

Horse farm

This fence made me smile with its temporary fix, a branch to convince the horses they can not go out onto the long driveway on the other side. Hey, it appears to work!

A few weeks ago, I saw a list of fill-ins in on Rose's blog.  I copied the list and filled in the blanks for the first five here.  Next I filled the next five here ann the third five here.  Now here's 16 through 20:

16. If I were a colour I'd be forest green or dark blue. But, truth be told, I don't have a favourite colour.

17. If I were an emotion I'd be contented, satisfied  (for the most part) with things as they are. When I am contented I see beauty everywhere and find joy in "little things."

18. If I were a fruit I'd be a juicy apple (my favourite fruit) or a big red strawberry (my other favourite fruit).

19. If I were a sound I'd be the gentle rustle of wind passing through leaves on a tree.

20. If I were a car/truck I'd be...Hey! What do I know about cars and trucks? For sure I'd be small, fuel efficient and dependable with super snow tires.

I am linking to Good Fences HERE

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

R/Alphabe-Thursday

 Round wheels

R is for ROUND

All from my archives. Dear READERS, you have been given a temporary REPRIEVE from my photos of ice and snow.

 Round bales at sunset

Round Rim

I am linking to Jenny Matlock at Alphabe-Thursday HERE 

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Two Bubbles

 Bubbles in blue

Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living. it's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. and that enables you to laugh at life's realities.
~ Dr. Seuss

 Rainbow Bubbles

 Cropped

Cross-hatched


I am linking to NF Digital Art Meme  HERE.

I am joining Geometric Friday HERE.

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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.