A visit to the outback....Imagine them BIG.

My garden is in a state of decay. The grass in back section hasn't been mowed in.... I don't know how long. The daughter's garden is an eclectic graveyard of found objects, overgrown weeds and the last of the fall flowers. Gardening this summer was a bit of a luxury and the space was let to go wild. I abandoned my flowers. It is quite established so I just let it go.
This afternoon I reconnected a little bit. I am trying out a new lens on loan from Beau Photo for a job that I have next week photographing bioplastics. My brain has been in overdrive the last few days trying to figure out how to make the products look more dramatic that what I have seen out there.
And then I got distracted. I screwed the new ( to me) lens on to my camera and then went exploring... out to the 'back 40' as I like to call it.
Wow, it is pretty cool back there now. As nothing has been cut back the dead and dying flowers are offering up their seeds for next year's crop. And this lens ..... I think I need one for my own. It is not as if that is going to happen anytime soon so I must enjoy it to its fullest before I need to return it.
I want to blow up all these unadultered images into massive portraits that I will hang all over my home and absorb their images of decay and celebrate the amazing colours and textures that nature offers. Wooohoooo!!!

Ah, this one still has life. I imagine the anther and stamen parts as little faeries dancing around the faerie ring.

These next three can be a series perhaps.

I have not retouched them although I think a little brightening in photoshop would help, but when to stop?? I started playing and was overwhelmed by the subtleties of each change.

To have completely creative time to myself is like gold. I so enjoyed indulging myself in some play time. I did that recently on a one night-overnight with two girlfriends. I felt as I had been freed. I need more time like this.

A new faerie entrance

I decided to completely take the day off today to spend it with the girls. It has been a bit hectic lately so this time was overdue.

We decided that a craft morning was in order so we constructed a new welcoming gate for the faerie garden. I had a lovely piece of beach wood that I have been saving for way too long and I picked up a few beautiful sounding bells from Maiwa yesterday at Granville Island.

It is low enough for the kids to just sneak under and any adult now has to ask permission from the faerie princess to enter and she announces your coming by ringing the bells.

I sat out there this afternoon while my oldest was at preschool and my youngest was asleep. The little bells are so gentle sounding as the breeze catches them.

We will have something special to show Dad when we comes home tonight.

First fruit of the season

This morning I was out playing in the garden and found our first amazingly ripe strawberry. It was so juicy and red right through and it was all warm from the sun. My daughter and I decided to share it and even though it was only half a bite each, we were in heaven.
My yard is sometimes in a state of chaos with the children's toys strewn everywhere, but it is also my refuge. I love my little spot of tranquility where the kids and I can play and mind the earth together. I have a lot of work coming up and I am definitely enjoying the calm before the storm. It is great to find time to just simply 'be' with the kids outside. It is not as easy when things get busy.
I am very grateful for this lovely dry spell although my plants would say otherwise. They could use a bit of rain.

summer relics with hats on

I could have spent all day outside with my camera. What an amazing day. The sun was perfect. The snow was so delicate and framed everything with its white outline. I did manage to take a break and slip out into my backyard before the sun was too high and started melting the snow. It appeared that all the odd little objects that are scattered in my backyard were wearing these lovely white hats. Perhaps a party occurred that I was not invited to.

my street this a.m.