On Becoming an Artist

Our eldest was born with a love for art, of all kinds.  As parents we have encouraged her to develop her natural talent and make available to her, whenever possible, the tools she needs to continue doing the art that she loves. Last Sunday my dear K and I went on the Red Trillium Studio & Garden Tour. We both thoroughly enjoyed the experience, a first for K.

We stopped at two studios where K had the opportunity to see some of the art on display and chat with the featured artists.  All of them, wonderfully talented, were more than happy to answer our questions. K listened carefully to everything they had to tell her and she walked away with a boost of inspiration for her own artwork that she quickly put into action on the way home.

Click on an image to see a larger version, scan through the images for more:

Thinking…

A Mother’s Special Gift

Cheetah?

I have a love for photography (obviously) and glass art. K has a love for sketching and portraits. I made a promise to myself that I would take a photo of us together as a special gift to each other, so we did. Later that afternoon we stopped at Alice’s Village Cafe, in Carp and enjoyed a quiet lunch together. (My meal was so delicious it inspired me to make some pulled crock pot chicken, today – Yum!) It was a perfect day, of all days, made even more special as it was Mother’s Day. (The only way it could have been any better would be to have my little V by my side, as well.)

I’d love to read about your Mother’s Day. Share about it in my comments or add a link to your own post and I’ll be sure to stop by.

This Moment ~ The Leopard

{this moment: inspired by Soulemama} - A weekly ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you’re inspired to do the same, leave a link to your ‘moment’ in the comments for all to find and see.

 

Signs of Spring: Baby Chicks

 

 

Recently we visited the baby chicks from Coyote Rock Farm and we fell in love…

 

 

..with baby chickens, yellow and fluffy…

 

 

…tiny, like us…

 

 

…who don’t mind kisses….

 

 

…and fit snuggly in our little hands…

 

 

About the chicks at Coyote Rock Farm:

“ They are raised on organic non-GMO feed and they are brooded indoors where they will be on nice clean bedding and get lots of natural light. After 2 – 3 weeks (chicken and weather dependent) they are moved into floorless pens, where they get all the food and water they want and are moved to a fresh piece of pasture daily (sometimes twice a day). What this does is allows the chickens to do what chickens want and that is scratch, peck and eat till their hearts delight. Because they are on fresh pasture every day, they are never exposed to their own manure and pathogens do not get a chance to develop hence we will not be giving them any antibiotics or medication.” – Excerpt from the website.

 

Their first run of chickens are now sold out but they will soon be taking orders for a second run later in the spring that will be ready for mid September.

 

They will also be selling turkeys and pork this year. Be sure to visit their website for blog updates, lots photos and plenty of valuable information. Before you leave be sure to sign up for their newsletter  so that you are kept up to date on all of their latest happenings.

 

bits + pieces ~ A Look Back

As we enter into early April, winter has a final hold on us. The snow has been slow to melt, the days cold and the nights freezing. We’re ready for spring and aching for long summer nights on the screen porch or lazing by the campfire. Here’s a look back at what we were doing one year ago:

 

That’s right, one year ago my kids were walking at Parliament Hill in shorts – in April. It’s still hard to believe since today we were wearing snow pants! Well, enough about the weather.

 

Now, I found a few photos that I didn’t share last year. I suppose there are too many photos – nah, never too many photos just NEVER enough time to share them all. Here’s a few from April 2012 that didn’t even make it to my digital photo frame, which is a shame because they should be shared…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Around the same time we made a trip to beautiful Stewart Park in Almonte and the surrounding area. If you’ve never visited Almonte, you must. It’s a picturesque little village of quaint shops, bakeries, cafes and restaurants with a strong history and a budding arts & cultural scene. 

 

Old buildings like the Mill have been renovated and given new life while still holding their historical beauty and charm. I love Almonte and I could see myself living there some day.

 

But, I will share more photos of Almonte with you in another post as I have other plans. You see, I have some photos from February that have yet to be shared. I wonder if by sharing them I’ll send Old Man Winter on his way? There’s always hope.

 

All winter long Dad keeps our driveway clear with the snow-blower while also providing at least 30 minutes of blizzard like entertainment.

 

 

 

V keeps us busy with his own busy-ness! He requires a great deal of gross motor play, so we make an effort to get outside every day or stop by the playgroup for some free play in the gymnasium. This consists of me chasing him while he chases a ball – FOR AN HOUR.  Our afternoon ends in a slump on the couch, or maybe a tickle…

 

 

Very proud of his puzzle…

 

..and his artwork too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This family (herd?) of deer (8 of them) have come to visit us throughout the winter. They’re now daily visitors to our yard – sometimes more than once. Usually we only see a pair, at most 4, but at the time I took these photos there were at least 8 in total. I suppose since spring has been so long it’s been hard for them to find fresh food. Our compost looks very appetizing to hungry dear and our cedar trees have fresh bark and leaves just waiting for a munch. We don’t often see them in the summer, except when they stop in our fields to rest and leave behind a semi-circular impression in the grass. I find them very beautiful and they imbue a sense of peace when I watch them. I will miss them when we leave.