Across Canada

It is very exciting at our house.  We will soon be heading out west to meet our new grandson and visit with his family.  The trip is all organized and the packing is almost done.

We are going all the way on The Canadian.  I call it a travelling hotel with Via Rail.  We made the same trip 3 years ago and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.  This time it is a different season of the year so the scenery across Canada will be different.  What an amazing way to see our country.

Once we arrive in Vancouver we will be taking one of the BC Ferries across to Vancouver Island.

The photos I'm sharing with Mosaic Monday were taken on our last trip out west, but I'm sure I'll have oodles and oodles of new photos to share after our trip.

Boo-tiful When-sday

When-sday is a day to reminisce to way back when. It's been awhile since I did a When-sday post. This is the day when I revisit a previous post.
This When-sday revisit was originally posted on October 24, 2010. It seems appropriate to post it again as Hallowe'en is coming soon and perhaps you are looking for a quick and easy craft to make for your kids or grandkids.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
With just a week to go till Hallowe'en I came across this really cute idea at one of the blogs I read, The Long Thread.
I just happened to have some white hand towels and some black material to make these cute, "boo"tiful towels for my grandchildren.  So on a wet Sunday morning I am being creative with the sewing machine.

The material is appliqued onto the towels.  Such a quick and easy gift to make

Two "boo"tiful towels for two "spook"tackular grandchildren.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm making another towel to give to our newest Grandson.

I hope you are having a boo-tiful When-sday.

Fall Display

We had a lovely visit to the farm store a few days ago to purchase pumpkins with the grandchildren.  It was a chilly and windy day so we didn't stay that long.

The textures of the gourds and pumpkins just make you want to rub your fingers over then.  The one at the bottom was almost like peanuts were growing on the outside.

It's time for another Mosaic Monday.  Do try and blog hop over there and see some other wonderful creations.

Head on over to camp and cottage living, a favourite blog for me to visit, and enter the giveaway.  Then stop by Pondside, another of my favourite places to visit and see the giveaway there.

The Zinnias Evolve

This week the Word for Wednesday is evolution or evolve
Watching the evolution of the blooms on the zinnias is fascinating.  I took photos of the zinnia buds over several days last year,to create my own time lapse photography, so you can see the process.

It all started with the tiny seed.

and grew into a little seedling.

A tight green bud evolves into a gorgeous flower in a few days.

The colours begin to emerge.

The petals take shape and begin to evolve on their own.

The colours are beginning to appear.

Those tiny yellow flowers around the center have evolved almost out of no where.
The more you look ... the more you see.
Nature never fails to amaze me.

Be sure to visit Word for Wednesday and see how others interpret todays word.

The Friendship Garden Seed Swap

I'm a member at Folia (button on the side bar) and I'm also the caretaker of the Gardening in Canada group there.  One of our members is organizing a seed swap during the month of November.

You package up seeds from your garden and mail them off to the organizer.  In turn you will receive the same number of packets of seeds back.  So if you send in 10 packets you get 10 back.  You can do whatever number suits you.
We are looking for some more Canadians to join in the swap.  You have to live in Canada to participate as seeds are not supposed to be sent across the border due to some regulations that are in place.  I know that many people exchange seeds between countries but this seed swap is just for Canadians.
Folia is a great place to organize your gardening online.  You can keep track of your various gardens, plantings, seed stash and more.

If you would like to join the seed swap, pop over to Folia and join (it's really easy), find the Gardening in Canada group, and look for the message to join the swap. 

Seed swapping is a great way to start a friendship garden with seeds from across our great country.  If you are looking for seed info and some seed labels to print, click the Sow Then Grow tab at the top of my blog.

I'm looking forward to hearing from you telling me you would love to join our Canadian seed swap.

A Cozy Blanket

I finished the round ripple blanket I was making for our new grandson.  The cozy blanket was packaged  up along with several other items and mailed out to him.  Canada Post had the best rates and delivered the package within the week.

This was a crochet round ripple blanket, of course done in blue and white.  This blanket was started on September 24 the day he was born.  His parents chose not to know the sex of the baby during the pregnancy so I couldn't begin it till he was born.  It was finished a week later.

I had to take a few photos of it before mailing it out west.  But in November I'll be able to take photos of him with his blanket as we are heading out west for the month of November.
The colours make it perfect to share with Blue Monday and of course I couldn't resist making a mosaic collection of the photos to share with Mosaic Monday

I hope you are having a marvellous Monday.

The Fading Leaves

There are still a few plants in bloom in the garden ... coreopsis, rudbekia, cosmos, impatience and mums.  But I'm sharing the fading leaves as the garden goes into its sleep mode for the approaching winter.

The hosta blooms are all finished for this year but the leaves are putting on a wonderful fading  show of colour from green to yellow to brown.

A couple of yellow leaves poke up in the middle of this clump of hosta.  The other leaves are starting to show some yellow spots.

Another hosta is turning yellow around the edges.

The solomon seal seems to be going yellow from the tip down to the stem.

The lily of the valley has been turning yellow and now the tips are going brown.

Another hosta has leaves that are completely  yellow.

There is still beauty in the fading garden. to share with Fertilizer Friday and Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.

Wasp Shadow

It is the Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend.  The weather is absolutely gorgeous, with temperatures in the mid 20's Celsius.
The sun is creating lovely shadows and I captured the wasp as it basked in the sun on the bbq.

Just look at the shadow.  It's perfect to share with Shadow Shot Sunday

Did you notice I didn't say this was a lens friend? I don't consider wasps to be friends but they do make fascinating subjects to photograph.

Repose

The word for Wednesday is repose.
This means a temporary rest from activity.
Just look at this squirrel I captured through my lens.  What a lens friend he turned out to be.

He certainly isn't involved in any activity as he lays along the deck railing soaking up some sun.  I think this is the perfect photo to show the meaning of repose.

I can't wait to see other interpretations of this word at Word for Wednesday

A Green Tea Day

After a busy morning shopping, unloading the van, and putting groceries away I always enjoy a nice cup of tea and a little treat.  First it is time to choose which teapot to use.

Tucked away on the corner of the counter sits a green set that I've had for ages.  We use the sugar bowl and storage canister all the time.

Today I chose a green teapot for one and thought a green tea would be nice to go along with it.  Should it be a pear green tea, a ginger peach green tea, or a plain green tea?

I chose the Stash ginger peach green tea.  The aroma is lovely while it is steeping.  I picked up this little teapot for one at a garage sale for $2 in the summer.  Even though the colours don't show that well all of the pieces are actually the same dark green.

The tray is set with tea, some chocolate digestive biscuits and a book to read for a few minutes peace and quiet.  This is another book in the Tea Shop Mystery series by Laura Childs.  Just reading this series makes you want to brew a pot of tea. Be sure to make time to relax with a cup of tea today.Won't you join Rose Chintz Cottage, Tuesday Tea for Two, and Teapot and Tea Things Tuesday for tea today.

Tap, Tap, Tap

Sunday Snapshot
of

While working in the garden this week I could hear the tap, tap, tap of the woodpecker feeding at the peanut feeder.  I always have my camera handy to capture my lens friends.

It's a rainy Sunday here so I won't be doing much in the garden today.   I'll be keeping a watch out the window as the birds still come in to feed when it rains.

To see more photos taken in the past click woodpecker in the labels.