I was recently going through some of the photos I took on my last trip to the Caribbean.  My favourite place was San Juan.........there was a sense of history, grace, and old elegance mixed with a love of life and a fight to survive in the new economy.  (And the mojitos were amazing!)

I loved the architectural details.........particularly the beautiful spindles on fences and balconies everywhere........

 

I wish we'd had more time to tour the interiors of some of these incredible structures.

The outdoor spaces ranged from rustic to lavish and the cobblestone streets were lovely, quaint...and blue!  There are a lot of pigeons there also, which some of the locals are quite fond of...I think this couple must have come to this spot every day -- she sipped coffee while he fed the birds.

There are many trendy modern hotels in sharp contrast to some of the decaying elegance just steps away.

Ciao until next time San Juan............

I recently joined Fine Art America.....another place where prints, canvases, cards, etc. may be purchased.  I'll be adding more images there so anyone can order high quality print on demand work at their whim!

Here's a link to some Newfoundland prints............

newfoundland photos

Poor old girl has seen better days.......now retired to a field off Hwy 61........

 

It's been awhile since I've posted - had lots going on in my life the past few months but can't wait to get back behind the lens!  I've recently acquired a new camera and a new lens so stay tuned for some 'wider' views of my world.

I thought I would share some of my images from my trek from Alberta all the way to Kenora last summer - highway scenery, country acreages, city scenes, cottage life, and beautiful gardens were all part of the trip.  Hope you enjoy this rather eclectic collection of images.

 

 

Last year it was just starting to warm up and the trees had started to bud when we got one last, bitter snowstorm and cold snap.  It was too much for the tender young buds and they never did develop into blossoms so there wasn't much fruit either.  This year, although it's been a long time coming, the blossoms are finally starting to appear.........my favourite thing about spring!  Here are a few of the first ones I found.......waiting for more!

Whenever I get up to Calgary on my own I always try to take a new route along the backroads either on the way up or the way home if I have a little time.  I'm always on the lookout for old homesteads, hidden lakes and whatever catches my camera's eye -- this satisfies my perpetual "road less taken" yearning and is just a really peaceful way to unwind and spend time alone.

Yesterday I was initially disappointed at the weather because I, like every other southern Albertan, is hoping for some spring sunshine and a sign that winter won't be lingering forever.  What I found though, was an incredible range of skies, despite the snow, drizzle, low cloud and haze that I encountered as I drove along.  There is a quiet peacefulness in the snow.....it was interesting to see one field completely covered while the one next to it was bare but wet.  And there is an incredible beauty to the soft, rolling land......

The first thing I learned was that the last thing any of us, especially the farmers, need is more precipitation. Impromptu lakes lie in every low spot -- much to the delight of ducks, Canada geese, and new arrivals this year (at least I've not seen them before) - swans.  The zero-ish temperatures did not hamper their enthusiasm for swimming at all.  The second thing I learned is that when you buy some stylish rubber boots for the purpose of slogging around in spring weather -- throw them in the car!  Another lesson was that the use of the word "highway" is used quite liberally in some areas -- to me (and to my GPS I think) it means paved road -- but apparently it has nothing to do with pavement at all.  I was a little afraid a couple of times that I might get stuck in the mud - the road definitely looked better than it drove!

We woke up this morning to a FOOT of snow - heavy, wet and difficult to get around in.  I was babysitting Zoe and she was very excited so I left the house early and we stopped by the park so she could have some fun and I could take a few photos.  I barely made it out of there because I almost got stuck in the parking lot (again!  this has happened before in a similar situation).  I was thinking it was a good thing I hadn't gone down to the river bottom where I really WANTED to go because I never would have made it up that hill.

It's raining again tonight so although most of this melted today we may have a deja vu experience tomorrow morning. I just want to see some green!

After a seemingly endless winter we were finally blessed with some warm spring weather on the weekend.  JoAnn and I headed out for a walk along one of the coulee trails, cameras in hand.  At first glance one might think there was nothing worthy of photographing - the trees dare not bud yet (except for a brave one or two), grass and leaves are brown and surrendering back to the earth - but stripped away of foliage, the woods reveal their textures, their frail beauty and a few remnants of last year's bloom.  Then of course there's always some cool rusty thing somewhere!

  Oh how I miss the beautiful trees of BC!  The cool shadows, the lush green of the velvet moss, the delicate fringe of ferns and the silent stillness of the forest.

 

A breezy day on the coast -- a lone windsurfer braved the waves, the gulls lined up for lunch delivered by the tide and the sun illuminated the dancing waves.  A great day to spend with my sister!