Connections

While reading the news online this evening I saw an article about the Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, in Holten, the Netherlands, paying tribute to the Canadians who paid with their lives to liberate that country 70 years ago. That reminded me of an event far back in my own history, when I was too young to realize its significance. That was the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands.

I received the commemorative cup illustrated below as an innocent youngster in kindergarten. My recollection of that event is that the cup was filled with candy. Little did I know then that within 2 years I would emigrate to the country that was primarily responsible for the liberation of the Netherlands.

My mother safeguarded this cup for many years until it could be entrusted to me. Since then it has stood tucked inside a cabinet from where I would occasionally take it and ponder it in silence. It reminds me of the connection I have with these two countries - one of my birth and the second which adopted me.

Amazing the significance something of such little monetary value can hold.

The Saddest Decision ...

I'm writing this early because I won't be able to later ...

After over 13 years of love, loyalty, and companionship, the time has come for us to say goodbye to our beloved Sasha. I've been caught in a struggle between my head, which is telling me it's the right thing to do, and my heart which says we can keep looking after her for a while yet. We've known this day would be coming but I haven't been able to acknowledge it.

Sasha's spirit is still willing (and her 'attitude' is as apparent as ever) but her physical ailments have significantly impacted her quality of life. When I see her struggle to get up or hobble along for even a short distance or groan with pain when we have to roll her over to sleep, I know the time has come. When she looks at me trustingly with her big soft brown eyes or tucks her head under my chin when I sit beside her on the floor, my conviction wavers.

The wheels have been set in motion, however, and I have to keep telling myself it's the right decision. And yet ...

Come celebrate her life ... (I had earlier written 'commiserate with me' but I think it's more appropriate to remember how she's enriched our lives):

Come Sail Away

"I look to the sea,
Reflections in the waves spark my memory,
Some happy, some sad,
I think of childhood friends and the dreams we had,
We lived happily forever, so the story goes,
But somehow we missed out on the pot of gold
But we'll try best that we can to carry on ..."
Come Sail Away [Styx]

 I hope you're carrying on into 2014. If you need a momentary break from winter, then close your eyes and come sail away with me (click on the link below the photos) ...

Safe in mama's wake

It already seems a long time ago that we were able to get together with family for a week of building memories. I'll share a few snippets as time permits.

Spotted one day was this raft of ducks (yep, it's called a 'raft' - I looked it up), led my mama. The babies had not yet learned fear of people as the readily paddled over to us and waddled on the shoreline, much to the delight of our grandchildren (well, actually all of us).

They had learned though that paddling was a little easier in mama's wake.

Committed to memory

[“As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth.”  Job 19:25.  I trust you have experienced and will continue to experience the joy of Easter.]

The sounds of laughter have receded into the family annals and all is quiet around here again. Our last visitors returned home this past week to face the beginnings of spring (which seem more like the final gasps of a winter that won't let go easily). We're left to wonder where the time went.

Many memories were captured and embedded in silicon, but I think they were surpassed by those embedded in our own memories. The 5D performed remarkably well despite the operator's lack of mastery of its many features.

And amidst the busyness of vacation hosting and capturing memories, there was even time to grab a frame or two of other subjects:

But you'll have to agree with me that my primary focus over the past couple of weeks would have been directed towards Hailey and Lilly (oh, and assorted other family members, of course):

I plan to visit many of you this week, and look forward to 'meeting' my new followers.

Farewell

No, this is not my farewell to blogging - just a [temporary, I hope] farewell to the Sunshine State. Before you go further, click on this link to enjoy a little farewell music while you have a look at the rest of my post:



We shall soon be heading back north where we learned that spring still awaits us, despite a couple of false starts. If all goes as planned, Sasha will enjoy temperatures much more to her liking - 7C/45F instead of 31C/88F - in a few days. Our woolies will be within reach as we near home. Brrrr !

[I will have limited internet access over the next few days. However, our extremely poor wireless internet service back home will be swapped out for a new satellite-based service which is being touted as far superior. Being a half-glass-full person I am cautiously optimistic that I will be able to resume posting and visiting early next week. Hope springs eternal !]


Here are a few more memories from our stay.

He ain't heavy, he's my brother

The road is long
With many a winding turn
That leads us to who knows where
Who knows where

But I'm strong
Strong enough to carry him
He ain't heavy, he's my brother
So on we go

His welfare is of my concern
No burden is he to bear
We'll get there

For I know
He would not encumber me
He ain't heavy, he's my brother

If I'm laden at all
I'm laden with sadness
That everyone's heart
Isn't filled with the gladness
Of love for one another

It's a long, long road
From which there is no return
While we're on the way to there
Why not share

And the load
Doesn't weigh me down at all
He ain't heavy, he's my brother

He's my brother
He ain't heavy, he's my brother
He ain't heavy, he's my brother

Ready for action !

We were out (relatively) bright and early this morning for a day of fishing in the gulf. My 2 youngest daughters were ready to pull a good catch of fish out of the waters. We joined a larger group on board and were assigned 3 spots near the rear port side of the ship. After sailing for 90 minutes we reached a spot that (to the captain) appeared promising. Down went all the lines and in short order we had landed 4 fish ! (don't ask what they were - other than hammerhead sharks and a few other species most fish in these waters remain nameless for me).

You can see from today's photo that elbow room was at a premium, however, the conditions also made for becoming good neighbours, especially when lines inevitably got tangled. We probably shouldn't have had our early luck because we were skunked the rest of the day. That seemed to be experience of most despite the captain's search for a number of other fishing holes (which all looked the same to me 20 miles out in the gulf). There were a couple of notable exceptions though - a few people did manage to fill their buckets with fish. What still leaves me scratching my head is how fish would choose those lines over the dozens of others that were dangling within a few feet of them, also offering tantalizing bits of squid.

However, the day was definitely a winner - nothing but sun and a warm sea breeze blowing in our faces. Oh, and 8 bite-size filets in our freezer !

(18-55mm  f13  1/400 sec  ISO200)

Phriday Phling Phinale

It's not often I post twice on the same day, but I got to it rather late last night (or early this morning, depending on whether you're a night owl or early bird) and again this evening. Of course I had to make a lot of photos over the past 10 days or so and many of these captured memories of phun times with our granddaughters. Since it's also Phun Phriday you'll have to bear with me as I post a few more.

This first shot is of a colourful wind catcher near a playground, spinning its wheels in the breeze, as I was out for a walk with Hailey - she had hoped to play there but unfortunately the entrances were locked.

The next shot is of Hailey at the fish and turtle pond after she'd finished feeding them, and just before she got to go go-karting. Again !

The last shot is of her younger sister Lilly who turns 4 in a few weeks - obviously she's headed for a modelling career.

We certainly had a phun-philled 10 days, and tomorrow night we start another week with our other 2 daughters. We're seeing more of our family being 2,500 km/1,500 mi from home than when we lived much closer by. You don't suppose the Florida weather has anything to do with it, do you ? Nah, I thought so !

(18-55mm  f22  1/60 sec  ISO200)

(70-200mm  f5.6  1/800 sec  ISO200)



(18-55mm  f14  1/160 sec  ISO200)

(Day 313) If you believe ...

I recall, when I was young, being told about the man in the moon. I'm sure many people have similar recollections. I don't know what made it seem plausible at the time, but then again children's imaginations usually haven't been blunted or stunted yet by the realities of the world. A lot of things were quite possible for me to believe - and they weren't limited to the tooth fairy, Sinterklaas (Santa Claus), and the sandman (remember him ?). Eventually most of that 'magic' is lost.

I was reminded of that tonight when I looked into the evening sky. I'm old enough to remember the moon landings, but apparently there are people who are convinced that they were faked. Perhaps they still believe in the original man in the moon. I was reminded of this song which you also might remember (no, it's not as old as the moon landings).

(70-200mm  f5.6  1/20 sec  ISO200)

(Day 232) Those lazy days of summer

I think everybody has their own definition of what makes for one of those unforgettable summer days - and that likely changes with age. I remember as a kid I could hardly wait for those final school days in June to be over - then the endless summer would begin! Warm days of going down to the creek, building a (rather leaky) dam with rocks that would raise the water from 2 feet to perhaps 3 feet deep, eating lunch outdoors, and some years even going on vacation for a week ! It seemed September and a return to school was eons away !

Now we're happy with a day when it doesn't rain and isn't too hot, and we can find a cool spot in the shade to dig into a book long neglected. Today was a day like that, minus the book part. Sasha was following me around to see if I was up to something interesting (she's the ONLY one who finds going on a photo shoot with me interesting - or at least she doesn't let on otherwise). It's been a while since she's made it on my blog, so I had her lie down and look interested (in case you're wondering what the command for that is, it goes like this - "Sasha, LOOK!", click). I deliberately underexposed a bit so she and the clouds would stand out a little more.

(10-22mm  f8  1/640 sec  ISO200)

(Day 191) Child’s Delight

Sat. July 10, 2010

How far back does your memory go ? Do you remember events from when you were 2, or 3 ? What events made an indelible impression on your childhood memory ? I think my memory goes back to age 3 or 4, and I can certainly remember events from age 5. As adults we sometimes forget that we’re also directly responsible for helping shape our children’s memories - and we certainly don’t know what events of today will create a lasting impression.

I do hope that our trips to the cottage with family and extended family is making a positive impression on our grandchildren, at least those beyond the infant stage. I doubt that Graydon (6 months) will remember these days, but I think Lilly (age 3) and Hailey (age 5 ½) will certainly have memories of these family vacations. Today’s shot is about making some of those memories.

(18-55mm  f8  1/200 sec  ISO200)

(Day 158 - II) Heart string pullers

I've always had some problems in life following rules (my wife, if she weren't sleeping, would be nodding vehemently in agreement) - but I only don't follow rules that don't seem to make sense to me. Obviously there are many rules that I do follow - because they make sense, like 'look both ways before crossing the street, do unto others as you'd like them to do unto you', etc.

So if there's a project 365 rule that says to only post 1 photo per day, then I've broken it. And if there's also a rule that says only 1 post per day, I've broken it too. Well, that was a lot of verbiage to say that I'm going to do another post for today - depending on where you are, that's either Monday or Tuesday (although in Australia it might already be Wednesday or Thursday - they always seem to be into another day already, let alone another time zone!).

Why am I doing this ? Well, I made some photos of my grandson tonight, and I also had made some (well, many then) of my granddaughters when they were here 2 weeks ago, and I thought I'd share them with you. You'll see why they pull at my heart strings.

(all photos made with my Sigma 50mm f1.4 lens)

In order of age:

Hailey (5)

Lilly (3)

Graydon (5 months)

(Day 77) The toil of their hands

I went for a stroll on our land today - again we were blessed by sunshine and warm temperatures. I wanted to re-visit and photograph a few places were there was evidence of those who came before us, who lived here and worked this land many years ago. As I stood near these places I wondered who the people were who had worked so hard to clear the land of rocks, and built split-rail cedar fences around hundreds of acres. This area is known for black flies and mosquitoes - how they must have been tormented as they laboured under a hot sun engulfed by swarms of pesky biting and stinging bugs. They moved on long ago (see Day 62) and only remnants of their passing through remain.

"There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow."  (Ecclesiastes 1:11)

(18-55mm  f8  1/100 sec  ISO400)

(18-55mm  f8  1/30 sec  ISO400)

(Day 70) Remember when you were young ...

I'm not sure if you're a Pink Floyd fan, but if you are, you'd certainly remember these lyrics (Shine On You Crazy Diamond). I had it running through my brain today so it lead me to find a reminder of those days when we were young.

(70-200mm  f5.6  5 sec  ISO800)

(Day 48) The good ole days

Isn't it a strange quirk of human nature that quite often we remember the past as being the good old days ? Perhaps it's a blessing that the hard times that we couldn't wait to let slip into history also slip from our minds.

Conversely I'm sure that this barn's good ole days were far better than its present state. Physically we are headed towards a similar state, despite oils and creams and spa treatments that promise to delay the inevitable. We have the real promise that we can put our hope in a future that far outshines any glory of the present, or past. We simply need to take hold of it.

(70-200mm f5.6 1/200 sec. ISO200)

(Day 43) From flora to 'flesh' ...

Muscle, that is, as in muscle car. We took a step back in time today to look at some great man-made machines. It was difficult to walk through the huge display of over 200 vintage muscle cars because it was difficult to focus with so much eye candy. So, before I sign off this blog for a couple of days before I get access to a computer again, I wanted to post a colourful photo of a couple of them.

(60mm f5 1/15 sec ISO400)

And do you remember when cars had really cool hood ornaments ?

(60mm f5.6 1/40 sec ISO800)

(Day 32) The sea's bounty

Shell collecting is an ageless hobby. In some parts of the world shells have been used as currency. If that were still the case, we (and a lot of others) could be considered rich. As it was, we did consider ourselves rich as we scoured the beach for the treasures that the sea yielded. Here is a small sampling of today's 'harvest' - treasures that will bring back memories of scavenging to the sound of sea birds and the pounding surf.

(60mm @ f2.8 1/25 sec ISO400)

(Day 19) Old tokens

There are certain things that we collect that serve to remind us of other places and other times. I'm not talking about photographs, although they certainly can serve that purpose. For me it's coins that I've collected on various travels through other countries. They seem to have some mystique to them even though in the country where they are (were) being used they're very ordinary and have no more than face value.

The ones in the photo below are from another era - the pre-euro era. I think Europe lost a little of its mystique when it went to a common currency. These coins don't even have their face value any longer.

(Day 16) The golden elixir

My introduction to the golden elixir came at a pre-Christmas lunch courtesy of my manager at work at the time. I'm not sure how prevalent the practice of taking employees out to lunch is these days but twenty some odd years ago it was still an accepted way of a company personalizing a thank-you.While I was not fond of liqueurs in general, the golden elixir and I struck up an acquaintance that has lasted to this day. It was a frequent companion on many business flights (remember when business class actually provided some 'extras' ?) and to this day, memories flood the brain when the scent of the elixir floods the nostrils. Funny how smells can have that effect.

So I made this my photo subject for today as I imbibed the golden elixir.