I was going through my twitter feed this morning, and found this quote tweeted by, Quotes about Life. And I assume that they got it from another source, but it’s perfect for this morning.
Happiness does not depend on outward circumstances,
but on the state of the heart.
JC. Ryle.
It’s easy to be happy today, it’s Sunday, the sun is out, and it’s late spring, and it might even be a touch warmer.
Life is good.
Oh and there are huge water drops on my Hosta, that’s rare, I know, small things right?
And….ta da! My followers are back on my blog.
So yes life is good!
Thanks for your lovely comments, and yes Lori, although you didn’t use the phrase, “I did put my big girl panties on, and get on with it.”
Life that is.
And now the winner of the Ramsign give away is Ramona!
Congrats Ramona, and I will send Ramsign your email so they can get in touch with you.
Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams
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I don’t know about you, but has Blogger just gotten your goat lately?
Or maybe it’s gone and lost that also.
After the little fiasco of Blogger being down for days, now I can’t sign out of my blog. And I keep getting a Error 400, what ever that is. I am joining in the ranks of those marching to the different beat. Except we keep losing it.
And seriously thinking of moving to a different platform, except it’s a big world out there, I need to really think this over. I know I keep threatening, but change doesn’t happen overnight.
All of my followers have disappeared into thin air, maybe they are hanging out with the goat, that Blogger has gotten.
Somewhere, somehow….
Oh I am sure they will return, I love seeing your snippets of comments on the side of my blog, missing that too.
I am not angry, or upset, just curious. Have you checked you followers today?
Results of the Ramsign giveaway will be posted on Sunday.
If I can still find my blog then, LOL.
Maybe it’s best to sit in the rain and sip lemonade.
Yes, that’s what I will do…
Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams
Hands down, one of my all time favourite perennials. Lily of the Valley, Convallaria majali with it’s smooth, oval shaped green leaves, and fragrant upside down flowers that resemble white bells is simply a stunning plant.
It may not be a plant that you find in every garden these days, and I am not sure if many gardeners do grow them, but let me know if you do.
When we were children my Mom would occasionally open up her handmade [by my Dad] cedar hope chest. Inside nestled in tissue was her wedding dress, and a small bouquet of silk Lily of the Valley flowers, that she had carried on her wedding day.
When I got married, it became very important that we echoed the sentimentality of those lovely flowers and somehow get Lily of the Valley for my niece, who was my flower girl, to carry.
This was in the Okanagan, over 11 years ago, and fresh Lily of the Valley were not something florists carried until they were in season. I still remember driving all over Vernon the day before our wedding, looking for Lily of the Valley. And finally at the last florist I hit, there were a little bunch of Lily of the Valley. They were not fresh, but silk, but at that point, plastic would have been good enough for me!
Well worth the effort, but I still can’t look at pictures of Lily of the Valley without remembering that search.
I have a carefully tended clump outside my patio here, and each year I make sure to get lots of photos. My Mom still loves to see them, and they have a very special meaning to both of us.
Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams
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Well it seems we have a new neighbour, he’s noisy, messy, and smelly. And I have the feeling that using the old fish fertilizer trick on him isn’t going to scare him away. That might even keep him around too much.
He isn’t a picky eater, and he’s a scavenger. Some people know them as Masked Bandits. We call him a Raccoon.
We were hanging out on the deck yesterday afternoon when Boo pounced on something, and headed straight for the open patio door. It was a good thing that Gar noticed him, I was busy repotting a new acquisition of a red maple tree, and my mind was elsewhere.
At the last second Gar managed to catch hold of our evasive black beauty with his squeaking bounty in his mouth. Yes, Boo had caught a mouse, and he had managed to do it all by himself. Although at first Gar did say that the mouse most likely marched in front of the Boo, laid it’s self down and died, but I knew better.
Boo the proud hunter was praised for his vermin catching skills, and the poor dead mouse was quickly dispatched to the compost pile that lurks on the edge of our deck.
Life went on, and the afternoon passed. Later we were sitting inside and noticed that the Boo had perked right up. He headed out the door at a dash, and curious I followed.
There at the compost pile was this raccoon, munching on the mouse. The neighbour’s cats were only 3 feet from it wondering what the animal was doing, and Boo showed no fear, but seemed inquisitive. This certainly called for the immediate use of the water hose, but even that wouldn’t scare our new neighbour away.
I vote for eviction, but that might be hard to do. This guy seems determined to stay. The pics are not the best, it was a little dark under the Rhodies, but I wanted to show you just how big and dangerous this guy is.
So if you have any [nice] suggestions on how to evict him, please let me know!!
If you haven’t already, don’t forget to enter the giveaway from Ramsign, you can find that post here. It’s on until Saturday, May 28th 2011.
Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams
I seriously doubt that I am the first photographer to get a ride on a motorcycle to her photo shoot, but I can say I was totally stoked about it.
Vroom vroom baby!
Opportunities to get a ride on a bike are few and far between for me. And it’s been decades since I’ve even been on a dirt bike.
When my neighbour parked his bike out front, I took the opportunity to get some quick shots of it’s shiny glorious chrome in. We were all headed to the playground to do a photo-shoot with another neighbouring family.
I think that I jokingly asked him for a ride, not expecting yes to be the answer, but it was. “I’m in like a dirty shoe” was my reply.
He mentioned that the helmet might mess up my hair, “no problem” I replied, “I have curly hair, it won’t do a thing to it.”
A total novice, I had to ask for directions on how to be a passenger, and what not to do. But even then, every time he shifted I accidentally bonked my helmet visor into the back of his head. He was very patient, but it must have been rather distracting, shift, bonk! shift, bonk, LOL.
Vroom, vroom, baby!
The only problem was my camera’s long telephoto lens slung across my shoulder, it kept expanding and I would have to kind of reach over and push it back in. But I never fell off.
I know, no camera bag… I like to live on the wild side baby.
If you knew me, you would know how ludicrous that statement really is. I had so much fun, and even took up the offer to get a ride back on the bike. I think we might be onto something.
Now all I need to do is talk Gar into getting a bike…can you imagine I told him he couldn’t have one until we had been married over a year, in case he had a serious accident? It’s been over 11 years, and it’s time to vroom vroom baby!
Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams
Oh by the way, there is a really cool give away coming up this weekend on my blog. Make sure that you check it out when the post comes up.
The sign read simply, “if you want to be happy all of your life, plant a garden.”
It is a beautiful faded denim blue and hangs just under the peak of her garden shed. It caught my eye, and made me regret not bringing my camera.
And then my attention was taken by the lush growth of the flowering shrubs just begging to burst into bloom. The 20 foot plus Katsura tree we had transplanted from a pot in my garden, to her garden wove it’s branches in the breeze, as if waving to us. Among it’s friends were the curly willow, and the Korean Spruce I had asked her to foster forever. All have grown larger, and look so healthy.
My friends garden is such a happy place, where bulbs bloom, and the birds scatter seed throughout the tree branches. I love it.
And I know that true happiness is yours when you plant a garden. She has proven it.
Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams
a decorative design or small illustration used on the title page of a book or at the beginning or end of a chapter.
an engraving, drawing, photograph, or the like that is shaded off gradually at the edges so as to leave no definite line at the border.
a decorative design representing branches, leaves, grapes, or the like, as in a manuscript.
We also like use the word Vignette to describe small “scenes” or collections of items placed on furniture, or patios.
I am comfortable using the word that way, you may, or may not agree with me. I am also enamoured of the PSE actions that give a vignette texture to images.
Love it, love it, love it!
And when I found out that Adobe Light Room 3 has a built in almost one click vignette, in not just one, but two different versions I was, and am overjoyed.
So I have spent the last day or so playing around in LR3, and accidentally downloaded over 875 images, for the second time…
Guess I won’t be making that mistake again, or will I?
That’s a lot of deleting to do.
But I am enamoured, and I especially love the watermark preset, and as soon as I can design one, you will see it showing up here, and there.
This is one free trial that I will be purchasing quickly.
You can find it on Adobe’s website, there are lots to choose from.
Meanwhile I’ll be playing at my computer with LR3.
Let me know what you think. I tend to get very excited about things I love, so I would like to know if you love it also. It was the reviews that sold me on it first.
Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams
See below for translation
Pas en français
[Not in French]
I understand that French is all the rage right now, it seems that almost every second blog I read has a French feel to it. It’s delightful, and I am enamoured. Well, the burlap trend may be starting to wilt a little, thank goodness for that. I wondered how long the wedding favours made of burlap would last…hmmm.
But in Dutch:
I have a Dutch background, and so does Gar, so I have decided to forgo trends today, and go with a Dutch translation for my post headline. And have you ever used Google Translate? Oh my what fun, especially if you ask it to speak out loud. We learned French all the way through school, but not having a occasion to use it, mine is beyond rusty… So here I was translating languages, and having a great time, it’s good that Google can do this for me, my Dutch is even worse then my French.
What does the header say?
“Life began in a garden.”
In Dutch!
It’s one of my favourite quotes.
Time spent in a garden is never wasted:
We spend a lot of time in our little patio garden during the spring days, Gar is the muscle, and I am the designer. “Can you move that pot over here, no there, no….just a few inches over that way.” He’s very patient, and understanding, and did I mention strong?
He’s strong, and patient, and willing, and for a guy who really isn’t into plants he’s good.
Gar’s real idea of a dream garden might include a BBQ, maybe a fire pit. A place to relax, unwind, have a cool drink.
While my dream garden is replete with flowering plants, and secluded benches to while away the afternoon, I am sure that his isn’t.
And then we have the Boo, who’s idea of a garden is a little closer to the ground. Towering trees, and gracefully bending grasses to nibble on, leaves to chase. Places to have a secret nap, while keeping a close eye on us humans as we toil in the dirt.
It’s life in a garden, and it’s ours.
Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams
I woke up the one morning, and let’s say that I was not quite ready to face the day yet. A nasty flu virus had invaded every pore, and muscle in my body. It must be the fever, but I could have sworn I had this conversation with Bootsie.
Me: Ohhhhggghh I am feeling awful, in fact, I think that there are soles of shoes that feel better then I do right now. What is wrong with me?
Boo: Do you mind, your whining is shaking the bed, and I can’t get my proper quota of zzzzzz’s.
But now that you are awake, please feed me...again.
Me: Boo, I’m SICK! And it’s very early in the morning. I am sure that Gar fed you before going to work.
Boo: Would you stop whining please, you’re still shaking the bed, and do you mind not giving off so much heat, I am roasting here.
Me: You are such a drama cat.
Boo: I’m starving here, get out of bed, now!
Me: You are certainly not starving, look at the rotund belly you have.
Boo: I am NOT a DRAMA cat, and I don’t have a rotund belly, I’m svelte, and sleek, with generous curves….. and besides look who went screaming away at the sight of that huge spider.
Me: Don’t change the subject, and It was huge. Why can’t you learn to catch spiders? Generous curves, have you been watching too many episodes of “say yes to the dress, plus size or what?”
Boo: It’s certainly not my job to do anything but lay here and look like a luxurious black throw.
Me: aghhhhh right. I’m dying….
Boo: Feed me. Now!
So I was thinking of doing something a little different for this post. I wanted to kind of change it up a little but not to much.
Then I had this idea that I would take a photo from this day, and go back in my archives and take photos from May 4th for every year that I had images of.
Well that worked fine, until I hit the wrong button and deleted them all by accident. And then I ran out of energy to do it all over again.
After which I got distracted, and started to look at images of Bootsie. I thought that I could show that at one time he was skinny, and could fit through the slot in the partially opened patio door. Not like now, when we will soon have to increase once again the amount the slider is open to accommodate his ever growing girth.
And then I got to reminiscing that he wasn’t always demanding food, but no that was another cat, and another life. He has always been a demanding cat.
At this point I heard a Fleetwood Mac song being sung on the TV in the other room on Glee tonight, it was beautiful. And then I got distracted and started watching the setting sun, and listening to the seagulls through the open window.
And remembered that I was tired, because now the seagulls wake Boo up at 4 am, and an awake Boo, wakes us up.
4 am, a really good time to be awake.
Well maybe if you are a cat, or a seagull.
Anyways there was a point to this post, I just can’t remember it. Maybe because I am too tired.
And distracted, or maybe it’s because I lost all of the shots I was going to use for this post.
And then I started to remember last spring, when Bootsie decided to wake us up at 2:00 am every single morning for months demanding to be let out. The entire spring, and summer into the fall.
So I guess that I shouldn’t be tired, after all, I now get to sleep in until 4 am.
Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams
Green shoots are springing from this cold, dark earth, and there are flowers showing up everywhere. I try to take my camera for a walk when it is not raining, and the telephoto 55 – 250 zoom lens is the perfect, [although heavy] lens to take with me.
There is one problem, the focus distance for this long lens is a minimum 3.6 feet, that’s 1.1 metres for us Canadians, or more then half the height of many people.
But it helps to be tall.
While it might be great when you are shooting across a flower bed, or up into a tree, it’s not so great if you want a different perspective. If I want to shoot straight down, and capture the unfurling of a leaf, I either need to be standing on a chair, or perching on my tiptoes. If the flower is not too tall, I can just...just make it. The camera will not take the shot if it can’t focus, so it can take quite the effort to make the shot.
But it helps to be tall.
Stretched up high, and craning my neck I can get what I need. But it’s slightly awkward to focus, so sometimes I need to be creative. That’s where a nearby rock, or log comes in very handy.
So Mom, all those years you told me to stand up straight, and be proud of my height have paid off.
It does help to be tall, you were right.
Next time you see a tall blond woman teetering on the edge of something as she tries to focus her camera, you will know that it’s me.
And if you see me fall into the flower bed, offer me a hand up.
Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams
