Day 30

One day left !!
I quickly went outside to see if there was anything worth taking out there.
There was some cool looking ice,mixed with snow on my fence but I couldn't get it to look right !
I settled for this instead,since I was determined to have an outdoor shot today,since it's been a while...

My battery life was flashing at me so I had to hope 1 of the 3 shots was any good.
Not sure it shows up so well here though.

With this months pictures it may seem as if I only have one son !
The eldest just doesn't seem as willing to participate !
Oliver has been saving for an iPod.
He's normally my spender,so this was hard for him.
Tempted as he was along the way to buy other stuff he hung in there.
With the money he got for Christmas he finally had enough.
So today we went and bought it...

He selected 121 songs from my library and is one very happy little boy.
He loves music.
I like his new iPod.
There's a cool little pedometer thing on there I may well have to try out come the spring ;)

Phew.
That makes me up to date :)

Day 29

4th post of the day...

So nearly up to date !
Yesterday we had a good old tidy up.
I made the boys do their rooms and help in the living room.
Ad went off to a friends for the afternoon.
I dragged Ol with me to Hawkesbury.
I had thought of taking the camera....I wish I had.
They had more ice on the trees than we did and it looked so pretty with the sun.
By the time we got back it was getting dark,so not much choice for photo's.
It was also incredibly cold,so no way I was going outside for a shot...

Since he'd been really good about being dragged wine and grocery shopping I let him have his DS time
He's been playing the same Pokemon game for ages.

Day 28

Catching up slowly !!
Most of Monday was spent in the car coming home.
Then we unpacked and I cooked dinner and then the boys were dying to set up the Wii,they'd got for Christmas.
So even though it was dark I got this one...

Stuart trying to beat Ad at baseball.

Days 26 & 27

The weekend and 2 challenges.
Saturday was Nathalie's challenge of 'aftermath'
It wasn't until Nic and I had finished washing up all the stuff from the little party we had that I remembered the challenge.
Luckily these were on the side...


A collection of wine and beer bottles from the evening :)

Sunday was my challenge of 'Silver'
I had plans to take my Pandora bracelet but that didn't work out and then I couldn't find anywhere to lay out my new bracelet.
It wasn't until later when in desperation I took this one...

Not what I wanted but hey ho :)

Day 25

Christmas day.
With knowing we we leaving after opening presents and breakfast as much as we didn't rush ....we did because I never took a picture of the boys together.
Once we got to Craig and Nic's I didn't take anymore pictures so this one from the morning will have to do...

Ol giving Ad a hug after getting his transformer from him.

Day 24

Christmas Eve.
I didn't think I would get around to posting today but the boys are reading and Stuart is dozing so here I am !
Back to 2 for today.
Today I had lots to choose from.
We had 5 cardinals flitting around the garden this morning.
I managed this one...

Normally they land on the platform feeder,so I was surprised to see her on this.

The boys went outside to play,since it was quite warm out there.
They built a snowman.
Then Oliver got bored and started to throw snow...

I did get a couple of nice shots of the boys but I went with this one.
Those twiggy balls in the background look much nicer at night when they are lit up !!!

Day 23

Well yesterday was busy and it wasn't until I was switching off the computer that I realised I hadn't taken a photo at all.
The camera was by the computer,so I grabbed it,turned and took this...


I keep my light on the floor because I read in bed.
Stuart will sleep whatever but I still prefer to keep the lighting low.
Yes that's New Moon down there...3/4 of the way through and I still have an huge urge to shake Bella very hard and tell her to get a life !!!

Day 22

I got my camera back Monday night.
We paid for the 24 hour rush...Stuart took it lunch time and I got a call at 5 to say it was done....
So he picked it up on his way home.
No waiting until Wednesday when he was originally going to pick it up.
Happy me :)

That said I completely for got to take a photo yesterday until about 6 O'clock,so I went with the blurry tree lights effect like Patti did,back on day 10...

I couldn't get my whole tree in with my 50mm lens though !!!
Maybe today I'll take a proper tree picture since I don't have one yet.

Day 21

10 days left.

Well after getting a set of batteries charged
and
formatting the card....twice !

I managed to take a couple of pictures.
I could not get used to looking at the back panel instead of the view finder.
I know you can use it but I tried and it did not take what I thought it should :)
I was also extremely frustrated at how slow it took to focus when close up.

Went back to the icy plant from yesterday...

Not quite what I wanted to get but I like it..and considering I must of had about 3 focused ones out of 15 shots I'm not about to complain too much !!

Tried the macro again inside.
My friend Susan made me this snowman a few years ago and he always comes out for Christmas....somewhere.
This year he's back on the tree...

Not the sharpest focus but I hated it with the flash.

Days 19 and 20

Challenges for the weekend again.
I set the challenge of reflection.
I took something similar last year.
I like catching reflections in the baubles...

I was torn between two but went with this one as you can see my whole dining room and I like the lights reflected around the edge.

Sunday Patti's challenge was ice.
Oliver spotted something the other morning but it wasn't as good yesterday.
Feeling a little lost I walked around the back and spotted this...

The snow has been melting off the roof and has fallen onto my plants,just in this one place.
I love that curled up leaf inside the ice.

My camera is off having the sensor cleaned (I'm too scared to do it myself !!) so I am having to make do with my trusty old point and shoot for a couple of days.

Only thing is.....
both sets of batteries were flat
and the card is playing up !

I will get something today :)

Day 18

I love candles but I always forget to light them !
When I popped into Ikea earlier this week,I bought a bag of apple scented nightlights.
I've lit some every night this week...


Feels very cosy with these and the fire and the lights from the tree.

Day 17

Brrrrrrrrr :)
It's not officially winter but it sure felt like it today !!

I took this one while waiting with Oliver for the bus this morning...

The frost on the window of the tempo.
I liked how it looked with the early light.

And finally I managed to get a shot of the Blue Jay...

He's been sitting up against the window of our bedroom doors.
I think he can feel the heat as we've a baseboard heater right there,in front of the patio doors.

Day 16

Here's today's photo.
Just one for today,couldn't bring myself to take any snow pictures today !
My favourite Christmas tree ornament...


I photographed him last year too.
It was bought for me a few years ago by my friend Susan.It's the first one I put on every year.
It weighs a ton !
I need to find more bird ornaments.

Day 15

Ran out of time last night to post !

I was only going to include one for today since it was a bird shot but I caught the boys chilling out last night and wanted to use that as an everyday shot too.

I went out to put some food on the floor for the injured Blue Jay we have hanging around our yard.
He's been around since the weekend and seems to have a wing problem but he's surviving and he's well enough to hop away from me before I could take his picture !
So while I was busy focusing on him a chickadee landed right next to me...

I had to actually lean back because I was too close to focus,since I had the big lens on !

I'm quite strict when it comes to TV,computer and DS time,mean Mum that I am :)
So they really make the most of the time they have...


So focused !!

Day 14

My 3rd and last post of the day !

Took these early this morning.
Had another coating of snow yesterday afternoon...


Sometimes I forget I have the hood out when the lens is fully open and it annoys me I catch it in the photo.
Other times,such as this one I like it...


It's the same tree but from a closer,different angle...

Days 12 & 13

The weekend brought challenges.
Patti,challenged us to have a self portrait,complete with festive hat,since we are more often behind the camera than in front of it.
Strict instructions to me not to hide behind the camera it's self.

I can honestly say I would rather go to the dentist and have teeth filled then sit in front of a camera and feel that self conscious.
I hate it.
I set up the camera and gave Stuart instructions on what I sort of wanted.
My favourite one was spoiled by him catching too much light and over exposing the right hand side of my face !! And another I liked I thought Patti would chastise me because I had my eyes closed !!
So this is me,messy Saturday hair and slightly p*ssed off look...

Honestly Patti,that was torturous !!!!!!!

Nathalie's challenge for Sunday was multiples of the same subject.
Since yesterday was our annual tree hunt I went with Christmas trees...

It was so dark yesterday,and not long after this shot,the snow came down.

Day 11

I'm behind on posting.
I'll be up to date by the end of today,in between decorating the tree.
Friday I didn't leave the house once and had no desire to go out and photograph anything.
So just an everyday photo for Friday...


This is a Christmas advent box,that my friend Susan illustrated a few years ago.
It's pretty cool,it folds in and out and there all these little bits to it.
It stays in Oliver's room on his shelf,as a box,all year round but at Christmas the boys like to bring it out and find the day,everyday.

Day 10

Just one again for today.
Unless my battery charges up in time for me to go out before it's dark.


Of course I have to also want to go out :)
The view from the front door this morning while waiting with Ol for the bus.

Day 9

I barely stepped outside today.
Windy,cold and very snowy.
These are both taken from just outside my bedroom door....


This was at about 11 o'clock this morning and now at nearly 4 I can barely see the plant pot.
I ventured about 4 steps further to take this one...


I suppose I could have just used one for today but I'm working on trying to capture snow properly !

Day 8

Just one for today.
You'd think that since we provide them with a lovely variety of food that the birds would kindly oblige us with the odd photo opportunity.
Just occasionally,when it's nice and sunny would be best,like today !
But they don't !

I managed to sneak out quietly enough to catch a couple of the nuthatch...


Took his peanut piece,hid it in the tree,then flew off.
And didn't return,leaving me with very cold fingers.

Day 7

I took both of these first thing this morning.
I still hadn't taken our Christmas card photo,holding out for snow.
With time running out I took some shots yesterday.
Then last night I saw the snow coming down and really hoped it would still be there in the morning.
Poor kids,at 7 this morning I had them out there...


It's hard with Ad not getting home now until it's dark,I can't do it after school anymore.
This isn't the one I ended up using because Ol wasn't smiling( probably because it's 7 in the morning and I'm making them pose for a photo !!) but I liked it anyway.
Then I turned my attention to the Spirea again...


Trying for a white on white thing but it wasn't working out quite how I wanted !

Day 6

Yesterday.
When I got up,I switched on the coffee and then nipped outside to try and capture some frosty plants...


The second appearance of my spirea,so glad I didn't hack it back this year !
After breakfast we went for a little drive.
The countryside in Quebec and then into Ontario is nearly all farms,scattered here and there.
We drove by this one and I just had to take a picture of all the geese....


It doesn't show up as well here but there were lots,all along the water.
It would have been better with the wide angle but I wanted the zoom more.....swings and roundabouts as they say :)

Day 5

Playing catch up !
Saturday,Stuart made pork pies...


I know the photo is blurry but I like it anyway.
I had the big lens on the camera,because I was trying to take bird pictures but I had more luck with the plants.....


I'm not sure how well it will show up here (hope it clicks bigger) but I just loved the curled up leaves.
I had a hard choice between this one and one I took with the leaf below in focus,which was making a lovely circle shape.

Day 4

Just one photo for today as it fits for both.
Stuart made a new feeder for the bird fat and the Pileated Woodpecker has been coming regularly to feed on it.
If you've never seen one,these are massive,the size of a parrot!
Unfortunately it normally comes early or late....neither are good are taking pictures.
Not today !
I managed to open the door and snap a few before it flew off......


It's a shame it's crest wasn't up,not to worry,I'm just pleased I got a relatively focused shot !!
Check out those claws !

This is the woodpecker that 'Woody woodpecker' is based on.......useless fact for today :)

Day 3

What an utterly miserable,dark,depressing day........reminds me of winter in the UK !!!
The light was truly awful,even in my house which is usually very light.

I took this one of Oliver playing,since we had a rare night of no homework...


I changed it to black and white as the lighting was not good.
I actually preferred another I took from a different angle but it wasn't in focus and coupled with the high iso....not good.

I took this one as I got back from grocery shopping......


Another droplet but really what else was there today.
These bushes looked nicer yesterday with the frost !

Day 2

So so the baking begins !!
I made 2 banana and chocolate chip loaves this morning.
I like this recipe because it's light and cake like and not stodgy as other's I've made have been.
Anyway,the coffee had just brewed and I couldn't wait for it too cool,so cut off the end.....mmmm warm and gooey......



I took a couple of pretty frosty pictures this morning while waiting with Ol for the bus.
Then as I came back up the steps I saw this.....


I decided there would be more frosty mornings to take pictures of.
I really don't know what it is I like about this pictures but I know I like it !

A photo a day for December

It's actually going to be 2 photo's a day as I explained here :)

So day 1.....

The everyday.....


As soon as he gets off the bus and comes in the door we have to go and get the mail.

From the garden.....

It's as close as i could get without a macro or severe cropping(which I'm not partial too)
The droplet it's self is a little out of focus,as I was standing on tip toes and rushing a little as I knew any minute it was going to drip and I'd lost a few drops already !! I just love it for the bokeh background.