the boats are beginning to leave the water. the harbour changes it's face for the seasons. each weather variation creating a mask of activity or lack thereof. we are heading into the still season. the deep bellies exposed as they balance motionless next to the water that eventually turns to ice. the masts removed and flattened like felled trees. i love to weave among these neighborhood giants. i look out and see the expanse of water meet the sky, a great spread of blue. and i wonder if the peace that settles so easily in my being is partially due to the halcyon vista of endless blue that i'm treated to each morning.

the tranquility is returning. we walked along the lakeside path this morning, edgar and i. we met others wandering along in the perfect temperature, neither hot or cold, warm or cool. a temperature you don't notice. it gives you the opportunity to see whats around you, let your mind wander. i planned the little pillows i'm making with the gorgeous vintage quilt blocks i found last weekend. flour sack fabrics appliqued on muslin. butterflies. each one different and distinct. so simply and delicately beautiful. i do feel the energy from the woman who pieced these together so many years ago. the perfect marriage of form and function....the necessity to use the scraps and create a warm embracing blanket. but making sure it was interesting and beautiful and fun. i know she enjoyed doing it. the beauty drove her. and the knowledge she wasn't wasting her scraps.

an accidental little gathering of friends at the little beach. drawn out by the distinct rumble in the sky of the snowbirds overhead. we sit at the beach and talk about life and love. we laugh and watch the powerful jets dancing and dipping above the lake and the giant wind turbines. the swoop of their 9 part formation over the prison and it's labyrinth of stone walls is my favorite part. the light is perfect. there are baby ducks swimming up to us. boats are finally out on the lake. neighborhood dogs lead their owners along the walkway. and then we wander home to barbecue dinner and set up meagan's new tent in the side yard while naomi begs to be pushed on the tire swing.

the lake churned and shook and rolled like the ocean today. the winds were wild, but it was on the water that it was so clearly more than simply windy. the movement changed the color of the lake. seething from far below the surface. we walked along the edge feeling the spray. energized and excited by it. i was busy with my camera. and looking through the photos just now, it was hard to choose one to post here. each one is minutely different and yet each one shows a different piece of this foaming beastly lake that is so hard to recognize in this form. my placid companion in disguise.

the lake is open, with only tiny crystal islands left floating. i missed my favorite part of spring this year when the lake beneath collides with the ice above and illicits great groans and baritone whimpers. and yet the air is cold this morning. we are still enjoying fires.....wood in the living room during the evening and the bright little gas stove in the dining room and kitchen for the early mornings. a little boost of heat when we need it.
i'm making quilts. lots of quilts. and journals. i may have naomi chirping about the studio with me today. and there is a lovely neighborhood gathering tonight for earth hour. it will be a good day.

throughout the wintry months, i usually bask in the cozy cave of our house. i read by the fireplace, watch movies, drink tea, cut paper, make collage, and as always, build quilts. the more winter rages outside, the more content i feel. and although our mild winter has been anything but raging, i've come to a point this year where i need to feel some sun. warmth on my skin. grass between my toes. it's been at least a couple of months since i was barefoot in the yard and i'm beginning to dream about summer. i found this photo of our living room window looking into the yard and it stops my heart a little.....the open window. the smells of grass freshly cut and the trees flowering. the breeze off the lake with the lake scents. and the sounds.....the birds, the cats, the squirrels, the children, the boats and cars.....all of it wanders in the window with the breeze. i often notice the scents and sounds more when they drift in the window than when i'm outside in the midst of it all. maybe because the house is quieter and darker than the outside. i'm eager to breathe warm air again and to be awake with the sun at 6 am feeling fresh and ready for the day. just a few more months.....

walking with a camera & a dog

our walks are my favorite part of the day when the day is fine. there are days when i dread our walk, but once we start i don't want to stop. and there are the days when we just go up the street for a sniff around the park and come right back to the warm house. the last 6 weeks have been full of the last category. but yesterday both edgar and i were anxious to get out into the sun and the warm air. the lake was singing under the ice, the hollow wave music just before the lake breaks through the ice. i love that sound. it is the spring song in our little world. the sun was strong and we wandered among the old limestone mansions and asylums (yes, they sit together on the edge of lake ontario, just steps from our house). there are decrepit old greenhouses that have been inoperable for years. i love all the angles and reflections that i can trap with the camera. it was a perfect way to welcome spring.