Ellicottville, NY

Carl and I recently spent a week in the charming village of Ellicottville NY. He took part in the IBO World Championship of Archery which was held at the Holiday Valley ski resort and I relaxed, read, walked, shopped for antiques and just generally lazed about for the week. As in years past when Carl has been partaking in the archery challenge we have arranged to share accomodation with friends of ours from Whitney Ontario. We rented a condo on the ski hill which made it fairly convenient for the men folk to enjoy their passion and it was a short walking distance to the village for BettyLou and I to enjoy our passion which consists of hanging out and drinking special coffees.
Here are some of the pictures I took while we strolled through town. I thought the house(above) was just as cute as can be. The homes in the village are truly beautiful. Everyone takes pride in their wee corner of this world and it sure shows. Beautiful gardens, colourful homes and manicured lawns line every street.

This is a westward view of the main street, taken from ouside one of the cafes.

Here we have the Ellicottville Historical museum.

Orange Trumpet Vines were in bloom everywhere and I couldn't resist taking about a dozen pictures of them .....I won't bore you with all 12 shots, but these two are a couple of my favourite ones. I'm not sure if it will grow here or not but I think I'm going to try and find out. Our winters are probably a little too harsh, but if I could find some seeds I would love to try and see what happens.

The weather was fair and the company delightful....we even managed a day on the golf course although I am quite stilted at it. All in all a most enjoyable week ...good friends....good times. BettyLou and I took the self-guided tour of the Arboretum and I'll post those pictures next time.

Cheers

Jackie

Jackfrost is coming

Fall is fast approaching. It was a chilly 5 degrees when we got up this morning and soon the leaves will be turning and jackfrost will get my flowers. This got me thinking that I should take a few pictures of some of my backyard roses before it's too late. Before I got to the roses however I got sidetracked by this crazy Virginia Creeper that has attached itself to the side of the deck and grows everywhere but where I want it to.

The birds planted this sunflower. Chickadees are such random gardeners. Who doesn't love the surprises that spring up when birds drop seeds? This dragon fly was sunning herself and didn't mind posing for a picture. Notice her shadow on the leaf.

Finally, now to the rose. I can't for the life of me remember the name of this one. It is a steady profusion of blooms from June until frost. The flowers are small but vibrant and they form large clusters that make quite a show. I love it because it is very vigorous and hardy enough to withstand our winters. Not being able to remember what rose that is is going to bug me all night now. Nevermind...it's been a long day and it's time for bed.

I hope you took time out to enjoy the simple things today.

Jackie

Long Weekend Getaway

Earlier this month we travelled north to my dads camp. It is about a 10 hour trip from our house but worth every minute of it once we are there. No electricity, no phones, no roads and no crowds. I suppose it wouldn't be for everyone but it's heaven to me. I was 4 yrs old the first time my parents took me there. We took our girls as soon as they were old enough to walk across the portage by themselves and hopefully one day we will have grandchildren who will delight in the unspoiled beauty of "the camp".

A view down the river, early evening.

A beaver house on the side of a small lake.

Sometimes I just take pictures of rocks. I figured I'd show a softer side of camp life and take shots of beaver meadows and calm water just for a change of scene.

These are the memories that keep me going when the demands of work and chores seem overwhelming and there doesn't seem to be any light at the end of the tunnel.

Fill your memory bank with the things that bring you peace and make frequent withdrawls when the daily grind starts to get you down.

Simplify

Jackie

Roadside Beauty

Daucus carota, wild carrot or Queen Anne's lace, whatever you wish to call it, this fine example was growing alongside the road. They grow in abundance here and to many are considered weeds. I have been a lazy gardener this summer and now they are in abundance in my garden too. So rather than berate this slothful gardener I will celebrate the beauty that has emerged untended.
I hope you have had time to enjoy some of life's simple pleasures today.

Country Life

I thought I would start off with some photos I took earlier this summer. These weathered bluebird houses haven't been used in a while by the birds...but they do add a nice primitive look to the fenceline.

A view of the laneway...dappled light and so many different greens. The trees to the right are just plain old poplars but pretty enough I think. I especially like the way the wind sounds when it blows through their leaves

A view across the field to the neighbours house. Makes me wish I lived in a red house. I think people who live in red houses must have a lot of confidence in their decorating choices or maybe they only had red paint...who knows?

These are just a few of the simple things that make me happy. Like peeking through the pagewire fence and walking through the tall grass.

I hope you've made time to enjoy life's simple pleasures today.

Cheerio

Jackie