Stairs/ My Town

Starting at the bottom and working up

This week's My Town Shoot Out challenge: stairs

Bottom stair and shadows

These metal stairs make neat shadows, don't you think?

Sharon Temple stairs

Built in the early 1800s, the Sharon Temple was a meeting place of the Davidites, a sect that broke away from the Quakers.

I am linking to My Town Shoot Out

Red Admiral/ Winged

 Red admiral butterfly on Buddleia

Finally a red admiral has visited by Buddleia! Usually I see tons of them but this yer this is the first one.

Same red admiral

I am linking to NF Winged (Nature Footsteps) HERE.

Eggs/ Signs, Signs

Sign beside driveway into farm

This sign is carved and painted.

I am linking to Lesley at Sign, Signs HERE

K/ ABC Wednesday

 Frogs and snails and puppy dog tails

KIDS. aren't they great? These two were out on an adventure. It was a warm, sunny day so why the boots?

Hint: There was a shallow pond a little further down the sidewalk.

KIDS and KITTENS

On the front lawn beside a garage sale, these KIDS were yelling "Kittens for free," but I think they were secretly hoping no one would take any.

ABC Wednesday.

Barn in the Corn/ Barn Charm

 Barn near Gamesbridge, Ontario

Above is what the barn looked like the day I took the photo and below is...

Same barn, same photo

is what the photo might have looked like if I had taken it with a toy camera.

I am linking to BARN CHARM at Trish's Bluff Area Daily.

Caterpillar/ Macro Monday

American dagger moth caterpillar

Look who was climbing up and down a tree yesterday!

To see more macro shots visit  MACRO MONDAY at Lisa's Chaos.

Obedient Plant/ Today's Flowers

Variegated obedient plant (Physotegia virginiana)

All summer long I love the variegated leaves, then in September the flowers bloom. Hummingbirds and bees admire the blossoms too!

If you love flowers check out Today's Flowers at http://flowersfromtoday.blogspot.com/ 

Sepia/ My Town

 Old car at car show behind E.G. Civic Centre

Every Saturday evening during the summer months there's a vintage car get together behind my town's civic centre. Last Saturday was the last one for 2011, just in time for me to take this photo  for this week's My Town Shoot Out photo challenge.

 Little old barn at Sharon Temple Museum 

The Sharon Temple Museum is situated right beside the town's civic centre. The museum features a few buildings dating back to the earliest  European settlements here (early 1800s), most famously the Sharon Temple built by the Children of Peace, a small group who broke away from a  Quaker group south of EG.

The temple is lovely...but I have chosen to show you this barn instead. ( I have shown and will show you again  the temple in another post,)

Vintage train, Uxbridge - just east of E.G.

The Town of Uxbridge, just over the county line from EG, is very proud of its heritage railway. A few days ago,  my lens captured the last car on it's Saturday run  just as it pulled away from the station.

I am linking to My Town Shoot Out

Red-breasted Nuthatch/ NF Winged

Red-breasted nuthatch

 Nuthatches are permanent residents here but I never tire of their visits to our peanut feeder.

I am linking to NF Winged (Nature Footsteps) HERE.

Wye Marsh/ Signs

Signs along roadway into Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre, Midland, Ontario 

I am linking to Lesley at Sign, Signs HERE

J/ ABC Wednesday

Junk truck #1

My camera likes visiting junkyards because it can find many fun items to photograph. The day we visited a junkyard outside of Port Perry, Ontario, my camera was fascinated by old, rusty trucks.

Junk truck #2

ABC Wednesday.

Signs of Fall/ Barn Charm

Barn on the curve of the road

On the opposite side of the road is the Talbot River, part of the Trent-Severn Waterway. The curve in the road follows the bend in the river. You also cannot see the cows laying under a tree. As we backed up to take their photo, the cows got up and walked away!

I am linking to BARN CHARM at Trish's Bluff Area Daily.

Green Acorns/ Macro Monday

Acorns on white oak

These acorns are still on the tree in our back yard but squirrels are hanging around BIG time.

To see more macro shots visit  MACRO MONDAY at Lisa's Chaos.

Passionflower/ Today's Flowers

 Passionflower blooming in my sunroom

I've had this plant for a few years. This variety overwinters well in my unheated sun room, which sometimes goes below freezing in January.

Another view of the same blossom

If you love flowers check out Today's Flowers at http://flowersfromtoday.blogspot.com/ 

Northern Crescent/ NF Winged

Northern crescent butterfly

This photo was taken several weeks ago at the side of a road where this butterfly was sipping water from damp sand.


I am linking to NF Winged (Nature Footsteps) HERE.

Letter T/ My Town

 Train Tracks

This week's My Town Shootout clallenge: the letter T

I hope you can see all the Ts here created by the road and the tracks.  Some are right-side up, others upside down and some sideways.

 Ts in the reflection, in the window and a few made from both

More Ts!

I am linking to My Town Shoot Out

Fresh Water Summit/ Signs

All water routes from here are downstream

Balsam Lake is Canada's highest body of fresh water from which one can circumnavigate the world by seaworthy vessel - east to the Atlantic, west to the Pacific, south to the Caribbean and north to the Arctic.

There are only two higher fresh water summits from which one can circumnavigate the world by seaworthy vessel:

1. Mississippi River at Coon Rapids, Minnesota
2. Danube River at Kelheim, Germany

I am linking to Lesley at Sign, Signs HERE

I/ ABC Wednesday

 Off to Georgina Island, Lake Simcoe

Ontario has many lakes and rivers so, as you might expect, the province has many islands. This boat is taking vacationers to a rented cottage on Georgina Island.

 Tiny islands, Bobcageon

The homes and boathouses dwarf the islands they sit on.

Lighthouse on island, Georgian Bay

ABC Wednesday.

Two for One/ Barn Charm

Two barns: one little and one big

Notice the little log barn. I wonder how old it is. The big barn has weathered boards but it's in great condition, as is its stone foundation.

I am linking to BARN CHARM at Trish's Bluff Area Daily.

Gentle/ Sunday Series 52

 Kid watching and hoping for attention

 Sunday Series 52 challenge: gentle

This sweet baby goat stood on it's hind legs to pose for my camera. Doesn't it look like a gentle little guy or gal?  Perhaps it wants to know if someone wants to play.

Munching clover and a few strands of grass

A kind person offers the kid some natural goodies, which the baby greedily accepts.

Munching on some grass

I am linking to Lap Dog Knits HERE.

Hardy Hibiscus/ Today's Flowers

Cold hardy hibiscus

It's surprising to many that this exotic-looking hibiscus is actually hardy in my central Ontario garden. The blossoms are the size of dinner plates. Each flower lasts only one day, but every morning for five or six weeks more blossoms appear.

If you love flowers check out Today's Flowers at http://flowersfromtoday.blogspot.com/ 

Monarch/ Winged

 Monarch butterfly on Buddleia

I haven't seen many butterflies this year. I have been particularly worried about the monarchs as the local ones must migrate from Ontario to Mexico, traveling through a drought-stricken area. But the other day this one flew quickly into my garden, sipped nectar for a while and then sped away.

Same monarch, different view

I am linking to NF Winged (Nature Footsteps) HERE.

Grandparents' Day/My Town

Crampa and granddaughter heading towards eating concessions

My Town Shoot Out challenge: Grandparents Day

Since 1995, Grandparents Day has been celebrated in Canada on the second Sunday in September...or at least that is when a motion was passed in the House of Commons to recognize the importance of grandparents in the upbringing of children...but I dare say most Canadian grandparents have never heard of this day.

Having said that, September is such a lovely month to spend quality time with family members. Late summer/ early autumn weather in  Ontario might also convince grandparents to...

Grandparents out and about 

spend a lovely day enjoying each other's company.

I am linking to My Town Shoot Out

Paddle Shack/ Signs

Muskoka, Ontario

Muskoka is in Toronto's Cottage Country, a couple of hours north of the city.

I am linking to Lesley at Sign, Signs HERE

H/ ABC Wednesday

HINDLES Clarksburg HARDWARE. Clarksburg, Ontario

This hardware store is old-fashioned in that it's NOT a box store.  It specializes in tree pruning equipment, and offers such services as glass cutting, screen repairs and tool sharpening. And the store's supply of nuts and bolts is outstanding.

Unique planter outside the store

More blogs participating in ABC Wednesday can be found at 

ABC Wednesday.

Another Sunset/ Barn Charm

Uxbridge Township, Ontario

I am linking to BARN CHARM at Trish's Bluff Area Daily.

Glass/ Sunday Series 52

 Over the back doors

Sunday Series 52 challenge: glass (in this case, the coloured glass in the back windows of the old Orillia, Ontario train station)

I was initially drawn to the reflections in the glass, then noticed that the glass colours changed as I varied my position.

 The back doors

 I'm wondering if the glass was originally clear but changed over the years in the sun.

I now wish I had stood further back to take a longer view of the backside of this building...but I didn't. It would show you that that the further away from the windows you go, the less evident the colour is.

Another back window

I am linking to Sunday Series 52

White Turtlehead/ Today's Flowers

White turtlehead (Chelone glabra)

This is a wildflower that grows in a marshy area near where I live. I have a pink version in my gardens but it isn't blooming yet.

If you love flowers check out Today's Flowers at http://flowersfromtoday.blogspot.com/ 

Red-breasted Nuthatch/ Winged

Red-breasted nuthatches 

These guys travel up and down the feeder upside down. They live here year-round.

I am linking to NF Winged (Nature Footsteps) HERE.

Human Labour/ My Town

Recently baled hay at the top of a hill

This week's My Town challenge: human labour

In this case, a farmer is baling hay. Although he's using a machine, he still has to pay attention and work the controls.

Tractor picking up hay that has dried in in a windrow

The baler behind the tractor has compressed, rolled and tied it into a round (cylindrical) bale

The baler releases the bale

I am linking to My Town Shoot Out