farewell, 2011... may the new year be as delightful as you were!...

I have been shamefully neglectful of this little blog over the last few months, but it hasn't been a bust.  Twelve months ago I challenged myself to add more creativity into my life on a regular, daily basis.  That challenge has proved to be both exhausting at times as well as inspirational, and I'm glad I stuck with it!  I've been reminded that everyday is beautiful, and special, and awe inspiring - you just have to look for it.  That's a lesson I will carry with me into the year to come.

So 2012....  I might not be adding a photo for every day of the next year, but I want this habit to continue.  So stay tuned!

Thanks to all my followers for the support and encouragement!

Litonya

cat nap...

first snow...

winter came for a quick visit, then off it went... this is one visitor we know will be returning soon....

by the time scarecrow, dorothy and toto realized they had taken a wrong turn and were actually on the yellowwood road, they were sucked into a wormhole that transported them to a world where evil flying monkeys suddenly seemed like adorable house pets... they never travelled without a gps again...

blinded by the light...

who you gonna call... ghostbusters!...

Wandering through the Elmwood Cemetery late at night, 40 odd souls braved the cold and the spirits as they searched for signs of life after life....  "Watch for orbs", they were advised, "as these are the energy of those who have passed on"....  The trick is sifting through the illuminated dust mites, wayward camera flashes and other natural phenomenon to find the the ghostly exhibitionists....  Did the 40 find what they were seeking?  No one knows for sure, but in this shot that little orb looks promising...  The rest of the image is clearly out of focus, double exposed and in motion, except for this little fellow.  ...  interesting...

you can almost hear the sigh of contentment... happy grass...

smoke and lights...

sunsets: guaranteed to never go out of style...

life and death...

peeking through the trees, the sun and i...

what miniature civilizations exist on the forest floor?...

over the rock, through the trees, into the light...

endings...

going to the chapel...

timelines...

the slippery shadows of an ever changing aquatic landscape...

moving upstream, velvety tendrils tug at their leashes...

pit stop...

and still they come...

mythology...

It was a myth - my romanticized idea of geese gracefully soaring through the twilight, softly honking in the still night air...  No.  It was Cairo at rush hour.  And even though there seemed to be a somewhat designated flight path, it is inevitable that there would have been an occasional feather bender.  Fasten your seatbelts kids, it's going to be a bumpy ride.

i spy with my little eye, one thousand four hundred and eleven geese...

tools of the trade...

the dreaded sunday night, bracing for impact before being sucked back into the constricting coils of the work week... will there be no escape?...

drink in the last days of summer...

these boots were made for walking, but that's not what they'll do...

Sadly, the journey to Brandon was cut short by a crick in the neck.  I've never had a crick before, much less one in the neck, and it's not something I'd chose to have again.  Not enjoyable.  At all.  So the week was spent moping around the house like a princess (I wonder if the Princess from The Princess and The Pea was suffering from a crick?  I had always just assumed she was flaky), and then working on reports from home.  Not nearly as exciting as Brandon had promised to be.  But who knows what the future holds?  I can always dream of Brandon ...

head out on the highway, lookin' for adventure...

Or at least a change of scenery...  Off to Brandon!

the hope of lessons learned...?...

self portrait...

bring on the elves...

wash day = gym membership... how times have changed...

inner circles...

Yesterday I spent the day at the Steinbach Mennonite Heritage Museum's Farm Days.  Incredible!  It gave me a whole new appreciation for the roots I've grown from - the resiliance, determination, perseverence and hard work of the Mennonite people is that from which epics are created.  What would be the Menno version of Beowolf...?  Wait.  Mennonites are also known for their humility.  There will be no epic tales, simply the reflection of greatness in lives lived well.

sitting in the shadows...

come into the light and confess, my child, and unburden your soul...

view from the grotto...

little ukraine on the prairie...

Ukrainian Catholic Immaculate Conception Church & Grotto - Cooks Creek, MB

wind surfing...

clingy...

enamored...

the eensy, weensy spider...

This little fellow was so tiny that without the macro lens I didn't see him at all. 

a summer evening - uninterrupted prairie breeze, the setting sun taking one last glance at perfection, then away...

life...

bulls eye...

farewell, last long evening shadow, your guarding days are done...

Well, Grandpa's last dalmation is no longer needed to guard the house, as it has passed into the hands of others.  The end of an era.

heavens to betsy, she said what??!...

we come in peace, take us to your leader...

thoroughbred...