Same old - walks, birds and a sunset.

I had noticed this sign and a small parking lot, just off Hwy 6, near my place, so Rick and I decided to check it out.

 

It's a pretty woodlot

but quite a short walk. So we also walked at Hays Conservation area where we watched a huge flock of Tundra swans, flying in a vee, overhead.

So we drove down to Long Point to see if they had started to gather there. At times there are thousands and so noisy I could hear them, on the Bay, from the cottage. But there were just a few right now and there was no open water for them yet. Still 100s of ice fishing huts out on the ice.

A few days later I was at Port Rowan harbour and noticed one by the boat houses

and a few more mixed in with the ducks and Canada geese beside a small patch of open water. Probably a couple more weeks until there will be large numbers of them but always a sight worth seeing.

I'm not a fan of being outside on a cold windy night, at dusk,

but Rick was out "at the Edge" taking sunset shots

so I decided to join him.

The low angle of the light made the ground golden

and the pine cones glow.

It didn't take long to sink

and just leave an orange sky.

Then nothing

but a bit of colour on the solitary cloud.

This was the challenge for one painting class.

We were to use only a large brush and create just an impression of the still life.

Loose and impressionistic just isn't my style but the technique was very useful in terms of a painted sketch before trying for more detail. It forces you to look at the main shapes, the shadows and the highlights.

The following week was about textures. All of us struggled with the denim jacket,

but I am getting more comfortable with how to tackle a painting, where to start and how to proceed.

Fun, fibre, friends and 1 relative

 As covid restrictions begin to ease and there are hints of a return to normalcy, my life has become more social, most of it with an art or craft focus.

A walk around Silver Lake and then dinner out with Rick, Mark and Angie. Lovely!

I don't think anyone is using that door, with it's spring wreath and winter icicles.

Second watercolour class still life.

In greyscale to help see the shadows and highlights without the distraction of colour.

At the end of class.

After and additional afternoon of messing with it.

Brit came to teach Nicola and I another hand quilting technique. Nic had already sewn the top and I quilted circles inside the squares and a scallop around the edges.

We again ran out of time and Nicola took them home to complete the cushion sewing. Mine on the left, hers on the right.

Brit stayed over as the next day was the start of the "hooking weekend" (which was not held on a weekend anymore) and Rasta helped her knit.

We each took responsibility for a meal. This is Pam's squash and pear soup with salad. So nice to eat something someone else has cooked. (and to have some  varied leftovers)

Heather was hooking a Santa with a cat.

Sue was crocheting a multi coloured throw. We each got to choose a colour combination for a square.

Pam was knitting a sweater.

Brit was knitting a sweater and socks and we missed Pat, who had to cancel at the last minute.

I got a lot of the background done on the trapunta pansies.

Rasta enjoyed the various yarns and bags but it exhausted him.

 

Now for some random photos since my last blog post:

Finished the headband.

Cigi's first snow angel.

Lines of diamonds on the lake

caused by afternoon sun on the ice shards.

Strange runways on the ice.

Nearly sunset pictures taken

when I went to get perch for one "hooking weekend" dinner.

Finally, photo by Rick. He went looking for birds but just came back with a nest.

Snow days

 A couple of big dumps of snow has changed winter activities.

After the first big storm, Rick and I walked at Backus.

Others had walked and snowshoed before us

but the walking was still pretty tough, sometimes sinking in, always having to look at our foot placement.

It was even more difficult out in the meadow and we cut the walk shorter than we would have normally. I felt as if my step counter should register each step as 2 steps as it was definitely twice as much effort/exercise.

On the way back we stopped to check out the ice fishing. These huts are waiting to be taken out.

Where before there were about 20 tents, now there were 100s of huts scattered across the Inner Bay, from Port Rowan to Turkey Point.

A break in the weather meant that I had no problem getting to my watercolour class at Glenhyrst in Brantford.

It had been cancelled due to the lockdown, in January, but was now back on again.

Taught by Jeanette Obink, (my neighbour in Paris) it will run for 6 weeks and focus on still life painting.

After the 2 and a half hour class.

After another hour of futzing with it at home. This is way out of my comfort zone but I hope it will help me get more comfortable with the medium.

Another snowstorm left snow covered windows,

sculptured drifts around the house

and hanging of the roof and

time for inside projects. I fell in love with some wool at Lens and Brit supplied me with a simple pattern.

Trying to finish up some old projects in my stash, I found this Fraser pansy pattern on rug warp. I have no idea when or where I got it but

am experimenting with "Trapunta" for the flowers, needle felting the centres and some embroidery stitch on the leaves before I hook the background.

The Tree Spirit still needs to be whipped.

Outside, the birds eat voraciously, between snow storms

and inside, forced flowers remind me that spring is not too far away.

This Christmas gift Amaryllis

has 10 flower buds so I should be able to enjoy it for a while.

Rick has been spending his time processing the 100s of shots he takes on clear nights. This is the Orion Nebula, he tells me.

As is this, but the camera also picked up light from his red flashlight on the tree. I like the effect and hope he will play with that more.