Indian Summer in the Ottawa Valley

By on 1-17-2011 in art quilts, Digital Images + Collage, Original Pattern, Original photos

Autumn in the Ottawa Valley…my heart leaps at the sight of the burning colours on the horizon at this time of year. Is there anything quite so spectacular? The light and shadows play along the rivers creating serene outlooks wherever you cast your eyes or camera.

indian summer

My favourite photo of the blue heron at Andy Haydon Park while he is fishing for his dinner. He is a magnificent bird and would look good worked into a landscape or art quilt.

carp road maples

On our way to the Carp Fair this year we were halted in traffic and I was able to snap this photo of the trees. Carp has rolling farmland which is mostly rock, but good for grazing animals. It is a beautiful country area of Ottawa.

appleton

A trip out to Appleton, a very small town in the Valley. The Mississippi River flows through the town which has many heritage homes. Unspoiled by new houses it is an absolutely heavenly village to stop and take photos.

appleton

Weeping willows growing on the banks of the Mississippi in Appleton present the prettiest photo ever. The day was so peaceful and bright and this was the last day of Indian Summer. This willow would make a great landscape quilt.

appleton

The last photo of Appleton with the Mississippi River reflecting the tree colours back upon itself. This would be a pretty town to live in.

Great blue heron, Canada geese, a saucy grey squirrel and September’s last hurrah !

By on 1-17-2011 in art quilts, Digital Images + Collage, Original Pattern, Original photos

During a trip to Andy Haydon Park in West End Ottawa I was able to snap photos of some of the wildlife. I think they may have been posing for me hoping I would be on my way, thinking “tourists”. It was a sunny afternoon, one of those lazy days when you just want to get away and forget your everyday life.

great blue

The great blue heron had his patience rewarded when he caught a big mudpout. He stood in the pond so still until he saw the right moment to capture his dinner. A magnificent bird.

snoozing squirrel

This grey squirrel was napping in the afternoon sun and didn’t notice me at first. A very interesting photo.

grey squirrel caught me taking his photo

Whoops! He caught me with my camera snapping his photo. What a character he is.

great blue heron

The park is full of Canada geese and when the heron crossed the pond to eat his fish the geese lined up in the water around him. I wonder why? Once he had swallowed his fish and taken off the geese separated and swam away.

Images of my visit to the Almonte Textile Museum

By on 1-17-2011 in art quilts, Digital Images + Collage, Original Pattern, Original photos

My visit to the Almonte Textile Museium during this year’s Fiberfest was a wonderful treat. Upstairs there is a wonderful display of machinery as well as wooden spools and spindles. I spent almost two hours there taking one shot after another knowing they would be beautiful. I love earth tones and the machines are rusted, the spindles and spools are made of wood that has been polished through long handling. One word describes them to me and that is magnificent.

spools

Spools and spindles are sitting in large cardboard boxes beside the machines they were used on.

spindles from old cotton mill

weigh scales

This Toledo weigh scale caught my attention as I was leaving and had to go back to take more photos. I love the colours and the inner workings of this piece of equipment.

mill scale close up

scale close up

weigh scale close up

Shuttles were displayed in a box as well. How many hands have used these tools? How I wish they could tell us their stories.

shuttles

A hazy day in Ottawa on the Ottawa River…. a great day for sailing

By on 1-17-2011 in art quilts, Digital Images + Collage, Original Pattern, Original photos

On a beautiful summer day in August the Ottawa River calls. The sailboats were out on the water, the sun was shining, just enough wind to power the boats with a hazy sky and the Gatineau Hills in the background.

hazy day

This photo reminds me of the pictures of tropical islands. The branches of the pine tree show off the sky, water and beach. What a great landscape quilt this photo would make.

fine day

There were a lot of sailboats on the river, but this one in the distance, with the Gatineau hills in the background looks so peaceful on this hazy summer day.

hazy day

Another photo of the Ottawa River from under three branches. I think they frame the river dramatically.

A rare and beautiful Monarch Butterfly plus a Bumble Bee on a Scotch Thistle

By on 1-17-2011 in art quilts, Digital Images + Collage, Original Pattern, Original photos

One bright and sunny day a Monarch came to visit. It spread it’s wings just long enough for me to snap a photograph.

monarch

When I was young they were numerous and you would see them almost every day. Now it is rare to see one at all and we have seen two this year. I will use this photo in a collage, soon, to honour this beautiful butterfly.

Bumblebee on a Scotch Thistle in the rocks of the Ottawa River

A Scotch Thistle that is growing in the rocks by the Ottawa River is sporting a bumble bee. What a pretty colour these thistles are.