Sampaguita Sally

Forward Looking to Spring and Summer

2010-03-17T21:09:00.001-04:00

"O snail
Climb Mount Fuji
But slowly, slowly!"
— Kobayashi Issa

Happy Christmas

2009-12-25T08:59:00.000-05:00

Breakfast

2009-10-31T09:55:00.002-04:00

“There is no use trying, said Alice; one can't believe impossible things. I dare say you haven't had much practice, said the Queen. When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” - Lewis Carroll

Checker Checker Block Checker

2009-05-12T18:36:00.003-04:00

It takes a long time for the light of even the brightest stars to reach here

2009-04-11T19:24:00.006-04:00

Refreshed

2009-03-30T23:10:00.000-04:00

Time to Take a Break

2009-03-19T19:26:00.002-04:00

Ablaze

2009-02-03T20:45:00.001-05:00

Chandelier

2009-01-30T09:45:00.001-05:00

This is Not a Public Gang Way

2009-01-14T21:23:00.003-05:00

On the Eve of the Hallowed Eve

2008-10-30T18:04:00.003-04:00

Giving Thanks for the Small Things

2008-10-12T09:43:00.001-04:00

When things were new and not so complicated

2008-09-03T21:44:00.003-04:00

Homegrown

2008-08-30T08:28:00.001-04:00

Take the time to read this excellent piece written by Michael Pollan.

Icing

2008-08-28T17:50:00.001-04:00

Dream on the wall

2008-08-25T16:58:00.001-04:00

The Rooftop Garden Project

2008-07-30T22:29:00.008-04:00

"The Rooftop Gardening Project is an innovative partnership between Alternatives, an international cooperation network, and Santropol Roulant, a community organisation in Montreal. Together we are making widespread rooftop gardening a reality in Montreal and around the world. Our novel soil-less gardens empower urban residents to produce their own food, green their neighbourhoods and build healthy communities.

From seed to the table, The Rooftop Garden Project has a unique perspective on what a community garden can yield. The food that we grow and harvest in the Montreal demonstration garden is cultivated entirely by volunteers and members of our community, and goes directly to nourishing seniors and others living with a loss of autonomy."

Santropol Roulant

2008-07-28T18:44:00.012-04:00

Photos taken in the Santropol Roulant kitchen - Montreal
"Santropol Roulant is a Montreal-based not-for-profit organization founded and run by young people in the community. We bring people together across generations and cultures through our innovative meals-on-wheels service, our intergenerational activities and our volunteer programs.

Santropol Roulant uses food as a vehicle to break social and economic isolation between generations and to strengthen and nourish our local community. We engage a diversity of people to take an active role in their communities through initiatives that address the health and food security needs of seniors and Montrealers living with a loss of autonomy."

Yawwn...Goodmorning!

2008-07-23T08:18:00.002-04:00

M.Courgette - a Portrait

2008-07-19T22:10:00.003-04:00

Pay No Attention to the Tourists

2008-07-14T15:51:00.007-04:00

If Ottawa could just sprout a few mountains and lakes like this....perfect...

Downstream

2008-06-23T22:33:00.002-04:00

This Old House, That Old House

2008-05-29T22:24:00.008-04:00

Tip Toe

2008-05-06T23:00:00.004-04:00

Could I honestly call myself an Ottawa native if I didn't post some tulip pictures at this time of year?

2008-04-15T13:11:00.000-04:00

thinking of Jude

2008-04-07T10:35:00.000-04:00

I wish it was fall

2008-04-02T11:39:00.003-04:00

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf's a flower" -Albert Camus

Happy Birthday K+K

2008-03-31T10:21:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday KarenP and KellyA!

Poppies

2008-03-28T11:01:00.004-04:00

"And now, my beauties, something with poison in it, I think. Something with poison in it, but attractive to the eye, and soothing to the smell. Poppies... Poppies. Poppies will put them to sleep." - Wicked Witch of the West

..

2008-03-27T12:23:00.003-04:00

.

2008-03-24T11:38:00.003-04:00

I took this photo at an open air market in southern France. I remember asking the vendor if they minded me taking pictures (which they didn't) and then proceeding to try to frame the shot while the vendor and others watched intently. I panicked. I rushed to take the shot so that I could thank them and promptly move along. Pretty silly, in hindsight. I was so preoccupied with feeling self-conscious that I even forgot that I wanted to buy one!

In the end, I'm still not sure how I would have framed it differently - there are a lot of different lines going on in there. I'll have to keep at it anyway...not worrying about the people watching, learning to see and compose faster. Wish I wasn't so slowtrepid.

"What we have to learn, we learn by doing." -Aristotle

Joyeuses Pâques

2008-03-23T11:22:00.002-04:00

"Where man sees but withered leaves, God sees sweet flowers growing." -Albert Laighton

Nowhere to go but

2008-03-21T15:31:00.013-04:00

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anais Nin

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

2008-03-20T00:13:00.004-04:00

Not actually a photo of woods nor of a snowy evening or even of a horse with bells, but I like this photo very much.

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
~Robert Frost

In the Making

2008-03-19T11:39:00.003-04:00

I love my little 50mm lens, but as you might notice, i'm learning that focusing with such shallow depth of field is going to take some practice.

Right this minute, there's nothing I'd like more than to be visiting with growing tomatoes in my garden, hence my photo for today. Last year, in my first garden, I planted everything so close together, trying to squeeze in as much as I could. This year, I plan to let go a bit and space the plants out, giving them more room to breathe and take in sun. I'm hoping that they'll respond in kind.
...
I've decided to try to add a quote (famous or otherwise) with each posting going forward. Not in order to try to sound deep or learned, just simply because: I love quotes. Sometimes they'll be relevant, sometimes not, sometimes not to anyone but myself that day. Sometimes it might just be an excuse not to write anything else.
...
"The beginning is the most important part of the work." - Plato

Staring at the Light

2008-03-18T09:32:00.002-04:00

I wish that the snow was gone here in Ottawa and that I could go for a walk without being knee-deep in it.

I also wish that I had shot this photo in RAW and that I knew a thing or two about Photoshop in order to fix this one up a bit. Better yet, I wish I had properly metered or compensated the exposure to begin with. The light was really beautiful, but unfortunately it caused much of the scene to be underexposed. Hm, composition is a bit weak too, I think. Hindsight is 20/20 and all that...I'm working on it...

Trusty old

2008-03-17T10:59:00.002-04:00

Nothing too special about this photo, but I like it all the same. Taking it made me feel like I was taking someone's portrait - layers and layers of previous lives displayed without apology.

Just Past the Trees

2008-03-16T09:38:00.009-04:00

I know that this photo looks a bit dreary and dark, but for me, I see it a bit differently...

An Apple a Day

2008-03-15T14:52:00.022-04:00

Until I get the hang of this one-photo-a-day thing, I'll be posting pics from my archives, but eventually, I'm hoping that this exercise will get me out and about with my camera to see new things.

This is a photo of crabapples that I picked last year - the most pristine crabapples I think I've ever seen...hardly worthy of the crabby name really. The awesome bowl was made by the lovely and talented potter from Picton, Ontario, Peta Hall.

Feel free to leave me a comment or just a hello!