Wednesday 21 August 2013

Nature's Bounty

Cherries Jubilee
There are alot of pies here and what does not go into delectable desserts makes very good wine!  Nature has been very generous this year.  The trees are loaded and as we drive down the back lanes, or out among the fruit farms, there is much to whet your appetite and tease your palette. There are tons of raspberries, sakatoon, cherries, apples, plums, and even apricots to temp us to stop and buy or perhaps at least to taste!

 


Saturday 17 August 2013

LATE!

Always Late
Okay, whoever is stealing time here, please give it back.  I still need it ---- badly!

I just checked my blog and I realized that my good intentions of at least one posting  per week has somehow badly fallen by the wayside.  I think it was Lefty Frizzell that used to sing that song "Always Late". He wanted kisses.  Me, I am more realistic with my expectations, I'm not quite so vain any more.  (That comes naturally with advancing age, you know.)  Still, even at this age, forget about that dog chasing his own tail. I still picture myself desperately hanging on to last few long hairs of the tail of a galloping horse  - and no matter how much I holler "Whow", that horse refuses to stop - or even slow down!!!!

I must be doing something wrong that I cannot catch up with my good intentions.  Stay with me folks.  I'll get there someday - somehow. Winter is coming and the cold will slow us all down.  Am I looking forward to THAT??????!!!!!   (Smarten up, Woman!)









































always Late

Tuesday 6 August 2013

Gifts To Appreciate

A Crucial Luxury

I just got off the EPL site (Edmonton Public Library) where I browse for my reading material.  I am so glad to see that  there is a good selection of audio literature available to the people that have vision deficiencies. Just fifteen years ago, I could not fathom the importance of audio books.  Today I cannot fathom life without them!  In my memoir book, I called them a "Crucial Indulgence"!  That is what they are - Crucial - to those of us who have lost the luxury of simply picking up a book and enjoying the message within.  There are many of us that just cannot do that anymore.  Audio books are our lifeline!  When your eyesight is undiminished, you can navigate those tiny cell phones and all the information of that tiny microcomputer that puts the knowledge of the world at your fingertips.  Not so for us that are sight handicapped.

There are many authors that do not do audio books and that is a pity.  From personal experience, I know that I am limited to the rather few authors that do audio books.  I am so grateful that there are a good number of very good authors that do cater to us.  However, I am certain there are many good authors whose books I will never enjoy simply because I cannot read a book. My very own books are only in the printed word so far, though it is still my dream that I can somehow eventually get them onto audio, simply because I I feel I owe it to my similarly afflicted readers.

Therefore I say to those that still have the gift of good eyesight  --- Cherish it!!!   It can be gone tomorrow , no warning, no reason, no reversal!  Believe me, I know.  It happened to me.

Thursday 1 August 2013

Unique Pets

How is This for a Pet?

On nice days, especially in summer, I  like to take a leisurely walk down the promenade overlooking the verdant valley that runs through almost the middle of our city of Edmonton.   Along with the scenic beauty, I enjoy the fresh air and the relative peace and tranquility of an almost country atmosphere as the promenade is off the busy thoroughfare of bustling city traffic that seems muted and distant here. Many people utilize this area to just sit and bask in the sun on one of the countless benches along the promenade, for walking or running for their own personal exercise, or for walking their pets . It is our little piece of Eden within an urban setting and we all love it.

The other day, I had the pleasure of a very unique experience of seeing someone who was walking his pet - a tortoise - an African Desert Tortoise.  It was a most fascinating sight. Absolutely beautiful!  As you can imagine, this pet attracted the attention of just about everyone that happened to be on the promenade that afternoon.  That turtle was at least two feet long and probably about eighteen inches high.  it just ambled along slowly, oblivious to the admiration of his bedazzled fan club. The owner said it was fourteen years old and he had had it since it was tiny enough to fit in the palm of his hand.
 You just never know who you will run into on the Promenade!