A Reflection of Summer

I don't know about where you live.

summer where i live had cooler temperatures and cloudier, rainier days than we had hoped for.

many people complained about the weather...the lack of warm sunny days.

what's summer vacation without sunshine, sunburns and sunglasses?

i'll tell you what it is.

the kids are home.

we have two months to play, create, laugh, sleep, cry, fight, argue, 

and make the bestest memories ever...

regardless of the weather.

i want to give you a glimpse of our summer...

reflected on their faces.

some days i did look out the window and sigh, 

then, most days, i chose to enjoy it.

what a great summer.

*all photos taken by me.

with Gertie.

edited in photoshop elements

 some of the locations: 

Lake Opeongo, our yard/lookout/house, Toronto Island, Toronto Zoo, Hutcheson Beach, Utterson Park, 

The Marshall's Lot, Limberlost trails @ The Limberlost Challenge,  parks in town. 

86/365 & 87/365

day 86:

Where I Stand

this was still in March...

so there i stood.

in the snow.

dreaming of the thaw.

  then hopped my freezing feet into a warm bath!

day 87:

Foreground

this rounds out my March leg of the photo challenge.  

onto April next.  

See where my challenge began : Here

81/365

day 81.

this was a Practice Portraiture day.

the theme...

On Their Terms.

harder than it sounds.

i wanted the perfect photos.

'do this, no- not that.. c'mon, please.'

i had to bite my tongue a couple times to stop myself from trying to get them to do it my way.

but what great shots i got letting them choose the photo.

'the boys'

my friends' kids.

and my model.

my girl. 

 letting kids be kids..

some great fun.

*all photos taken by me

with Gertie

edited in Photoshop Elements

See where my challenge began : Here

73/365, 80/365

Hey there.

as you all know, i'm behind on these posts.

day 73...

i didn't take the photos challenge specific, but as i looked back to see if i had any that fit the theme i saw this one (of many)

the theme is:

HARD.

it is hard to get the night sky to look exactly as i see it.

this one was the closest i could get with my lens.

day 80:

Spring?

it is still March in the photo...

a day or 2 after my little girl's birthday.

it is officially spring, 

 *all photos taken by me, with Gertie.

edited with Photoshop Elements

71/365

i was excited for this day.

(by the way it was supposed to be day 72, and i took it on day 72.. but when i edited it i put 71..so day 71 it is.)

i was excited for this day because my dad would be here for the challenge.

he was the best subject i could think of for it.

my dad was born in Northern Ireland.

he is an immigrant to Canada.

he is the oldest of 9 kids.

i adore my dad.

my brother and i are 1st generation Canadian.

(mom from the U.S of A, dad from Ireland)

my brother is blond with blue/green eyes; 

gifted from our scandinavian heritage on my moms side.

but my dark hair and blue eyes were a gift from my dad.

my dad is...

day 71: 

IRISH

*all photos taken by me, with Gertie.

edited with Photoshop Elements

See where my challenge began : Here

68/365 (still in March!) 69/365; 70/365

day 68: 

Emerging

Saturday night, 

at the beginning of the March Break,

we slept in our quinzee.

Sunday's challenge was Emerging.

here's my family emerging from the quinzee sunday morning.

later that day my boy wanted me to take a photo of his animals emerging from their house.

day 69: 

Assymetrical.

my face is not symmetrical...that would make it Asymmetrical...see.

so it is actually symmetrical in that if you drew a line down the centre; 

it has the same things on each side...

but... in this photo my mouth is almost completely on one side.

day 70:

From Down Under

See where my challenge began : Here

aftermath of yesterday's snowday.

yesterday we had a snow day here in Muskoka.

buses were cancelled.  

roads were slippery.

people complained of winter coming back.

it felt like winter yesterday.

this morning we woke with the sun shining brightly, and glistening off the fresh snow.

haha, he blew a little too hard and it blew back in his face.

guess that's what happens when we are rushing it as the bus is pulling up.

this poor boat became frozen in the giant puddle that froze over. 

all the puddles froze with a beautiful frost over them.

look at those shadows!

but don't worry.

spring is here.  

even with the snowy day yesterday.

as i was walking to the house i spotted this beautiful lady.

i don't know where her nest is built or being built but she's almost ready to lay her eggs.

*all photos taken by me.

with Gertie.

edited with Photoshop Elements