Another Sneak Peak...

These April showers better bring some May flowers, or I'm going to be sorely disappointed with all of this rain. Once again, the sky's open and the afternoon is full of drops from the heavens. Although, I've been noticing that the temperature is slowly rising...odd
Another piece of the puzzle, a quick look at a portion of another piece from "The Dogs of Moron". This guy, as seen in the photos from a previous post, had what looked like mange, was very scraggly and seemed not to have a human friend anywhere in sight, but sported some of the kindest eyes I've ever seen on a dog.

More to come as the pieces progress.

Hilton Falls and Teasing Weather

Oh why oh why does the weather play with my emotions??

Only Saturday it was 30 degrees out, gorgeous, sunny, mind you a tad windy (could have been a hurricane blowing through it really was that bad in the afternoon) but beautiful out none-the-less.

But then, of course, when it's that windy and warm, you know a storm is a brew'in. And boy did it brew.

Sunday started cool, but warmed up a bit, especially down Niagara way where we spent the day.

Monday - hot hot hot again, love it! I really enjoy walking Brandy at 9:00pm in only a t-shirt...ok, hang on, not just a t-shirt, I had pants too just to clear that up.

Then today, horrible, cool - only 10 degrees, and rained for half the darn day. Now the rest of the week will be a plethora of cooler spring weather, though I'm hoping and praying for some hot days sprinkled in between, just enough to tease and taunt before the temperature drops once again. Perhaps it will snow. Bad, bad, I shouldn't say that, bad.

Brandy and I did take the time to enjoy the heat on Saturday with a little outing to Hilton Falls Conservation Area. Busy as usual, but you really don't notice it while you're on the trails. All the signs of spring were evident, from the buds on the trees to the flowers trying to show themselves through the dry leafy forest floor.

Though usually water crazy, Brandy wasn't too interested in jumping into the reservoir ... I think she knew it would have been a chilly dip. She really seems to enjoy herself in the woods, and she carried her own poop bags - how handy!

And of course, she had herself a little photo session throughout our promenade
(with her little poo-bag carrying back-pack). She's a ham, does a great job for me...makes herself look very natural, though I can see something in her eyes at certain times during these "sessions" that definitely isn't love...

Abandoned Houses

Lately, in Halton, we seem to have more than our share of abandoned houses. My guess is that it probably has to do with all the major development taking place in all of our old farmers fields - developer buys the land, owner vacates, simple answer. Most of these are just on my way in to work...so you can imagine how many more there must be all over town.

So last weekend, this is how I spent part of my birthday, as well as having a fantastic dinner at the Harrop House Restaurant, courtesy of hubby.


A few of the houses had these pillars in front of them. If you look closely you can see that they mixed in glass pieces while constructing these - the blues and the reds are all shards of glass.


Happened to see these guys in one of the farmers ponds. A breeding pair of Buffleheads, which I have never before seen. Very striking contrast on the male. This picture has been cropped and zoomed - I had the long lens with me, but they were still too far away to get any good shots.

Just a Taste

I was inspired by some of the pictures that I took down in Cayo Coco, Cuba. So I have decided to do a 4x6 graphite pencil trilogy, a 5x7 graphite pencil piece, and blow up some of the really good photos for possible sale as prints. Will this all get done? - I ask myself...yes, in time, for sure, I'm definitely motivated for this project.

I've started on the 4x6 trilogy, entitled none other than "The Dogs of Moron". I will post bits and pieces as I progress through the work, and I will announce anything that will be available for sale as prints. Once the trilogy and the lone 5x7 are complete, I may also offer a small amount of prints for these as well.

I will also be embarking on a butterfly 4x6 trilogy in coloured pencil, though this has nothing to do with my trip to Cuba. Reference photos for this series were taken at the Niagara Butterfly Conservatory, and I will post bits and pieces on these as well.

A first glimpse at the initial drawing in the "Dogs of Moron" series. This guys lounges quietly on the tiled sidewalk, an air of dignity surrounds him as he rests in the shade beside a man who may or may not be "his" man.

Dogs of Moron amoung other things...

A week long stay at the Melia Cayo Coco in Cuba is just what is needed if you're looking for relaxation, a nice resort, good food, and if you're planning a wedding. I was looking for all four, and was pleasantly surprised when all four exceeded my expectations.
Throughout our stay, of course, I had my camera with me, and was able to capture some images of the island, as well as animals on our tour of the city of Moron on the main island of Cuba.

It was amazing for me to see the dogs of this city, and most likely it is similar throughout Cuba. I suppose that they could be classified as pariah-type dogs however, they don't seem to be feral, and quite a few that I saw seemed to belong to a person standing with them. They are all similar in size, shape and random breeding, resembling how our own dogs would look in North America if left to breed and live on their own.

This little guy was, unfortunately, mangy and didn't look to be in the greatest of health, but he strolled down the street, as did the other dogs, with no fear. I did not hear a single bark or whine while in the vicinity of any of the dogs. All of them seemed to carry an air of calmness, which a lot of our North American canines lack.

Hard to see here, this one was taken from the bus in the country-side, but a dog strolls up to his people on this homestead (highlighted). Looked to be black and tan, again, similar in size and shape to all the others.

This guy inhabited the crocodile farm that we visited on our trip, again, taken from the bus, this dog sported a brindle coat and had a slightly different head shape from the other dogs that I saw.

 This girl also inhabited the croc farm, dozing in front of a chicken pen just down from the workers who were taking a break in the shade. The temperament of these dogs surely has something to do with the fact that they are probably never bored, they are allowed to roam at will, and are constantly physically and mentally stimulated by their environment. All things that many of our pets lack throughout their pampered lives. Not saying it's bad that we pamper, my dogs are very spoiled...

This guy was neat, a Brahma I believe, also a resident of the croc farm.

And who could forget the main attraction of the farm. I was able to hold a baby. Never felt skin like that before, such amazing creatures!


My hubby and I were upgraded to one of the "cottages" built over a salt water lagoon in the resort. Mornings were fish feeding time, with some bread saved specifically for them the night before. Though the lagoon looked fresh, it was definitely salt, with jelly-fish, needle fish, small barracuda, and a whole assortment of other fish that I couldn't begin to name.

These fish were very bass-like in shape and structure, and the boldest when it came to eating the bread we threw in for them. This photo was enhanced to make the fish more visible.

Dragonfly, same as everywhere, on our cottage porch.

The ocean as seen from our resorts beach. Gorgeous water, very clear, and apparently perfect for snorkeling (of which I only partook in once, and made me even more sea-sick on a catamaran tour). 
Common tern I believe. These guys would fly low over the surf on the beach, watching for little molecules of any fish-like product in the shallow water for their breakfast.

This brown pelican was a ham. A young guy, posed on the beach for all the photographers and the ladies. Never thought they were that big until I stood right beside one.

And this guy, ah, he didn't fare so well, was merely a shell when we found him. A very stinky shell.

Overall, a great trip, with decent pictures, good weather, tasty food and a great wedding!!