Pam's Week 16: Clowns to the Left of Me, Jokers to the Right....

This song seems so fitting for the week I've had...I don't even know how to describe it.  It's been busy but that's usually par for the course these days.  I'm not sure what it was - is it a full moon?  Are the grey skies and the unpredictable temperatures getting to people?  I don't know.  All I do know - people have been driving me bonkers.

As you are about to see in this week's photos, however, it started out wonderfully with a nice, albeit cold, walk with the family at Bellevue Park.  It ended today with a lovely Earth Day spent with the kids and Sharon (Robert had to work both jobs today).  It's what was in the middle that seemed problematic...

Here I am Stuck In the Middle With You....

Like what I did with the song lyric this week?  Instead of giving the rest of the line to you right away, I let you stew over it and become anxious with anticipation wondering how it was going to fit into this week's topics....

I'm not sure these photos truly capture "in the middle" but I was in the middle of Robert and Riya who were ahead and Duncan and Danica who were behind (playing Pokemon Go) while we walked around Topsail Island last weekend.

8

There is a section at Bellevue Park with new playground equipment.  It was initially billed as the "Sensory Playground" but while we were there last weekend, I noticed it seemed to now be called the "Adventure Playground".  It does have accessible equipment which is nice.  My kids love the zipline.  This spinning "8" caught my eye...

Makes Me Smile

You know, there are a whole lot of things that make me smile.  I think these photos capture a few of them at once - my kids, nature, water, the sun....Of course, a couple of these make me cry sometimes too....

Umbrella

I happened upon the inspiration for this photo accidentally.  I was checking in with my friend, Google, for some ideas for one of the other topics this week and lo and behold, there was a picture of a cocktail umbrella.  Instead of replicating that photo, I decided to buy myself some cocktail umbrellas and a pretty beverage, which I later forced myself to drink (the sacrifices I make for art!).  This was a one shot deal, though, as the wind kept catching the little umbrellas that then ended up in Riya's mouth.

Fingers

This was the picture I was googling ideas for.  This was also the picture I completely forgot about and as we sat at Katharine Cove taking photos this afternoon, I was trying to do something else and Danica put her little fingers in the way saying she was doing "Finger Rock Parcour" for the "fingers" picture I needed.  Good thing young brains are like sponges that remember things you don't recall telling them!

Fragile

Oh I was wracking my brains trying to figure out what to photograph for this one when I got home tonight and then Sharon so kindly suggested I use one of the pictures of this strange pussy willow type thing we saw on the beach.  They were much longer than the usual pussy willow and fell apart in the breeze.  Thankfully I had snapped a photo I kind of liked of it!

Wildcard

We also stopped at Alona Bay on our way home tonight to see all the ice that was still on the water there.  Of note, it's also one of the places that apparently put Sault Ste. Marie on the list for "Top 34 Most Breathtaking Places in North America", just behind Tofino, BC and ahead of the  Mexican Riviera!  While there, there was this beautiful Golden Retriever who just happened to pick up this large branch (it would not be classified as a "stick" in my books) and bring it over to me.  I tried to capture a photo of him but then he dropped the branch and walked away.

I've decided to include 2 wildcard photos as I just found it interesting how 2 different beaches on the same lake have such wickedly different shorelines on the same day.  The first picture is of the beautiful sandy Katharine Cove beach (named one of "10 Awesome (and Secluded) Northern Ontario Beaches).  The second is of the ice-covered beach at Alona Bay.

Just check out the stunning blue skies we had to suffer through this afternoon....

I may have started taking photos for next week's assignments today too....Here's hoping the clowns and jokers have disappeared and I am able to tolerate people this week!  If not, it's only 2 more weeks until vacation.....Have a great one, everyone!