Sharon's Week 46: In the Nick of Time

Well, I left it until the last minute this week and I'm pretty sure it shows 😕.  I don't know what's up but these past two weeks have felt extremely busy at work and at home.  It doesn't help that it's just past dawn when I head to work in the morning and almost dark when I head home at night...that doesn't leave any decent light for photography.  I didn't even try to come up with ideas until this morning so it was all last minute.  It was gorgeous out this morning after a skiff of overnight snow so after I put the groceries away I grabbed Hermione and headed out.  The temperature was just above zero and there were a few minutes of sun so it was a very enjoyable morning.

After that, I came home to do my weekly meal prep.  I tried two new recipes and both turned out to be winners (Sloppy Joe Baked Sweet Potatoes and Chicken Pot Pie).  I am already looking forward to the leftovers tomorrow and Monday and Tuesday...  The problem with most recipes is that they make way too many servings for me.  Because of this I tend to only make things that I think will freeze well.  I'm sure both of these will freeze well.

Speaking of food, I have decided that my personal photography project for 2018 will be to create a cookbook for myself, to include all of my favourite recipes.  I am tired of all the loose papers falling out of my binders.  I have bought a couple of food photography books (of course I have!) and I am likely going to sign up for a four week on-line course about food photography at my favourite on-line photography school in Jamuary.  I will need to gather an interesting assortment of dishes, glasses and utensils so if you have stuff you are willing to part with (temporarily or permanently), let me know.  I think the biggest part of this project is going to be deciding what foods I want in the book.

Now that I put it in print, I guess I have to follow through. 

Here we go with this week's photos.

wild card

I drive past this little pond all the time and I always think that it's so pretty - during all of the seasons - but I have never photographed it because there is nowhere to stop.  This morning I parked at a nearby conservation area and walked up the hill only to find that there are all kinds of trees in the way.  Luckily the branches were pretty with the snow on them. 

how it works

Can you say LAZY?  I'm sure that when I put this on the list, I had in mind that I would photograph something in a process or the inner working of an object.  Instead, while I was wandering around Bellevue Park this morning, I saw this on one of the play structures.  The cogs reminded me of how something might work.

contrast

I meandered into the greenhouse and after waiting about twenty minutes for my camera to stop fogging up, I noticed this flower and I loved the contrast between the bright pink and yellow.

smile

I admire people who can take nice selfies...just lift up the phone, point it at themselves, smile and voila!  A beautiful self-portrait with a nice smile, interesting composition and eye-catching features.  Me?  Not so much.  I don't seem to be able to smile on command for one thing and for another, I can't for the life of me make a selfie interesting.  When I try those different poses or angles, I look like a goofball, and not in a good way.  So here is my smile (as much as I could force at the time) at Fort Creek this morning.  P.S.  If you can believe it, this is the best of about 30 attempts!

Aaaaaand, it appears that it's time to colour my hair again and perhaps try some teeth whitener!

starts with D

If you know me at all, you know that I love ice cream.  I really love Magnum bars and I am so jealous that my sister got to make her own Magnum bar in Rome two weeks ago.  For the most part, my ice cream has to have stuff in it and usually that has to include chocolate in some form.  Several years ago, President's Choice started making a Candy Cane Fudge Crackle ice cream of which I generally devour several litres each Christmas season.  This morning I discovered that this ice cream is out for another season.  I stared at it for a while but being the dedicated Weight Watcher that I have become, I looked away (I didn't think I could refrain from gobbling it up embarrassingly fast).  Beside the tubs of ice cream however were boxes of mini ice cream bars made with the candy cane ice cream and dipped in the fudge crackle chocolate.  I picked up a box and I am going to try to make it last until Christmas.  I had a bar this afternoon and I can tell you that it was Delicious (way more delicious than the photo - see why I needed those books?).

F

I found this at the newest Bellevue Park playground this morning.  Can you tell that I had to flip the photo upside down?

diamond

There was a bit of melting snow on the fence at Fort Creek.  I caught this drip but I wish there had been something colourful in behind to reflect in the water.

And that's the end of that.