Later, we wandered into a German bakery for a few more treats to take home.
It's always fun to discover new cafes... and, of course, new bakeries!
It's April...
Not what I want to see!
I have to remind myself that "April showers bring May flowers"...
Though they do make raking difficult. And I was hoping to rake my flower beds before the bugs arrive!
Our backyard fence is a favourite place for squirrels to sit in the sun...
But this is the first time I saw a chipmunk lounging there.
I enjoy looking out the window and seeing animals that share our neighbourhood...
I've seen foxes, skunks, rabbits, raccoons, groundhogs, wild turkeys, ducks, geese, crows and other birds - but, most commonly, squirrels of various sizes and colours.
On average, I see more wild animals than I see dogs and cats! (And I live in a city of more than a million people!) I consider that quite amazing!
I recently came across this picture of our youngest son arriving home from school one day.
He's standing near our front ditch.
Before being sold to the college, it served as an elementary school, then an adult high school and finally a tech support building.
Our family - and some of our neighbours - have lots of memories of that building... which was eventually demolished by the college because the roof was in bad shape.
(Maybe sometime I should dedicate a few blog posts to our memories of that building!!)
Whether we realize it or not...
Whether we like it or not...
We all learn - and teach - by example...
I remember - as a child - lying on the grass, watching the clouds...
The game then was - what does that cloud look like? A whale? A horse? Look again - it's changing!
I still love to watch the clouds - often through the window... (No bugs crawling on my back!)
But now, after years of taking art classes, I pay more attention to the colours.
Could I paint that?! Sometimes I try...
The passing show of clouds and light reminds me that God is an amazing artist! The colours are always PERFECT!
After my sky-gazing light show ends, I feel refreshed, renewed. (And my blood pressure has gently gone down!)
Cloud gazing - nature's medicine!
On Easter Monday, I took some craft supplies over to my grandchildren's house... Could we have fun making something?!
The felt squares were versatile. Thanks to a handy glue gun, a pen, scissors, and a plastic Easter egg for a head, my grandson created an Easter elf... !!!
A friend for the Easter bunny!
March 2026 - for me was a month of WAITING...
Waiting for Easter, as I moved through the 40 days of Lent...
Waiting for MORE Hours of DAYLIGHT - and MORE WARM WEATHER.
Squirrels appear here and there on my calendar - and there was one early morning rabbit spotting. But no green buds appeared on trees.
Hopefully they'll appear on April's blank page!
Today is Easter Sunday...
May you have a joyful and peaceful day... Enjoy our beautiful world... and the people around you!
Here in Ottawa I'm hoping for NO rain!
But if it does rain, I'll remind myself that "April showers bring May flowers"!
But for someone looking for a simple food decoration that connects to the original Easter story, here's an easy idea... an open tomb with the stone rolled away...
Ingredients found at a nearby doughnut shop!
Love it!
Snow is finally melting here in Ottawa ...
I recently took my first spring walk in the college grounds.
It was quite walkable... I was glad to be back...
I was astounded, however, by the size of the gigantic snow mound (mountain?) that blocked a path I like to take.
The accumulation of snow cleared from the college parking lots, it seems larger than piles I remember from previous years.
I wonder how long it will take to melt and disappear!
This picture was taken a week ago - on Thursday, Match 26.
And the next one was taken last Monday, four days later... Both show the same corner of our yard.
Most of our snow has gone, and I raked up a large container of pine cones, dead branches and grass!
In a matter of days, we jumped from winter to spring!
As I look back on my photos...
I realize that we may have had a lot of snow...
But we also had many beautiful sunrises...
And sunsets ... if I happen to look up at just the right moment!
One memorable day of blowing snow created an unusual problem for drivers: it "glued" snow to traffic lights and road signs, so that they couldn't be read.
The problems were still there the following day...
It took three days for the snow on the signs above to melt!
This is what they are supposed to look like.
Luckily some of the hidden information was marked on the road. Amazing that we didn't have more accidents!
During spring break, my 6-year-old grandson discovered a new "favourite" activity...
Art camp!!
Early in the week, he painted a wolf and a whale.
Now the paintings are next to his bed.
His day 3 project was a puppet!
(His sister noticed that it bore some resemblance to a Christmas elf, another of his passions!)
Later in the week, he made a snow man, a flower and a Christmas tree out of paper mache.
(Maybe there is a Christmas theme here!)
Glad he enjoyed this new form of creativity!
