A Good Home, Hamlin Grange Photographs, Nature Photography

Photos to Brighten your Day

 

Some people asked to see more Hamlin Grange photos.

I heard you. 

Here are some more — just click:

https://hgrange.smugmug.com/

Have a great day, friends.

A Good Home, Joyful Moments, Lakeside living, Nature, Nature Photography

Canoe on Sugar Lake

 

Hamlin Grange — my esteemed blog photographer– has many fans in my blogging community. So today I’m sharing a few of my favourites from his photo collection. I hope you will enjoy them.

Blog Photo - HG Canoe on Sugar Lake
“Canoe on Sugar Lake” by Hamlin Grange – (copyright protected)

Blog Photo - HG photo of Red Poppy

Blog Photo - HG photo of seagull and lake

Congrats, Hamlin, and thanks for allowing me to share these beautiful images on my blog.

~~

N.B. Please be sure to get Hamlin’s permission before using his images.

A Good Home, Canadian Gardens, Gardening, Gardens

The Bloomin’ Garden — Late Summer

My favourite photographer Hamlin Grange took these pictures of our garden, which is still thriving in mid-September.

Of course, he complains — like a diva: “That’s not even my best work!” But I love these pix, so I’m sharing them.  Here goes:

Blog Photo - Pink Phlox and Butterfly

We are grateful to have inherited a host of phlox from previous owners  — 6 different shades in all.

(I wanted to say “a flock of phlox”, but it doesn’t quite work, does it?)

Blog Photo - White Phlox CU.JPG

Blog Photo - Pink and White Phlox

They, and this special shrub (below) from our friend Les, bloom in late summer and attract bees and butterflies.

(Perhaps “flock” would work better here? “A flock of bees and butterflies!”)

Blog Photo - Blue shrub and Bee2

Blog Photo - Shrub with Blue Flowers1

Blog Photo - Blue Shrub Full.JPG

There’s fragrant hosta, rudbeckia and other stuff too.

Blog Photo - White Phlox ECU

Blog Photo - White Hosta Group

Blog Photo - Rudbeckia

Blog Photo - Garden with Phlox

It’s a blessing to have a blooming garden this late in the Canadian summer!  The weather has been mild — call it summer in September — and we are grateful.

~~

All photos are by Hamlin Grange. 

 

 

A Good Home, Doors Open, Serendipity

Serendipity: A Post-Script to The Grange Series

~~

Life is strange, isn’t it?

There my husband and I  were, a year ago, in a pub in Newcastle, Ontario.

We were meeting with our younger daughter’s future in-laws to plan the wedding. 

We were all nervous. The kids were totally in love and getting married.  But what if their parents disagreed — about everything?

Then my husband started telling jokes about country life (we once lived on a farm) and our encounters with wildlife and everyone dissolved into laughter.  Loud, boisterous laughter. It broke the ice and everything went well.

There was a couple at the next table. Daughter and I went over to apologize for our loudness. 

The couple introduced themselves. The husband also gave me a book and introduced himself as the book’s author.

My daughter said: “That’s funny. My mom’s an author too!”

We all ended up talking. About books. And weddings. And marriages.

blog-photo-ebor-house-gates

Meanwhile, my blog series on Ebor House was a big hit at last year’s Doors Open Clarington tour.  The printed version was a fundraiser for Doors Open.

Blog Photo - Doors Open 2016 CR at Ebor House

This year,  I told co-chairs Marilyn Morawetz and Bernice Norton that I’d volunteer again for Doors Open Clarington: I’d write about another house.  As with Ebor House before I wrote that series, the owners were strangers to me.

Then life went nuts.  Over 3 months, Marilyn gently nudged me — repeatedly.

Finally, Hamlin decided to take a break from his busy schedule to help me out: he kindly agreed to drive us there and take the photos.

Blog Photo - Doors Open The Grange Sign and driveway Hamlin

When we arrived at The Grange, hosts and visitors stared at each other. Then we warmly embraced and laughed together.  Nick and Wendy Boothman were the couple we met in the Newcastle pub!

It was a lovely visit.

Wendy drove us to see Screaming Hill.

Then Nick took Hamlin to photograph the barn and the grounds, while Wendy and I stayed in the house and talked.

It reminds me that one must leave room for the unexpected. And that the thing called serendipity is sometimes, strangely, within our gift.

Thanks to Hamlin Grange, Nick and Wendy Boothman, and Marilyn, Bernice and the Doors Open Clarington team.