Apparition

 This eerie little figure appeared in the upstairs hallway of my home. She sat waiting for me, as I turned the corner and stepped up from the final stair. I had my camera in hand, but it wasn't on, or set up for any particular shot.

Obviously, this is no ghost; it's our beautiful cat Paisley. She was sitting pretty so I took the picture without adjusting the focus. It could have made a nice, 'ordinary' picture if I had focused on her properly. And to be honest, I'm glad I didn't. I prefer this result.

Itching For Photography

I haven't had a chance to take photos in about a week.  I have several projects on the go right now, many of which are related to photography, but I'm starting to feel the urge to get out there.  There's so much going on, just beyond the back door.  The buds are starting to unfold and reveal tiny, wrinkled leaves.  Robins, juncos, sparrows are converging under the pine, lunging, dodging, twittering.  The opportunities for great macro photos are making my mouth water...

Photography is one of my favourite pastimes, so naturally, I crave it if I go without it too long.  So I think I'll set aside a few writing assignments I originally planned for the next few days, and dust off the tripod instead.   The landscape is changing so quickly, it would be a shame to miss out on some of the most visible transformations of Spring.

I can't wait to see what this stroll reveals... 

Bed and Breakfast

When the warmer weather arrives, my hubby and I like to take our morning coffee out to the back porch.  We gaze out at the yard, planning our next project.  We love gardening, and the yard is our little piece of heaven, ever-changing, evolving, affirming our connection to the earth.

On one of these blissful mornings, I noticed that the chickadees weren't at the hanging feeder just outside the screened window.  Their chatter and playfulness usually keep us entertained through breakfast.  I took a closer look, and was shocked to see a small fur ball at the bottom of the feeder.  This feeder, made of wood and designed to look like a three-story bird house is capable of holding seeds, and has small holes that aren't really meant for doors, but were apparently used as such the night before!

We took the feeder down from the hook to get a better look.  This apparently woke our friend who began to stretch and investigate what all the fuss was about.

It seems that the little guy, out looking for a midnight snack found himself a cosy bed and breakfast, and ate so much that the hole through which he crawled got smaller!

This photo was taken moments before he leapt out to freedom, assisted by my husband who graciously lifted the roof off to let him out with a warning.  Much to our surprise (and delight, quite honestly!), the cute ball of fur was found sleeping there again a few days later.  He did not, however, care to leave so quickly this time and stayed until nap time was over.