June 16/10: Basketweaving

DSC00273, originally uploaded by susanvg.

I'm always amazed at the ingenuity of man. How did people figure out how to make things? This basket is used for storing wood near my fireplace. I marvel at the patterns the weavers have made. Now this craftsmanship gets passed down as one person teaches another, but how did the first weavers figure out the techniques to create these utilitarian products?

I wonder about food, too? How did they get from wheat to bread? It's a lot of steps, from grinding to adding ingredients to heating and then the final product. Mankind continues to innovate and create new things. If only all this ingenuity was aimed at peaceful items that enhance our lives and not items of violence or waste.

June 14/10: Perching on Rocks

June 14/10: Perching on Rocks, originally uploaded by susanvg.

First I started taking photographs. Then I committed to a year of daily photographs. Then I started creating connections with others who embarked on the same journey; relationships formed. I admired their photographs (and often their writing) and wished I could capture images of the same quality. So after over a year of daily photographs I succumbed and bought a new camera and suddenly it's back to zero, trying to get a good shot.

Some days are just too busy for photo jaunts, but the drive to get a good photograph pushes me to go out. I have walked more, gone to more parks and noticed things I did not notice before - and now I am trying to "shoot" some birds. I guess I had better learn their names, be conscious of their habits if I wish to get the perfect shot.

You never know where photography will take you, but it takes you out of the house. I see fellow photographers and ask questions, look where their eyes look and start to see even more. Now I am thinking of joining the Montreal camera club, of taking a photography course in the fall.... I love to share my world with others, especially with those new friends from around the world who care enough to stop by this spot and leave a comment. Your words encourage me to try harder, to stay with it and to write.

June 12/10: Cooking

June 12/10: Cooking, originally uploaded by susanvg.

Daily Shoot: Why wait for the perfect subject? Make a photo of something that is unfinished. (Food is not yet finished cooking)

Nothing says summer quite like meals outdoors. Barbeques, picnics or just a meal on the patio, dining al fresco encourages lingering over a meal. Food seems to taste better.

The aroma from our dinner filled the air fanning our appetites. And I wonder who else's. I know when I walk through the neighbourhood and catch the barbeque smells wafting through the air, I salivate. But we had no uninvited guests (other than the insects) and enjoyed the final product accompanied by the evening sounds of birds.

June 10/10: Detour

June 10/10: Detour, originally uploaded by susanvg.

A rainy trip home on a day of London like weather. The road took a detour. Life's like that. Detours can be long and annoying but they can also be the path to new adventures. Life is always throwing us curves that force us to take detours from our regular path. Often these detours cause us to reflect on our lives - what really matters, what we want to be doing and we come out of this enriched.

June 9/10: Refreshing

June 9/10: Refreshing, originally uploaded by susanvg.

I need to learn to pamper myself - in small ways. Today's daily shoot, (Place or find a subject floating on water today---boats, leaves, ice cubes, etc.---and make a photo! ) reminded me that a cool drink at the end of the day can be relaxing. This one happens to be non-alcoholic - St. Pellagrino with a touch of orange juice, but it hit the spot after a long day. Maybe later I'll take a bath with a bath bomb (no photos of that). Sometimes we (especially women) spend so much time taking care of others we forget to nurture ourselves. Little things can make a big difference.

June 8/10: The Art Budget

The Art Budget, originally uploaded by susanvg.

I was at a meeting at a vocational school. The building was only built two years ago. In Quebec all new public buildings must spend 1% of the building budget on art. This piece, Le souffle de l'avenir (the wind of the future) is by artists Joëlle and Rolf Morosoli.

It is wonderful to know that artists have some opportunity for public commissions. And it certainly adds flair to the building.

Not quite a manhole

Not quite a manhole, originally uploaded by susanvg.

Every time I see one of these I cringe. They sit innocently at the edge of the sidewalk, but I know their sinister side. Some years ago, in an attempt to be environmentally sound in the days before curbside recycling, I carefully collected my recycling at home. Every so often I would drive it to the local collection barrels. One day I pulled up to the sidewalk near the barrels and my tire caught on the metal edge that slightly reached beyond the sidewalk. Pssssst I heard as it slashed my tire and the tire deflated. It wasn't easy being green nor was it cheap. I waited for the automobile club to come and change the tire then had to replace it.
Fortunately we now have curbside recycling but I can tell you I never park near one of these things. I remember too well the sinking feeling as my car settled onto the rim of the wheel.

Daily Shoot: Manhole covers have character and quietly tell a story. Make a photo of a manhole cover in your neighborhood today.

I had already photographed one in Casselman

and this one was not so different

so tried to find a different angle - with my story.