White Christmas

well it looks like we'll have a white Christmas after all! This year it is very special to me- it's our first one in our new home and with my horse home as well.
Merry Christmas to all of you.

Manhatten

I am a country girl to the core. But I have a secret love of cities. Manhatten is one of my favourites- there is an energy and vibe that is intoxicating. I love to visit and walk the streets. This trip was a shot business one but I managed to arrange for an early flight on sunday so I could walk around. Of course I brought my camera. I also managed a trip to B&H photo and bought a new sigma lens :)

this and that

my photo club went on an outing to Mahone Bay. This is a jewel of a town that needs to be on your must see list if you come to Nova Scotia. :). There was a Father Christmas Festival going on.  However, I found my eye being attracted to other things, not the scenes.

paper rose

tree shadow

waiting

and this is my favourite:

and so you can see what Mahone Bay looks like:

The Neglectful Blogger

I've been neglectful of my blog lately but I have a good excuse. Really. Work has been beyond busy, but that's all I'll say about that. I haven't been able to get into the woods as much because it's hunting season and I just won't risk me or the dogs. But really, it's been this project that's been taking up my free time:

excavation

you see, the fun thing about photography is that it's not just 'art' but it can also tell a story.

framing

Like the building of a dream. And my dream has been to have my very own barn so that I can keep my horse at home. In managing my riding obsession (well okay, not managing, so much as indulging it as much as finances and time allow) I have boarded my whole horse owning career. I have boarded at good places and not so good places. Twice I have left with no notice for the safety of my horse. I don't mind boarding, I just hate not having options when the drama gets too much.

trusses

So when it came time to buy my husband and I looked at every property for sale within a 40 km radius. We saw great houses and lousy barns. Great barns and lousy houses (seriously, the kind that needed a match taken to it). Finally we found this wee gem with no barn but GREAT fields. And the price was amazing. So we bought it. Last year was the reno of the house and this year is the barn building.

After many false starts we found the perfect contractor. He's been reliable, on time, within budget and there's not one nail to be found laying around. Trust me, I've been checking. Now for details of the barn (non-horsey people, feel free to skip this part): it's 36 x 36. On this side are 3 box stalls, each with a dutch door that will open to the outside sacrifice paddock. This paddock will open into the larger grass fields. Yes, my horse will have honest-to-god-grass.

opposite to the stalls is a 12x12 heated tack/feed room. It will have running water. The rest of the barn is open for hay storage. And I found a major score:

The most perfect weather vane- see my husband is a volunteer fire fighter. I showed it to him and he asked why we needed a weather vane anyway. Sigh. He is a practical man after all. So I looked him in the eye and said 'we have to have a weather vane, it's the law'. But after 24 years he's on to me so he looked me back and said 'really?'. 'Well it's my law' I say. 'okay' he says (see after 24 years he's smart too).
Check out these wood floors- solid hickory! We thought about concrete but decided to go this route instead. The smell inside is amazing.

if all goes according to plan, it will be done in about 2 weeks.

It's been wonderful watching this be built. Soon I'll be having my horse home, riding in my 20 x 60 metre ring and hitting the trails. Behind my house in the woods are miles and miles of trails.

oh and back to the stalls: there will be 3. One for Irish, one for my second horse. I don't want Irish to be lonely so have started looking at yearlings........ And a guest stall. So come on over. :)

Happy Hallowe'en!

chasing me
as i leave

my dreams into the light of day the hell hound closes in on his prey feasting on days past the jaws of hell closing fast (Frank DeFulgentis)

my dreams

into the

light of day

the hell hound

closes in on his prey

feasting

on days past

the jaws of hell

closing fast

(Frank DeFulgentis)

Outside my bedroom window 
there lives a spooky tree
As soon as I climb into bed
It sits and watches me
(M Smith & A Hipperson)

cemetery, cool and quiet
hate to leave your sacred lay
dread the milky coming of the day
(Jim Morrison) 

There's a house upon the hilltop
We will not go inside
For that is where the witches live,
Where ghosts and goblins hide.

"will you walk into my parlor?"
said the spider to the fly.....

My Favourite Time of Year

 I love this time of year- the light, colours, crispness. It's so beautiful.

Sunset on the Pacific

On my last few hours in San Diego I was offered a trip to the beach before I flew home. I jumped on the chance. She took me to Ocean Beach that seemed to fit my own stereotypes of a california beach- there were surfers and laid back people wandering the sands. There ware even VW vans :)  I believe I smuggled some sand back on the plane.