Weird Winter Ducks

Posted on January 18, 2024 by Mama Cormier

…winter has officially been dubbed as Weird Duck Season

Winter has officially become the season of the duck, thanks in part to Rosemary Mosco’s comic about weird winter ducks! Each winter, the Great Lakes is inundated with a great variety of waterfowl (over 30 species!) as ducks, geese and swans use our region as their winter getaway.

Last weekend, when my daughter and daughter-in-law came to visit we went for a walk down to the waterfront and discovered hundreds of ducks close to the water’s edge. My daughter quickly pointed out that a large group of them were Long-tailed ducks that have migrated from the Arctic and have settled onto Lake Ontario for the winter. It was fun watching them that day. The waves were high but these ducks seemed to relish the rough conditions. They dove into the waves and almost seemed to being surfing.

4-EFFA5-D4-6-D3-D-464-A-9-C73-34-D74399-F6-A2

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Unfortunately I only had my iPhone with me and I couldn’t get any close-ups of the Long-tailed ducks so I found this video on YouTube to share with you.

JusJoJan24 – Olive

Posted on January 12, 2024 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to Kaye for the prompt, Olive for the JusJoJan24 challenge https://kayespencer.com/2024/01/11/jusjojan24-1-11-2024-feline-olive-jusjojan24-cats-feralcats/

As soon as I heard that ‘Olive’ was the prompt for the JusJoJan challenge I immediately thought of my granddog, Olive. She is a seven year old Frenchie, that brings us much love and joy, especially when we get to dogsit her.

A76-B8-B0-F-51-E3-4-D4-D-8559-6-F7-B626-E0851

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My Second Jig Saw Puzzle in 2024

Posted on January 11, 2024 by Mama Cormier

…was gifted this puzzle last year by my friend, Maria who also gifted me the first puzzle that I completed last week

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The foil pieces were a bit of a challenge, especially at night when the light from above would leave a glare. This one took me just over two days to complete.

Thursday Trios from the Mall

Posted on January 11, 2024 by Mama Cormier

…after days of greyness I decided to get some steps in at the Mall

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If you have any trios to share I’d love to see them. Just copy my link and paste it into your post and I’ll be sure to check it out. Have Fun!

A Look Back on 2023 – April to July

Posted on January 10, 2024 by Mama Cormier

…a busy part of the year as I get ready for my solo art show, open the cottage and prepare to fly to Calgary

66664128-4929-45-FC-A886-36-B59719-D082-1-201-a

307-F668-F-EFDB-46-AA-8912-3045837-E23-DD — *Adding Stitching to my art and experimenting with rock weaving*

7-EA9817-E-C682-452-C-80-AC-4-EB356-B028-D5 — *Trip to the Guelph Arboretum*

81648564-D5-F6-42-B7-839-B-390-EB5-B66363-1-201-a

9358269-A-1-C8-F-4-EFD-A6-D1-23-C8-B6679-DB3 — *Daughter running at the High Park Spring Runoff and my friend’s daughter’s wedding*

49-A0-B553-1-F78-4-BF9-8624-D246-DA165797-1-201-a

237-D5-F03-9615-46-B6-81-C8-0-FF311-B3-E912 — *Poster for my solo show and curating the collection at home before installation*

7428-A771-4329-4172-AC3-F-7-E8-E3-AD67-A71-1-201-a

167-FE230-1368-4-DE1-946-E-1308-D726446-A — *Show is installed and ready for opening day*

7-A48413-B-E009-48-BB-9-D24-7-EC6220-D54-BC

D60-FEBCF-DDA2-4-DE7-849-B-60-C98-A6-D0889

6-A426-BD3-04-AF-424-B-BA4-E-9207-B0377107 — *After three long years we’re back to bread baking at Montgomery’s Inn*

8-DBECA5-D-D304-4-F45-ACD0-1-BB310-A88105

9587-ECB5-9916-43-DF-8-CA2-9-BAEB98-DF3-A1 — *Opening of the Lawn Bowling Season*

F6-DBD559-34-A7-4-C50-B7-D0-C929-FFF0-F841

D34-B4-F68-E0-CB-48-E0-9-A5-B-7-E4981813-BCC-1-201-a — *Trip to the Aberfoyle Market and the Elora Gorge*

DF958-B84-75-F9-4092-873-D-23-C4819-F693-B — *Beginning of our cat sitting experience with Tober*

96455-FA7-41-A7-442-D-B521-0-F16-AAF7-BEA4-1-201-a

05-BE84-E0-9-F21-427-F-BD08-2-E13574-BDB8-E — *Another art installation at WAAC*

279-C4572-968-D-4867-8487-1363131-F4260-1-201-a

4-D5-A2-A20-8159-41-EE-935-B-A7-BD01-F0-A3-DF — *Opening Reception for “Artists Choice” at WAAC*

068138-BB-D0-A6-4-AA2-A206-E6-C5-FCCAC7-B7

45-FBAFEA-A448-4803-8822-C2-FB9-B2-DE885 — *The Lakeshore Cheese festival and my friend* *Peter’s retirement party*

52614-F57-84-BA-4536-8-E62-FAE19-F27-CCDC

B82-A4-DB4-10-B0-45-E1-9-F92-07-EC224-D250-F — *Opening the Cottage with my friend Liz*

93604-D31-D4-F8-4-C49-89-F8-8920-CCD7-FABA

698-E94-F6-CCF9-4516-8526-6-C8-E9-A234518 — *Trip to the Cheltenham Badlands*

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52-E1-B8-F5-C3-F0-4-FE0-92-FF-FB89-BBBB5104 — *Long Branch Garden Tour….congratulations Mary*

01-F91586-C403-4037-A32-D-8658502-CC588-1-201-a

9-A0626-DC-FF2-D-4-EB8-995-B-D23211-B37-C60 — *Dog sitting Olive while her Mommies are on the East Coast visiting Winnie and her family*

73-CEF265-ABBF-4-D45-A92-F-CEDE81-BD95-A2-1-201-a

4-F709181-EE1-D-45-B1-A1-B4-734-D0283508-B — *A trip to the cottage with Andrea…put down the new floor in the kitchen*

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1-BB741-C3-2-B0-B-4572-B014-D484-E0-BB4-C93

370013-A7-B337-4-FEE-847-C-00-D601-F1-C4-C6 — *Flying to Calgary to visit family and friends….took a side trip to Banff*

7229-D164-D74-E-44-D3-9-BDB-3-D7-C56-E36-EF2-1-201-a

EE137-AD4-5-B25-4103-88-C6-263-C81-BD8-DE9-1-201-a — *Fun times with my sister and her husband until……*

E60-C7-C16-6-B2-B-4-FB6-BBE1-7-FFADA66-F670

16-B57-C3-E-933-D-47-DD-AA52-1-BBAADED2-CFB — *…Kevin ended up in the hospital for the next five days with pneumonia …kept himself busy with drawing*

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AACA7-C87-9-C9-D-4-B6-D-A884-19-ED175-F2978 — *In the meantime my sister and brother-in-law took me on many excursions in between hospital visits and I did get to spend time with our friends Lance and Lois*

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To be continued…..

Weekly Prompts Colour Challenge – Purple

Posted on January 9, 2024 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to Sue W and GC for hosting Weekly Prompts https://weeklyprompts.com/2024/01/06/weekly-prompts-colour-challenge-purple-2/

I like purple but I have to admit that I am not drawn to it as a colour. Funny because our high school colours were purple and gold. When I think of purple I think of royalty and according to Kendra Cherry from VeryWell https://www.verywellmind.com/the-color-psychology-of-purple-2795820#toc-purple-meanings-and-associations, it can also represent spirituality, wealth, mystery, femininity and in the U.S., bravery and courage, i.e. the purple heart.

It is also not a commonly found colour in nature but I have managed to find a number of purple flowers. Going through my archive I’ve found the following purple objects.

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AFF5-D82-D-F9-BC-4-D7-E-8-AB7-6060951516-DD

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A8-CF1408-4-D9-B-4-C3-C-A921-C244-F4997-BEE-1-201-a — *This is one of the few paintings where I’ve used the colour purple*

Back to My Drawing Table

Posted on January 7, 2024 by Mama Cormier

…getting ready for the Black and White Show

It’s been awhile since I painted anything. I’ve used a medium that I’ve only dabbled in. These two pieces are made with charcoal and ink. I still need to name them. If you can think of anything I would definitely consider it.

Both are framed and matted in a 11″x14″ frame.

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A Look Back on 2023

Posted on January 6, 2024 by Mama Cormier

It seems that I have been very inconsistent with my blog in the last month. For that I apologize to my regular followers. I hope to do better in 2024. Here is a quick review of my highlights in 2023.

January to March 2023

33109696-B657-4593-9-BE7-276-ECAD2-A733 — *Going to the AGO*

20420591-8-D61-448-C-A3-B5-B60-B111-F024-C — *Fun in the Snow in January*

EE2-BD025-22-D3-4-F10-8-B8-D-6048361-CED30 — *Going to the Opera with my good friend Linda*

06081096-0-BE1-4907-8-F25-A92-FD2-DBAF91 — *Attending the Kent Monkman Show for the second time*

57-FFACE0-9-DE5-48-C5-8360-8719-E0750613 — *Indoor bowling*

FF98-CF6-F-34-C4-4112-9-E05-108-F15-EDFA37 — *Balmy February weather…no snow*

7-D085613-813-B-4030-836-E-AF7-AEDCAE377 — *Helping with the installation of the Legacy Show at WAAC*

7-C5-E0-D24-B397-4-F56-9292-720-C0-E6-C905-E

811-EEF41-9-DF7-4-FF7-B184-E030613-D6229-1-201-a — *Working in my sketchbook*

DE0986-B8-0979-4388-AB2-F-B7-E4-F20-EBD03 — *Starting work for my solo show in May*

8740339-B-8274-4459-B329-0-A89-FF261-E4-F-1-201-a — *Attending College Royal in Guelph*

17-D84637-E940-4-A72-A5-AD-C3067-F687476-1-201-a — *In the barns at the University of Guelph*

E3-D79598-9-A09-44-D4-9-FBE-B108-C26-CA0-ED — *Attending the Quilting Show at the Neilson Park Creative Centre*

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To be continued…..

Three Days to Complete My New Jigsaw Puzzle

Posted on January 5, 2024 by Mama Cormier

…only one piece missing….ugh!

After Day 2

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Day Three

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How frustrating to discover that one piece is missing. I searched under all the chairs, tables, wall units, carpet and the couch. No luck but my house is cleaner and I discovered my tablet that I hadn’t realized was missing.