Water, Water Everywhere….February 27, 2024

Posted on February 28, 2024 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to Jez for hosting Water, Water Everywhere…https://jezbraithwaite.blog/2024/02/26/straiton-pond-2-for-water-water-everywhere-210/

I never get tired of the waterfront that I live close to (literally 100m from my house). It changes with the season, the wind, time of day and the weather. Earlier this week the water was dead calm. Very unusual for this time of year but the entire winter this year has been unusual. Little to no snow, mild temperatures, rain and then sudden drops in temperature that last for one to three days.

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I’m a Fan of….Black and White Art

Posted on February 26, 2024 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to Jez for hosting I’m a fan of….https://jezbraithwaite.blog/2024/02/26/lensball-shots-re-imagined-as-ai-artwork-in-my-fan-of-series-2/

Back in January I helped curate and hang the Black and White Show at WAAC. It has quickly become on of my favourite exhibitions at Women’s Art in Toronto. I’m already looking forward to next year’s show.

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Weekly Prompts Weekend Challenge – Expect

Posted on February 26, 2024 by Mama Cormier

…when one ‘expects’ to be fed

On my walk today, the ducks and geese were foraging for food along the shoreline. Normally when I get closer the ducks, in particular, waddle to the water and swim away. Today, however, it was bitterly cold and as I moved in closer so did the ducks. Clearly they were ‘expecting’ me to feed them. I know that bread is bad for ducks so I never throw them crusts of day old bread.

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Thanks to Sue W and GC for hosting Weekly Promptshttps://weeklyprompts.com/2024/02/24/weekly-prompts-weekend-challenge-expect/

Signs of Spring in February 2024

Posted on February 23, 2024 by Mama Cormier

…with milder temperatures and rain instead of snow we’re seeing buds, sprouts and even flowers

In many parts of the world this is hardly unusual but it’s very unusual in Toronto to see signs of spring this early.

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Tonight the temperatures are dropping by 20 celsius degrees, +9 to -11. Earlier today I was overdressed and when I went out later in the day I quickly felt how much the temperatures were dropping and I was very much underdressed.

Sunday Stills – Iconic Places and Spaces

Posted on February 20, 2024 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to Terri for hosting Sunday Stills https://secondwindleisure.com/2024/02/18/sunday-stills-how-iconic-are-your-favorite-places-and-spaces/

Here are some of my favourite iconic places and spaces that I’ve visited in last 8 years.

361-BA458-4-A3-C-4-A81-9-DE8-CEC2-CFAA578-E-1-201-a — *Peggy’s Cove, NS*

A984-D589-CE45-41-A3-A323-B9-B606-B1285-F — *Banff and the Rocky Mountains*

1-D8530-DE-0948-4-CCE-8-F49-6-D07947-DE349 — *Hopewell Rocks, Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick*

1-D4-D5286-5342-4-D88-8-D0-A-1-EA82-CB402-DE — *Giant Lobster, Shediac, NB*

2-BFFF43-F-75-A5-49-A6-819-D-D14-F0-FBF7569 — *St. Paul’s Cathedral, London*

BA4-BAD6-C-ABE8-4-B33-A5-E1-049-A0777-BD23 — *The Louvre, Paris*

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ACB454-F6-E519-49-C9-8636-A169-C95-DF388 — *The London Eye, London, England*

A584-C3-F5-85-D4-4-C65-8-BFD-44108-DC8992-A — *The Victoria and Albert Museum, London*

23-E1-A40-E-840-B-4-F8-E-833-A-FBD44580-AF22 — *Harrod’s, London*

847-E67-CE-6-A66-4321-A3-B3-3-DCF965-B5-F4-F — *Buckingham Palace, London*

CC9-FBEC5-E8-DE-4-E5-F-B5-E4-2-E3-BE73-CCC70 — *The Vatican, Italy*

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7503-D9-CE-53-D1-4655-A73-D-D43-AC008-DF0-B — *The Colosseum, Rome*

C85-A9-BFC-0122-4787-B23-A-74-FE4-ACD680-B — *Photo bomb of the Venice de Milo, Florence, Italy*

9185-ADE6-9566-4-CB2-B126-F3359047-C5-DD-1-201-a — *Gondolas in Venice, Italy*

86-C05738-9-D3-B-4-DD1-80-D1-4-B406978256-A — *View of Florence and the* Duomo di Firenza

Sunday Trees – February 18, 2024

Posted on February 18, 2024 by Mama Cormier

…a canopy of Bare Bones

One of my favourite walkways in Colonel Sam Smith Park. It changes with every season. Even in the winter the bare bones of these majestic trees invite you to walk along the path.

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Thanks to Becca Givens for hosting Sunday Treeshttps://beccagivens.wordpress.com/2024/02/18/sunday-trees-521/

Love is in the Air

Posted on February 15, 2024 by Mama Cormier

…leading up to, on the day and the day after Valentine’s Day

Everywhere you look there are signs for this special day.

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I’m not one for big, expensive fancy gifts. I’m more about the kind gestures and thoughtful cards with expressions of love. In the past my husband has hand painted me some fun cards. This year he posted a special card for our grandchildren. For me he made a very special dinner, with a cocktail before dinner and wine with dinner.

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32-A39307-94-B5-4236-8-BA1-3433566-EF9-CE — *…of course flowers*

Weekly Prompts Wednesday Challenge – Streets

Posted on February 15, 2024 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to Sue W and GC for hosting Weekly Prompts https://weeklyprompts.com/2024/02/14/weekly-prompts-wednesday-challenge-streets/

593-B6976-A94-E-472-A-BD98-99-C39-CE9-F232 — *Paris street from our hotel room*

A5791726-AD3-E-4730-B911-7-A3-D8-C938-F9-E — *Paris intersection*

AB9-DF61-B-567-D-4-E4-F-86-C1-58-D6451397-B1 — *Medieval street in Tours, France*

7-BBF7-D2-D-01-A3-4177-A653-7462-EDB96464 — *Street to the train station in Tours, France*

B5-DE9-C9-D-97-C9-463-F-9666-032-E740-F36-C5 — *Carnaby Street, London*

A0863-E7-D-A437-415-B-B38-A-E8-B5067-AE670 — *Street in Dublin, Ireland*

B074967-F-16-BA-4-BF2-9-E3-B-1-F03-B962-F1-BF — *Dublin, Ireland*

2-B6-D16-BC-ABCA-4152-A29-F-AFAFFD06-E299-1-201-a — *In the neighbourhood*

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

31-F01361-5385-4-B7-B-8-E6-D-E0-BB4340-BB7-E-1-201-a — *Downtown Calgary, Alberta*

1-FA0-D225-997-C-4-BC8-AF19-64-DBA091-F37-E — *Steep street in Sherbrooke, Quebec*

74-EEF53-C-AA5-A-4-DE3-8-EE6-7950-C8657-F38 — *Street in Halifax, Nova Scotia*

1081-AF07-0-C3-F-4362-A78-D-9-F9-E144-BFEA9 — *Halifax, Nova Scotia*

E2145-BAD-7-F9-B-4804-A6-EE-B62-A8-F937-C13 — *Street outside Moncton, New Brunswick*

Textures in Yarn

Posted on February 13, 2024 by Mama Cormier

…I love to collect yarn…the more texture the better

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Back to Baking

Posted on February 9, 2024 by Mama Cormier

…after a six week hiatus I’m back at Montgomery’s Inn

The break from baking after Christmas was nice but I’m happy to be back at the Inn with my baking friends. On Tuesday we filled the industrial mixer with four different doughs and left them to proof overnight in the fridge. The next day the wood burning oven was fired up. We had a new shipment of wood delivered to the inn that week but unfortunately it was a bit wet and getting the oven to temperature was a bit of a challenge but in the end we managed. Two more batches of sour dough bread were prepped that morning and then we kneaded and shaped six different breads for the oven.

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Our lead baker, Dale made a wonderful tourtière for our lunch and I made a big green salad.

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After lunch we removed the first batch of bread from the oven and then loaded the second batch. We bake about 30 to 40 loaves at a time.

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Once all the breads are baked we turn it over to our sales staff to sell the bread at the Farmers’ Market that same day. All the profits go to fund community projects at the Inn.