The lovely Becca Givens from On Dragonfly Wings With Buttercup Tea has invited me to join the Seven Day Nature Challenge. Every day I will post a photo taken from nature and invite a new person to participate in the challenge.
On day 2 I’m asking Joanne over at My Life Lived Full to join the Seven Day Nature Challenge. She’s travelled far and taken some wonderful photos. I’m hoping she’ll share some of her nature photos in this challenge.
….thanks to Elizabeth from Tea and Paper for nominating me
For day two of this challenge I had to share a photo of my new grandchild.
If your baby is “beautiful and perfect, never cries or fusses, sleeps on schedule and burps on demand, an angel all the time,” you’re the grandma.”
— Theresa Bloomingdale
The Rules for the Three Day Challenge are as follows:
Thank the blogger who nominated you.
Publish 3 quotes on 3 consecutive days on your blog. It can be your own, or from a book, movie or from anyone who inspires you.
Nominate 3 more bloggers to carry on this endeavour.
The second person I’d like to nominate is Jodi at Life in Between. I love her wonderful outlook on life, her delicious recipes, amazing photos and her beautiful handmade cards. She is a very gifted, creative and talented person. Check out her blog
I was invited by Elizabeth from Tea and Paper to join the Five Photos, Five Stories Challenge “Post a photo each day for five consecutive days and attach a story to the photo. It can be fiction or non-fiction, a poem or a short paragraph and each day nominate another blogger for the challenge.” Elizabeth is a fellow Canadian who lives close by but never reveals exactly where. She loves to journal, take photographs and write poetry.
Today, on day 2, I’d like to invite Woolly from Woolly Muses who resides ‘way down under’. He describes himself as a former wool chaser and after 30 years changed careers and became a teacher. He loves all kinds of photographic challenges and I hope accepts this invitation to join in on this challenge.
After yesterday’s poem I felt I had jinxed the weather. We had a beautiful, albeit cool day, and I really felt in my heart of hearts that Spring had finally arrived. I did say that more snow was still a possibility in this neck of the woods but I guess I was quietly hoping that after our long and bitterly cold winter that we might get a break from that prediction. Silly me!
Last night, after watching a movie with my husband, I decided to quickly check on my emails before heading off to bed. The dog started to whine, indicating that a quick trip outside was in order. I put my laptop aside, slipped on my shoes and without putting on a jacket I opened the door and this is what I encountered.
Arrrgghh!!!!!
You can’t really tell from the photos but the snowflakes were big and fluffy and they clung to the branches of the trees. I have to admit that it was pretty but enough is enough.
This morning when I woke up the ground was still covered. Later in the morning didn’t it start to snow again. Once more the flakes were big and fluffy but the temperature must have been hovering just above freezing because it didn’t amount to anything. Later this afternoon all traces of the snow were gone.
Is this the last of the snow? I’m not saying anything this time. I don’t need to jinx us again.
Cheers!
…..thanks to Becca from On Dragonfly Wings With Buttercup Tea for inviting me to join the 5 Day Black and White Challenge
Day 2
The challenge is to post one (1) B&W photo a day for 5 consecutive days, and ask someone each day to join in the fun.
For my Day 2 of the Challenge:
I ask Elizabeth of Tea and Paper to share her talent.
∴∴∴∴∴∴∴∴∴∴∴∴∴∴∴∴∴∴∴∴∴∴∴∴
If any one of you would like to participate in this 5 Day Black & White Challenge, please let me know.
Rules for 5 Black and White Challenge (there are only 2) 😀
For 5 days create a post any past or present photo in black and white.
Each day you invite a new photographer to join the fun.
….I’ve wanted to try this technique for awhile
Today’s face is a line drawing with a watercolour wash. I took the image from a photograph but it doesn’t look much like the subject. Can any of you guess who she is?
…..the challenge is to change the name of the blog
The name Mama Cormier has been with me for a long time. My daughter first used it when she was coming up with a user name for my email account. It’s a name that has just stuck with me all these years. Are there advantages to changing it at this time? I guess my biggest concern is confusing those who already follow me. I have considered using Mama Cormier with an added phrase but nothing grabs me. On the other hand, I have expanded the tag line that follows the name. It used to be ….memories and so much more and now it reads….my journey to a healthy life, making new memories and so much more.
I like having an eclectic blog where I can write about whatever comes my way. Maybe my readership would increase if I had a main focus but that’s not who I am. My life is eclectic. I have eclectic taste in music, art, design, clothing, and furniture. I like to try new things and explore different places.
Day 2 – Walking
Today I decided to try walking again. This time the sun was shining and the winds had disappeared. It was still very cold, -20 celsius but the lake had calmed down and the waves moved slowly like molasses with thin crusts of ice floating on the surface.
The lake hardly ever freezes because of its immense size so when you see ice on the lake you know it’s cold out there. The city skyline came back into view today and only wisps of fog settled close to the surface of the water.
The three of us dressed warmly for today’s hike (Frances always wears the same fur coat) but the salt and the frigid temperatures were too much for our little dog. We headed back home after a very short walk to the park at the end of the street.
I recently purchased special booties for the dog but she didn’t want any part of them when I tried to put them on her today. Oh well, too bad, so sad, I went for the walk on my own. I was already dressed and I wasn’t the least bit cold today. I walked all the way to Col. Sam Smith Park and proceeded to the lookout by the yacht club.
It was eerily quiet today. There were very few people out walking and there were stretches where I didn’t see a soul. In the last couple of weeks there have been sightings of coyotes in the area and my mind started to think about the possibility of meeting up with one or two of them along the walk. What would I do? I took some comfort in the fact that I had my cell phone with me and if need be I could always call 911 if I got into some kind of trouble.
As I got closer to the point I finally ran into another walker and his dog. I told him how glad I was to see him and he told me that he had seen the coyotes a couple of times in the last two days. He assured me that if I made some noise that they would probably stay away from me. I remember my friend D, telling me that I should sing if I was ever in the woods alone and that would keep away any wildlife.
After I said good-bye to the dog walker, I headed back towards the college and I started to hum and sign O Canada. If anybody heard me they probably thought I was a bit off my rocker. 
Closer to the campus there is a great new figure 8 outdoor skating facility and lo and behold other people were also out today enjoying a skate on the ice. I watched for a few minutes while I took some photos and then realized that my morning coffee was pressing against my bladder and that I needed to quickly find a washroom. This is the down-side of going for long walks at my age but luckily there was a Tim Horton’s close by on the campus.
After using the facilities I purchased a medium coffee to warm my insides and keep my hands warm. Actually the down mittens that I was wearing were so warm that I had to take them off periodically because my hands started to sweat. For awhile the coffee cup kept them warm but in -20 degree weather the coffee didn’t stay warm for long.
When I got home I tracked the distance on Google Maps and discovered that I had walked a total distance of 5.15k. Not bad considering the conditions but I have to admit that I really enjoyed being out in the sun today.
Day Two – Job
I’ve written down numerous jobs that I want to tackle this month. One of them is fixing a lamp that I painted years ago. The electrical hardware had come loose and the shade wobbled back and forth. I wasn’t sure why it did that or how to fix it so I took it to an electrical lighting store today.
The clerk kindly unscrewed the parts and informed me that the thread on the one part had become stripped and needed to be replaced. I could leave it with them and wait three weeks for it to be fixed or I could purchase the part and do it myself. I chose the latter option but they didn’t have the part in stock. I bought a new shade from them and then drove to the closest Canadian Tire and found the part there.
When I got home tonight I was going to fix the lamp right after supper but when I sat down to check my emails I discovered that I had forgotten about a get together with friends tonight. I had started supper already and my husband told me not to worry about him and go and enjoy myself. I made sure that everything for dinner was well underway and I quickly got ready to go out.
I didn’t get home till after 11:00 so I didn’t finish the lamp and I wasn’t even sure I’d get to writing this post but here I am about to finish it. Tomorrow is another day. The lamp should only take a few minutes to fix and I can think about the next project I want to start. I decided when I started this challenge that the jobs that I chose to work on didn’t have to be finished in one day. Some of them may take several days to complete.
Well I’m going to add a few photos and then off to bed. Oh my, it’s almost 2:00 in the morning. Good night!
Cheers!
…..winter has come upon us quickly this year
Usually winter approaches us gradually but this year the temperatures dropped below freezing overnight and we were totally unprepared for the icy temperatures. One day the ground was still soft and mushy and the next it was like a block of ice. So much for getting my tulip bulbs planted this year. Maybe we’ll have a bit of a warm spell like they had in Calgary this week.
Ode to Winter
Cold winds bite the skin,
dampness chills you to the core
Warmth awaits indoors
****
Frostbite nibbles cheeks,
and shows little mercy to
ears, fingers and toes
****
Clouds of CO2
emerge in foggy pillows
with each breath taken
****
Old man Winter blows
upon unsuspecting towns
frigid and ruthless
****
For more Haiku check out the Daily Post Challenge at:
…..in search of the Atlantic Ocean
When we woke up this morning we discovered that our ham had been stolen from our window ledge. Oh well, nothing ventured nothing gained. I hope that whoever or whatever took our meat at least enjoyed it.
We knew that breakfast was waiting for us downstairs so we quickly got dressed and made our way to the breakfast room. As with most B & Bs, the counter was stocked with croissants, bread for toasting, jams, butter, cereals, milk, fruit salad and juices. What we weren’t expecting was to be handed a menu with more breakfast options, such as the full Irish breakfast, smoked salmon, eggs and bacon and oatmeal.
We placed our orders and were brought a carafe of freshly brewed coffee. While K enjoyed his full Irish breakfast and I my smoked salmon we discussed what we wanted to do for the rest of the day. We had pretty much decided that a hike was in order and I really wanted to see the Atlantic Ocean. One of the things that caught my eye as we perused the travel brochures was a boat tour of Clews Bay.
Overlooking the town along the Greenway.
After our hearty and delicious breakfast we went back to the room to get ready for the hike along the Westport Greenway. This is a popular walking and cycling path that used to be the Old Railway Line. It goes from the city centre down to the The Quays, a distance of 2.5 k one way.
Before we left we bought some water and a couple of sandwiches from the local grocery store and we still had the salad from the night before. The walk was relatively easy and the scenery was magnificent. The mountain in the background is Croagh Patrick.
Croagh Patrick (pronounced Croke Patrick) stands at 764m (2,507ft) and is the third highest peak in Mayo. Best known for its association with Saint Patrick, Ireland’s patron saint, who is said to have fasted for 40 days at the summit in 441AD, Croagh Patrick has been a pilgrimage destination since pre-Christian times.
When we reached the Quays I was disappointed to see that the tide was out and there were only beds of mud and rock to be seen. We rested for a bit, ate our salad and drank our water before we continued on our way. We walked along the Quay and followed the signs to Westport House, the home of the infamous pirate, Grace O’Malley.
The trail and road towards Westport House took us through some beautiful woodland areas. At one point we had a lovely view of the house from the far end of the pond. My only regret is that I didn’t take a photo here because once we got into the park we no longer had a view of the house. The only way to see the gardens, the remnants of the original castle and the house was to buy a pass. Once again my husband wasn’t interested in paying to see a few rooms. After checking out the website, here, I wish we had taken the time and spent the money to see it. The video is quite interesting.
We continued to walk around the park and eventually found ourselves back in town. We stopped to eat our sandwiches and then headed back to the Elephant House. I have to admit that I was a little disappointed that we didn’t see the boat tour and I wasn’t sure what we were going to do for the rest of the day.
When we got to the B & B, our host met us at the door and asked what our plans were for the rest of the day. I told him that I had wanted to go on the boat tour of Clews Bay but I knew that we would never be able to walk back in time to catch the boat. To our amazement, Dez, our host offered to drive us back to the pier. We hopped into his SUV and in a few minutes we were back at The Quays.
The tour was 15 Euro, each, for the 1 1/2 hour boat cruise through the bay. This was something I really wanted to do so I paid for both of us. I was really glad to be wearing my hat and having sun screen with me. Not only did we use it but the two passengers next to us also used it on their fair Irish skin. It was a perfect day to be out on the water. It was calm and the tour guide was informative and witty. Did you know that John Lennon actually bought one of the islands there and stayed there for an extended period of time? I can’t really imagine why anyone would want to live on these treeless islands. No power, no water, nothing. 
John Lennon’s Island. I wasn’t kidding when I said there was nothing on it.
At the end of the tour our host was waiting for us. He asked us if we would like to go for a pint at his favourite local pub outside of town. Well you don’t have to ask my husband twice. When we got to the Sheebin, K had to insist that we pay
for the round. It was very relaxing sitting outside overlooking the water. It was great talking to our host, learning about the town, how the B & B came to be, and how the town became so famous. As is often the case the success of the Westport can be attributed to the vision of one person.
Dez bought the second round for the guys; I was still nursing my first drink. One of the other things that we talked about was how we missed our vegetables with our meals. He had some great suggestions of where we could eat and probably find what we were looking for. One of the suggestions was the Wyatt Hotel where they had a dinner special for 60 Euro for two.
We checked out all the places that our host recommended but in the end we decided to try the Wyatt Hotel. We weren’t disappointed. We opted for the dinner special that included three courses and a complimentary bottle of wine. The atmosphere and decor were relaxed chic and the food was amazing. Even the wine was good but the best part was the large platter of vegetables that appeared on the table as part of our meal. We were in heaven. 
All in all our two day stay in Westport were outstanding, partially due to our wonderful hosts at the Elephant House. We would definitely recommend visiting Westport when you’re in Ireland. Next time we would stay a couple of days longer and check out some of the other activities that the town offers, such as sea kayaking and the 42 k cycling path along the Great Western Greenway.
Time to leave Westport. We’ll be back.
Mama Cormier 