Log Living

So close

2006-09-04T08:51:00.000-03:00

This shot was taken along the Gibson Trail on the northside of Fredericton while we were geocaching with some friends last weekend. This deer let us walk up very close to her before she turned and bolted. There are some other shots, when viewed one right after the other, that seem like one of those animation flip books we had when we were kids. But, those shots are all very blurry. The only editing was to change the colour setting to sepia.

Brick wall

2006-08-17T18:47:00.000-03:00

Rick took this shot of a crumbling wall at a school on the Northside of Fredericton. Posted here with no digital editing.

2006-08-16T20:25:00.000-03:00

I liked the look of these sheds all lined up on the shore in PEI. Shot taken with Canon Digital Rebel. I upped the colour saturation a bit using Picasa.

Tea at the Lunar Rogue

2006-07-28T19:25:00.000-03:00

Photo taken with Kodak DX 3900, no digital editing.

Yummy rock!

2006-07-26T20:59:00.000-03:00

It looks to me like this jellyfish is trying (unsuccessfully) to have a snack.

Bridges in Black and White

2006-07-25T19:51:00.000-03:00

Rick took these two photos on our vacation last week - the only editing was to change them from colour to black and white in Picasa. The first bridge is in Nauwigewauk, NB and the second shot is of the Confederation Bridge linking NB and PEI.

Another aerial shot

2006-07-14T10:46:00.000-03:00

This one is of downtown Fredericton. It was taken a few months ago before we got our super new camera (Canon Digital Rebel - love it!), but I like it enough to post it.

Grand Manan

2006-07-06T20:21:00.000-03:00

We camped on Grand Manan a couple weeks ago and took alot of pictures. But when we viewed them at home, most had spots. Something is wrong with the camera or the lens, so we have to have it checked. We cleaned up the ones we liked most and here's one of my favourites. A lobster trap is in the foreground on the beach and you can see the bay in the distance.

Hostas

2006-07-05T19:31:00.000-03:00

I wish I could make these photos even bigger. This one has so much impact in a larger format. I have it set as my desktop background right now. I love the little fern peaking out.

Caution: construction

2006-07-04T16:23:00.000-03:00

This is a photo of the Lord Beaverbrook Hotel which is being re-furbished under new ownership. Hope the workers aren't scared of heights.

Happy Canada Day

2006-07-02T09:49:00.000-03:00

Ok, so I know its the day after, but I didn't get home until 11:30 after the fireworks were over. So happy belated birthday Canada! This photo is of the provincial legislature building all dressed up. And happy birthday to Steve - at least that birthday greeting is on the right day!

2006-04-26T20:41:00.000-03:00

I managed to sneak away from the raking this past weekend to take a few shots of the crocus in bloom in the backyard. Next up are the daffodils - you've gotta love bulbs. They just come back year after year. They're like a reward for surviving winter (not that we had much winter this year).

Spring has sprung

2006-04-11T20:31:00.000-03:00

Some crocus bulbs are poking their heads out of the ground. This shot was taken 2 days ago and they're starting to show some colour today. I'll post another picture later this week. Amazing how fast they grow. There are also daffodils and tulips coming up. I love this part of spring.

Oak Island Treasure

2006-04-09T16:49:00.000-03:00

If you're interested in buried treasure, there are some stories to read on this website. Theories vary and lives have been lost in the hunt for the treasure which has lasted over 200 years. Hubby remembers reading books about the island when he was a kid. Last summer, we vacationed in Mahone Bay and his interest was piqued again. Access to the island is restricted since it's private property so he didn't get his hoped-for tour. He did buy Oak Island Gold, a book about the mystery. A friend of his happens to be a pilot and became interested in the site after borrowing the book. Do all little boys grow up dreaming of buried treasure and pirate's booty? So today, we rented a Cessna,

and flew over the island to take some pictures.

I'm sure they were pinpointing the spots they would dig if only they had access to the island and its famous "Money Pit".

Sunny Saturday

2006-04-08T09:37:00.000-03:00

It's actually an overcast day. But this photo makes me think lucsious, cheery thoughts.

New camera

2006-04-07T18:13:00.000-03:00

hooray! We bought a new camera this week from Camera Canada. It's a Canon Digital Rebel XT. This isn't my first picture attempt, but it's my favourite so far...

Daylight Savings

2006-04-02T09:53:00.000-03:00

Here I thought I was getting my Sunday off to a great start. I got up *early* to go for a run (tee hee, it still makes me chuckle to say "run" - if any of you saw the gasping and flailing that I call running, you'd laugh 'til tears leaked out the corners of your eyes). Then I log onto the computer to read some knit blogs, and it's a whole hour later. That hour is lost!! I don't feel nearly so productive now that it's 10:00. Now if I'd been up, had a run, breakfast and a shower before 9:00 - that's something to write about. Which I suppose I did even though time is now against me - it's pure perception.

No pictures in this post today because light is terrible this morning. Very little natural light through the windows this morning because of the odd almost-storm like conditions outside. I started a sleeve on the Hourglass sweater last night. My lys does not carry 12" circs so I bought a pack of dpns (my first pack!). I knit some impressive ladders into my sleeve so I will be ripping it out. At least it was only a 60 stitch cast on. Happy Sunday everybody!

Hourglass sweater

2006-03-26T11:04:00.000-04:00

I've been working on a new knitting project. This is the first one I've made for me! I've made a few scarfs, and hats, and most recently a baby dress - they've all been gifted on unsuspecting friends and family members who are sweet and swallow any comments about "mistakes", which will henceforth be known as "hand-made charm". What are loved ones for if you can't practice techniques on their knitted gifts? This time any hand-made charm will be displayed proudly on my own back (or sleeve, or front...). It will be many weeks until this is done. The timing will probably hit right around the middle of summer when I will have no need for a beautiful silk/mohair/wool sweater.
Pattern: Hourglass sweater from Last Minute Knitted Gifts
Yarn: KnitPicks Andean Silk in "Lettuce"

Gasping for breath, er...running

2006-03-26T10:54:00.000-04:00

So last week, a friend convinced me (by twisting my arm behind my back and handing over my debit card) to join the "Learn to Run" clinic through the Running Room. We were a week late signing up so tomorrow I'm expected to run a minute, walk a minute for 20 minutes total. Doesn't sound too hard...Until now I've been operating under the assumption that I'm a 29 year old in fairly good shape. I now need to revise my impression of myself. Apparently I'm a nearly 30 non-runner whose heart will soon explode. And who knew my street had hills? In a car it all seems relatively flat. Not so - GIANT hills abound on my street. Hubby is in Montreal this weekend for his birthday bash and when I sent him an IM about my crazy, forced decision to join the running clinic - HE LAUGHED. I could hear him from here. I can't believe I have to run again tomorrow. Isn't one practice run on Friday enough? For god's sake, I still hurt!

this little piggy went to market

2006-01-29T10:04:00.000-04:00

Yesterday hubby and I went to Saint John to visit our parents. On the way over, we stopped at the Saint John City Market for lunch and to take a few pictures. I love these marzipan pigs!

We also managed to get some "documentary style" shots for our photo class

hmmm, I wish I knew how to get these 2 pictures side by side. I'd go ask hubby since "computer stuff" is what he does for a living - actually makes money writing this crazy html shit and I know it's easier than falling asleep for him but I'd really like to try to figure it out for myself. Of course, I'm about to poke my eyes out since this post has taken me so long just to get it to this point - I mean, come on, there are links and pictures! That's progress!

edited to add: somehow the 2 pictures are side by side now despite my rant. Odd

snap happy

2006-01-18T18:26:00.000-04:00

Last night, hubby and I started a photography course through UNB Continuing Education. I've taken courses through UNB for the last 3 winters as a way to break up the monotomy of the long, cold months. Drawing, pottery, and scuba are past courses I've taken. Of course, I also don't have much of an attention span, so I haven't continued with drawing and pottery after the courses were done. Scuba was different. I went a few times this last summer, mostly in the Bay of Fundy, but also on vacations in Mahone Bay, NS and in Norway. Fantastic, non-touristy way to visit a place. We're already planning a trip to PEI this summer and hoping to do some diving there.

Anyway, the photography thing should stick, since I've been taking pictures forever, and just need to learn how to make them better. Tonight I just played around with my camera settings (who knew I could control the light meter and aperture speed?!? - I thought it was a fairly basic point and shoot). I took multiple pictures of a wine bottle and glass. Boring, but pretty interesting to see the differences: with and without flash, black and white, sepia, tungsten and florescent light settings, etc. The wine started disappearing and the pictures look a little blurry...coincidence? Anyway, that's the beauty of digital, immediate gratification (or in this case, immediate let-down), but hey, I'm bound to get better over the next few weeks. No photos will be posted tonight because there are alot of mediocre photos on the net already, and mine can revel in their mediocrity just fine in the comfort of my own home.

sunday rainy blues

2006-01-15T10:14:00.000-04:00

It has poured rain all weekend. The lawn that used to be covered in snow is now completely visible, proving to all our neighbours that we did not rake the lawn this fall. Nope, didn't even touch it. Didn't take a few gratuitous scrapes at the lawn, not a one! And now it's covered in pine needles and matted leaves. This is the lawn's ugly stage that we aren't supposed to see until spring.

ah, the weekend! full of promise...

2006-01-14T20:02:00.001-04:00

...too bad I'm still in my pyjamas at noon. But still, it's been a good morning. I picked a couple of knitting projects I want to work on over the next few weeks (probably months), made a list of what supplies I needed to buy (needles and yarn - I'm such a novice, I don't even have a stash yet!), made breakfast, read the newspaper online...who am I kidding? I actually just read the "Style" section, but if anyone asks, Yes, I read the Globe and Mail for serious news.

So we get out of our pjs - those who know me know that "we" refers to me and my hubby - Rick - and head to the mall. Ick, I thought I was done with the mall post Christmas, post boxing day, post after work trip while I wait for Rick to finish work. But Rick blew a speaker on his new surround sound system (BECAUSE IT WAS TOO LOUD!!! DOES IT LOOK LIKE I'M SHOUTING??? GOOD BECAUSE I AM!!! MY EARS HURT). {Aside - is it a girl thing to not understand the fascination with the surround sound system? Because, I don't really notice the difference. Say this to hubby and he looks at me like my head is a strange shape}, and we had to go exchange them. But you all know already that the speakers were out of stock and that they've been discontinued...of course! Anyway, disaster averted, there is one set at a store an hour away so they'll send them to us - of course, it will take 4 days - did I alreay say that the store is only one hour away? Maybe they deliver by horse and buggy.

Our other task was to go to the jewelry store. Before anyone gets excited, it wasn't to buy jewelry. It was to get Rick's wedding ring re-sized. Who loses weight in their fingers??? It had to go down a size and a half! If he could figure out that diet plan, he could make a million selling it online.

So we got home. And broke out Dance Dance Revolution. I'm thinking, this will be cool, better than aerobics class. I can workout and have fun. He's thinking, this will be cool, I've sucked her into the Xbox vortex. I'm horrible! My husband can beat me at this game. He, who has never been to a dance or aerobic class in his life! I am terrible, uncoordinated, and cannot find the beat. I am humilated in my basement.