Sunset Cruise

Take a beautiful day

and choose one of the lovely vintage steam boats on the lake.

There were three of us on the cruise together

My grandson, a friend and me.

We had chosen to go on a sunset cruise

with a meal in this lovely old-style restaurant.

A photo before everyone streams in

This is our view from the table on the other side.

We took lots of photos and admired the wooden panelling on either side of the window.

We passed vineyards

and familiar mountains as the boat turned in Montreux

The Swiss flag flies in the stern of the boat.

It was still quite light

and I wondered if we would actually see the sunset

 before returning to our port in Ouchy.

It's always fun to see the paddle wheels turning

I love the lines of the mast against the light blue sky on the top deck.

The sun is getting quite low on the horizon

and the colours change with each passing minute and become more golden.

I love catching the scene through a foreground of poles and lines

and seeing the flowing French flag at the prow of the boat.

Just before disappearing behind the mountain range,

the golden sun-flares delight us all.

The gorgeous lighting after the sun has gone down

makes the silhouettes in the port look really magical.

On the other side of the sky,

everything is bathed in shades of blue and pink.

As we leave the boat and walk along the lake,

I take the last photos of the deepening sky

until just the hint of the silhouetted boat remains

with touches of pink behind the trees where the sun went down.

Such a wonderful outing on this beautiful day in August.

Where Are the Stories?

She looked out through the confines of where she was hiding.

She knew the world was waiting for her to make the effort, to take the first step.

There were other human beings out there, living life.

Was she living hers? 

She wasn't sure anymore.

She sometimes felt like a little mouse in a cage,

going round in circles, but not exactly getting anywhere.

How had that happened?

Was she doing anything to change that?

She tried looking at things from another point of view.

She felt an inner smile bubbling up from deep within her

and she felt her confidence grow.

"What strange creatures we are", she said, almost out loud.

"We allow ourselves to be influenced by mere thoughts that we have created."

She felt her face becoming relaxed and her breath came slower and calmer.

She could feel the sparkle coming back into her eyes!

There was even a feeling of lightness about her again.

She smiled and knew exactly what she had to do

and felt a tingling of excitement at the sheer thought of it...

This is a fictional story.

***

I did my first self-portrait course five years' ago when I turned a big birthday.

It was quite a challenge, but I so enjoyed the story-telling

and the role-playing we did.

That course was called "Now You".

This year, I decided to do another self-portrait class, to celebrate another birthday!

They do seem to come round rather quickly, don't they!

This time it's with Vivienne McMaster.

She's so encouraging and full of fun.

You can see her website here

***

Today is Sunday

and it's a perfect day for relaxing in the sunshine.

First of all, I just need to show you this gorgeous blossom in my neighbourhood!

After an early morning walk,

I had breakfast on my balcony and then read for a while

enjoying the spring flowers in my window boxes and pots.

Campanula or Bell flowers, just beginning to bloom.

I came across this advertisement for a film I would like to see.

I read the book, which was really good, sometime ago.

I've been having fun with double exposures, so here is one with my grandson!

He gave me permission to use this photo of us both.

See you all soon!

Savouring the Season

These little elves come out every year before Christmas

I love their simplicity and the fact that they're made of twigs!

I have a really cute little film for you to look at HERE

It's the story of Stick Man and his family at Christmas!

It's also the time of the year when I love to get together with my grandson

for card-making and crafting.

Creating memories together of our own little traditions over the years.

We chat and laugh together, enjoying each other's company.

I am happy that he still loves coming to do crafting with me.

Here is the finished card he made and this one is for me!

It's a beautiful Zentangle bauble.

We also made some Origami fir trees.

I put these two at the base of my Christmas tree in the snow!

If you would like to make these Origami trees,

Just click here for an easy tutorial: ORIGAMI FIR TREE

An exciting parcel arrived this week.

It contained four beautiful jars in different colours and containing

sweet smelling candles with natural non-toxic ingredients.

They are a thoughtful Christmas gift from my son 

who will not be with us for Christmas this year.

A brief overnight snowfall covered the little pansy buds on my balcony,

but the snow soon melted in the morning sun.

We shall not be having a white Christmas down here,

only up higher and in the mountains.

I hope that you are savouring the special moments of the season

and taking the time to live each one to the full

even it this tends to be a very busy time of the year for many.

An End of Summer Feeling

A tiny feather floated down zig-zag fashion

and landed on my Gaillardia flower.

It made me think of autumn leaves falling.

This summer has been particularly hot

and we have experienced heat-wave after heat-wave

with temperatures reaching 32 degrees Celsius.

It has been uncomfortable

and I prefer the cooler seasons of autumn and spring.

Luckily the lake is not too far away and I can reach the water

in fifty minutes on foot

or take the metro for fifteen minutes if I prefer.

Which way is the wind blowing?

The weather vane tells me that it's coming from the south-west.

Steam boat rides are always part of summer!

My grandson loves to look at the workings of the boat!

We have a summer tradition of going on a steam boat when he stays with me!

Chrysanthemums are already planted in my window-boxes

I love these striped ones

and the centre of the yellow ones too.

The early morning sunshine streams into my home

and I just love witnessing this peaceful moment.

My coloured marbles love the sunshine too!

The clouds formations remind us that a change of weather is coming

Sunset

and sunrise

The light is changing

an end of summer feeling

storms are on the way.

This is the essence of my summer.