Frosty Morning

Well the first frost of fall came last night. I woke up to frosty roof tops around town. The official first signs of fall I say. Now I am sad to see summer be over but I hope that frost took care of the gazillion flies and wasps hanging around my doors. Most of the plants in my yard are looking sad and old and this frost will just help them along the way. I’m already planning what I will plant differently for next year!

Looks like we are going to warm up this week and stay dry – all good for harvest. Have a great week and be safe!

Shelly  ♥

It’s That Time of Year!

Yup, my favorite time of year FALL SUPPERS! A friend shared an online list with a map – planning just got so much easier. I think I am going to have to do a survey and find out which are the best since it has been a few years since I have gone to one and then plan on hitting a few, maybe even with friends if we can co-ordinate schedules! It’s great that all these communities pull together and put on a dinner that often get sold out. I think my plan of eating healthy and in moderation just went down the drain. Ahh, well this only happens once a year! Do you have a favorite fall supper?

Have a great weekend and safe harvesting friends!

Shelly ♥

Soggy Monday

I love waking up to the fresh damp smell of rain. Makes me want to snuggle down and just breath it all in. Brings to mind a Norah Jones tune and the line about rain falling on a tin roof …. Okay, back to reality!

So with harvest season in full swing, this rain will slow stuff down. Although we need it (my yard is cracking), the farmers I am sure don’t! Some farmers have fields that are done as we saw a bit of stubble burning going on last night west of Morden.

Everyone be safe on the roads with all that extra equipment out there. Getting to point B a couple of minutes sooner isn’t going to make or break it. Have a great week!

Shelly ♥

Yum!

I LOVE food. I love to cook and I love to eat. I like to take pictures of what I make … before it vanishes and is no more! So okay, these aren’t baked, but they sure were good. I hadn’t made refrigerator cheesecake in years and a few weeks ago, I was craving it. Smooth and creamy with fresh raspberry sauce *drool*. I made the cheesecake and acquired fresh raspberries from one of the local market gardeners because our raspberries were finished.

Well it was worth the wait – I have to say we inhaled it! So last weekend, still craving that cheesecake, Victoria and I set out to make it again. This time with a twist. We fancied things up a bit and made them in wine glasses! They were a hit. Now on to the next craving … cowboy cookies!

Have a great weekend friends!

Shelly ♥

Winding Summer Down

Ahhh yes, the last day of our labour day weekend and the “end” of summer. Although the weather looks good for the next week still I have always felt that this was it – summer is over. Back to work, school and regular schedules. School starts here on Wednesday for my two who are going into grade eleven. My daughter, Victoria, said they only needed fine-line sharpies and they were good to go. Gone are the years of school supply lists that would break the bank times three kids. Binders, loose leaf and pens now and they are ready to go! Love it!

Those who know me, know I love to celebrate things with food and good company. I grew up like that and I don’t see it stopping any time soon! So I have been up early preparing … today’s menu will consist of slow-cooked pork butt, baked beans, corn-on-the-cob, potato salad, Caesar salad, cheddar garlic buns, cheesecake, fresh squeezed lemonade … I have a few other things up my sleeve, time permitting. Okay, now that I have made myself hungry, I better go get back to work!

Take a deep breath and as Staples says “it’s the most wonderful time of the year!” Have a great week 🙂

Shelly ♥

Wrong vs Right and Spare Parts

Ladies you know how it is – you buy something, it comes with instructions, we read them and we follow them. Men, you buy something, throw the packaging and instructions out and put it together … several times and then finally get it right, possibly with left-over parts? Sound familiar to you all?

Well last night I made a purchase, followed the instructions and nothing! So hmmmm, start over, read slower … NOTHING! Grrrrr … start over, read r e a l l y   s l o w … N O T H I N G!!!! Ahhhhhhh. Dan says, “what’s wrong honey?” I know he is gonna laugh when I say the directions don’t work! So he comes over and helps me and through trial and error the light bulb goes on! Eureka, those damn instructions were wrong and we figure it out – No fork needed through my monitor!

Okay, so one for the guys – instructions in the garbage or I will add them to the box of leftover parts when men build stuff!!!

Have a great long-weekend everyone, it’s the last kick at the cat so to speak and the weather looks nice!

Shelly ♥

Another One Bites The Dust…

Well it sure was a hot one!  While the weather is usually good for Morden’s Corn & Apple Festival, I can’t easily remember the last time is was as hot as it was this year.  What a cooker!  There was a brief break late Saturday afternoon when a thunderstorm blew through, but thankfully it didn’t last long.  Harlequin rocked the stage Saturday night, man those guys can still put on a great show!  As always, there was a wide variety of food to be eaten, with some interesting new vendors alongside the usual favorites.  Poutine may have replaced curly fries as one of our weekend staples.

Saturday afternoon I had the opportunity to photography the Stanley Ag Society’s Tractor Pull.  While it was cut short by the thunderstorm, there were a few antiques that took a shot at the sled.  Fun stuff!

I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend as much I enjoyed mine!

Have great week, I hear is gonna be a hot one!

Ðannψ

Morden’s Time to Shine!

Where has the time gone? It’s Corn and Apple weekend again! For us this is sort of summer’s last hurrah and then we slide into getting ready for school and bam, summer is over! I get to cover my 3 favorite food groups this weekend – curly fries, mini donuts and of course a Lemon Heaven lemonade to wash it all down. Oh yeah, and I am stocked with Pepto just to be on the safe side lol

There is a great weekend of entertainment lined up so I can relive my youth – Trooper with my dad’s favorite song “Where here for a good time, not a long time” best be played Friday night and Harlequin on Saturday night. Great double whammy! Good job entertainment committee!

Have a great weekend everyone and get your walking shoes on! Be safe!

Shelly ♥

Here Comes The Bride!

Weddings can take place is so many different locations – some better lit than others. This weekend, the challenge was a candle-lit ceremony – something new for me as a photographer. Game on I say, I love a good challenge! Knowing my camera well and shooting in RAW instead of JPEG as well as manual mode on my camera, gave me the flexibility to adjust for the low light and not use flash. Above is one of my favorite shots of the ceremony – pulled back to include the ambience and the crowd.

Now comes the behind-the-scene task of culling images and editing/processing which gives you those beautiful final photos. Well a culling I go ….

Have a great week everyone, the weather looks fantastic!

Shelly ♥

What You’re Really Paying For?

There is a debate going on in photography circles everywhere – Why are some charging so much? Hell yeah you say, why?

“Newbie” photographers have been popping up all over and offer cheap sessions to get the sale, but fall short on delivering the goods so to speak. With the digital age, just about anyone with a camera is offering session without fully understanding lighting, their equipment or even how to run a business legitimately. When you are looking to hire a photographer, there are many things to consider besides the “sticker shock” when you see the wide range of session fees.

Fee’s are where most people start if they don’t know a photographer in their area. Prices can vary from as low as $20 and as much as $600 AND both include digital images. While your first impression may be to think the person who is charging $600 is gouging … stop and think a little further and think about some of the following points:

What exactly are you getting for your money?

• Session time, artistic talent and editing, image back-up?

• How long has the photographer been in business? Are they “new” or been around several years?

• Have they established a legal business and pay taxes on their income?

• Insurance? Are you covered if something happens?

• What is their skill level?

• Do they have a website (or do they just have a Facebook page because it’s free?)

• Do they offer professional prints/canvasses etc. or do they send you to Walmart?

• Most importantly, have they invested in back-up equipment? Wouldn’t it be a shame if your photographer was in the middle of photographing your wedding and their equipment failed and they didn’t have a back-up camera?

So as you can see, there is more than meets the eye! When looking for a photographer, ask questions, ask LOTS of questions. Make sure you are comfortable with the answers you get –if not keep looking. While price may be the main factor in your choice, remember, with everything these days, you get what you pay for!

Shelly ♥