My Everything Corner

We had our first Spring rain!  I stepped out onto the deck and just listened to it.  I was already feeling good with the warmer temperatures, but that sound rejuvenated me from my winter slumber even further.   This is the first year that I've walked my dog out of the yard.  Even though we live on 10 acres, it gets a little dull walking around on only our turf.  I was worried he would take to wandering about the countryside on his own if I took him off our property.  Now that he is older, and much more relaxed, I started walking him, on leash, in all directions, and so far so good.  He's never had to be on a leash in the yard, and it surprises me to see him get so excited when I bring it out. With so many of the roads dry, the kids wanted their bikes down.  They've outgrown them though, and while they served their purpose that day, we will have to go shopping soon.

While browsing through my Flipboard in the photography section a few days ago, I came across these incredible photos.  It is what inspired them that surprised me.  Powdered coffee creamer.  Yes, these photos are part of an ad campaign for common powdered coffee creamer.  While they didn't give me the urge to run out and buy some, they did instill a sense of calm and that made me want to sit down with a cuppa and share them here with you.  The article on this little project is here , and the talented photographer, Jeffery Vanhoutte has a website definitely worth browsing through here .

There was little color to be taken from these photos in order to make them black and white images.  A grey sky covering a landscape on the first day of Spring in the Canadian prairies has little to offer by the way of color.   I enjoyed the walk and taking the photos, and was looking forward to bringing them here, but when I opened them, I found the photos to be extremely dull.  So, off to Photoshop they went, and after a little of this and a bit of that, and a wee bit more of that, I came to like the once lackluster images. I love black and white photography for the same reason everyone else does, the dramatic simplicity.  Black and white imagery always seems to flow with whatever mood I'm in.  I can take from it whatever I want or need.

The toilet paper took a major beating this morning.  I have no idea what it did to offend Sooty, but it must have been something terrible.  Very little of it survived to go on and fulfill its original purpose.

This little, black cat is about 8 months old now, and as you can expect, he is a ball of energy.  And a bundle of snuggles.  And a truck load of laughs.  There is no one in our home he doesn't like, including our 120 pound dog, who is friendly, but let's face it, at that size, has a hard time to be gentle when feeling playful.  Nonetheless, Sooty always gives Bear a chance to sniff and lick him, and I'm sure if Bear would settle down, the cat would snuggle right up and go to sleep with him.  I cannot tell you how happy I am with this cat's personality!  And can't you just see it in this photo?!!