This old house

The other weekend we went to a family get together in rural Alberta.  The hall we camped at used to be a school, the school my dad went to as a kid.  The building has since been expanded, renovated, running water added, a furnace, kitchen, all the perks we take for granted these days.

Across the field, where many a soccer/frisbee/softball/football game are played, is a small hedgerow between the hall property and the adjacent farm field. In the trees lies the old teacherage, where the school teacher lived. It’s slowly sinking into the ground (if I tried to walk through the door without ducking, the frame would hit me in the eyes – an interesting experience for a short person like me!), one wall is gone, and the roof is collapsing.

But there’s something almost magical about it, something I can’t quite put into words.

1/60 sec at f/11, ISO 200 – Sony a55

1/80 sec at f/9.0, ISO 200 – Sony a55

 

Happy Father’s Day!

Kirra & Daddy having fun in the sandbox!

1/500 sec at f/5.0, ISO 80 – Pentax Optio

 

Plants beware my brown thumb!

Why a ‘brown thumb’, you ask? Well, I definitely don’t have a green thumb, but I like to delude myself think that I don’t have a black thumb. So I say ‘brown thumb’ and mean that I’m a mediocre plant caretaker.

Take this rose plant as an example. I saw it in the grocery store around Valentine’s Day and decided to get one and take it to work to brighten up my desk. There’s just one problem… I don’t have an outside window at work. I face the hallway so the plant would only get artificial light. Which wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing, as long as it GOT said light. I really should have taken it home on the weekend, instead of leaving it in the dark for those 2 days. When I returned on Monday it was a sad little plant, flowers dropping, leaves wilting. In other words, not good.

I don’t have a ‘before’ picture, but here’s what it looked like after I brought it home and trimmed the dead stuff and put it in a larger pot with good potting soil. This is now the ‘before’ picture as I attempt to nurse it back to health.

March 18, 2012 – re-potted

1/125 sec at f/4.5, ISO 200 – Sony a55

April 21, 2012 – fungal pot-mates showing up

1/80 sec at f/5.6, ISO 800 – Sony a55

April 28, 2012 – looking better!

1/320 sec at f/5.0, ISO 100 – Sony a55

And today!

1/250 sec at f/4.5, ISO 100 – Sony a55 w/macro lens

Look, little buds are forming! 

1/250 sec at f/4.5, ISO 100 – Sony a55 w/macro lens