Marja-Leena Rathje
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dipladenia_dried.jpg

...more scan play with dried flowers, this one a dipladenia

This morning's wake up call was the sound of slamming doors echoing through the house. A pleasant coolness felt almost chilly after the week's heat wave. All morning the wind kept blowing hard with occasional powerful gusts shaking the trees violently, sending needles and leaves flying afar much like rugs being shaken free of dust. A top heavy potted oleander on the deck was knocked over twice until brought inside. A houseplant was knocked off the windowsill. Some tall flowers in the garden are needing staking.

In the afternoon as we drove through the city, we noticed a lot of tree branches and leaves on the streets, still being blown about. Yet the day was mostly sunny and not too hot. Later I learned that this region had quite a storm.

Storms aside, the main event of the day was that we met our daughter and granddaughters at the airport after their long flight from England. What a delight to see them again, and how excited the girls are! They are home for the summer! We're only sorry that our son-in-law could not come because of work commitments.

Marja-Leena | 12/07/2010 | 9 comments
themes: Home, Nature, Photoworks


9 comments

I love the dark red against the black. Like a very old oil painting.

The whole summer! Lucky you.

The weather has indeed been odd lately. But I like it cooler rather than hotter, so today is good. Often it's sunny here on the island when there are clouds over the mainland.

These scans are wonderful things to do with fallen flowers and petals, which I love but don't quite know how to represent.

Have a lovely summer with your family!

It's been stormy on the East Coast as well, with torrential rains and flash floods predicted for this evening. There were rains and flooding in Boston this weekend, submerging cars in underpasses and causing flooding damage. Plus we've had some damaging wind storms in the past month or so. Strange weather.

Glad your family made it in despite the weather. Enjoy your summer with them!

Jean, when I discovered how to get the black background with the scanner, I had a similar thought - of old Dutch paintings.

Anne, yes, it's funny how the weather can vary within just a few miles. These more moderate temperatures are just right for me too!

Lucy, thanks. I do enjoy playing with what seem destined for the compost but still offer another kind of beauty before that.

Leslee, I read your blog post this morning and was quite surprised. Thunderstorms and heavy rains after a heat wave were familiar to me growing up on the prairies but I don't remember such fierce windstorms. And thanks, I am enjoying the family, but wow the kids tire me out with their energy :-)

The picture is beautiful but the best news is knowing you have your family visiting. Do the girls have British accents yet?

Susan, the girls do pronounce certain words in the British way. Their father is British so even when living here in Canada they picked up some of that. Such an international family now...

I'm not getting to the Folk Festival this year and probably won't make it to Vancouver at all until next summer. Bettie, the woman who was with me when I visited, lost her twin sister recently, and I just felt like we could wait a while until things calm down with them.
Yes, kids and their energy. I just sit around and let them climb all over me when they start tiring me out too much. I always come bearing presents and I station myself in the kitchen at my daughter's place, providing snacks and such. Let's just say that my visions of being the ideal grandmother have been replaced with genuine pleasure in their little busy selves.

Hattie, I'm sorry for your loss. And yes to taking genuine pleasure in our busy active grandchildren!