Category: Photography

Guest Post: Vivian’s View From Here – Part II

Published on by J. Kelland Perry30 Comments

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 I’m baaack!

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Maisie, the shy one

Hello there, Peeps. Vivian K. Perry here, Jennifer’s (dare I say) favourite cat.  Just don’t tell my sister Maisie, capiche?

Jennifer asked me back to host her blog today, because she is a little bogged down writing an especially exciting chapter of her new novel.

Whatever! I was happy to oblige, nonetheless. This is my second time guest blogging on Jennifer’s Journal. If you’re interested, and I’m sure you are because I’m so cute, you can see my first post from last summer here.

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Maisie and I do agree on one thing: we are getting bored with the cold weather. We miss the summer days of hunting little creatures, and basking in the sun. It is warming up a bit, but it’s still darn chilly on the paws most days.

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So we while away the hours with our indoor activities.

Tucked away in the linen closet
Tucked away in the linen closet
Still looking pretty spiffy there, Alex
Still looking pretty spiffy there, Alex
Nice! A little something for my wish list.
Nice! But do they come with kitties on them?
Lying on legs, one of our best loved pastimes
Lying on humans, one of our best-loved pastimes

Sometimes, we get on each other’s nerves, as sisters often do. I was thinking Maisie looked entirely too comfortable having our little house all to herself, so I had to act.

Minding her own business
Minding her own business
Want some company?
Want some company?
Getting too crowded for someone!
Getting too crowded for someone!
There. That's better.
There. That’s better.

Of course, at other times Maisie and I are closer-than-this:

Maisie lets me cuddle her when she's cold
Maisie lets me cuddle her when she’s cold

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But what is my Number One Favourite Activity?

Dream, dream, dream
Dream, dream, dream

That’s right,
Dreaming of Summer

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Thank you for visiting Vivian’s View from Here! We hope you enjoyed it. 🙂

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Would you like to see more of Maisie and Vivian? Check out these links:

Cats on Ice: Exploring Spring Thaw in Iceberg Alley

Vivian’s View from Here – Part I

Foliage (and Other Living Things)

The Liebster Award and Sharing the Love

Published on by J. Kelland Perry18 Comments

Yesterday I was pleasantly surprised to learn my blog has been nominated for the Liebster Award, by Alessia and Fabrizio, the authors of a lovely blog I’ve been recently following, Maple&Saffron.

liebster-award

Thank you, Alessia and Fabrizio!  I recommend for my readers to check out this wonderful cooking and travel blog, by a couple who have immigrated to Canada from a country I adore, Italy.

Here are the rules for this award:

  • When you receive the award, you post 11 random facts about yourself and answer 11 questions from the person who nominated you.
  • Pass the award onto 11 other blogs (make sure you tell them you nominated them!) and ask them 11 questions.
  • You are not allowed to nominate the blog who nominated you!
  • Make sure the blogs you choose have 200 or less followers  ( I did the best I could with this, but sorry, I might’ve cheated on some).

Okay, time to get down to business. Here are my random facts:

  1. I have the worst handwriting of anybody I know. Good thing I can type well.
  2. I am eight months younger than my husband.
  3. I have one older brother and one younger sister. And you know what they say about the middle child.
  4. Being in nature calms my spirit.
  5. I have a cat figurine collection.
  6. There is a sandy beach 25 yards from our front door.
  7. I like a good joke and a thoughtful quote, some of the reasons I still use Facebook.
  8. I feel more comfortable in small groups, or just one on one conversation.
  9. I can’t imagine a life without pets.
  10. I worked in a bank for about 15 years.
  11. I consider my daughter and my son my most significant contributions to this world.

Maple&Saffron ask:

  1. If you were to leave for a trip in 5 minutes, what are the 3 things you’d take with you?  An easy one, if we are talking living things and a long trip: my husband and our two cats. If not, my iPad, straightening iron, and camera.
  2. What instrument have you ever wanted to learn to play?  The piano. The guitar is a close second (tried three times but never stuck with it ).
  3. Which recipe do you really love cooking?  Not exactly a single recipe, but a big turkey dinner with all the trimmings.
  4. What’s your favourite song when you’re travelling?  Hmm..only one? That’s hard. Life Is A Highway? 🙂
  5. You’ve just landed in Italy: what’s the first dish you wish to taste?  Any kind of pasta! Or maybe margherita pizza..
  6. Mountains, hilltops or beaches: where would you go on vacation?  Anywhere is fine with me if the weather is nice, and it’s not too crowded
  7. What’s the best thing about your country?  Lots of open spaces and open minds
  8. How do you like spending your day off?  Getting outdoors for a walk or a hike, or sitting on our deck in the summer
  9. What’s your favourite world cuisine?   Italian
  10. If you could only save one of your books, which one would you choose? One of my poetry anthologies
  11. What role/part would you like to play in a movie?  Another tough one, but I went with Ripley in Alien. 

Here are my nominations, lovely blogs on some of my favourite topics. For those of you nominated who don’t do awards or don’t have time to participate, please know that I understand. For those who do, thank you for participating. Your questions to answer are after the nominations list.

Nature is my Therapy

One More Day

trifles

Welcome to my Mind, Pull up a Chair

Kurt Rees poetry

bliss in images 

lindatownsdin

Cauldrons and Cupcakes

Almost Spring

talktodiana

onewildword

  1.   What is your favourite book genre to read?
  2.   How long have you been blogging and what made you start?
  3.    Name your favourite meal.
  4.   If you could go anywhere in the world on your next vacation, where would you go?
  5.   What is your most prized possession?
  6.    What is your favourite way to relax?
  7.   If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
  8.    Which do you prefer: music, TV, or theatre?
  9.   What movie did you see in the past year that you liked?
  10.  Who is the most important person in your life?
  11.  What are you most passionate about in life?

Travel Theme – Bridges

Published on by J. Kelland Perry30 Comments

 

Here is my contribution to this week’s travel photo challenge, Bridges, by Ailsa at wheresmybackpack.com.

I simply had to begin with my favourite bridge from my travels in Europe, the Ponte Vecchio.

Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) over the Arno River in Florence, Italy
Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) over the Arno River in Florence, Italy
One of the thirty seven bridges over the Seine River in Paris, France. Here's a challenge: Can anyone tell me the name of this one?
One of the thirty-seven bridges over the Seine River in Paris, France. Here’s a challenge: Can anyone tell me the name of this one?
Barrel Bridge at Tom Sawyer's Island - Magic Kingdom, Disney World, Florida
Barrel Bridge at Tom Sawyer’s Island – Magic Kingdom, Disney World, Florida
x 2
x 2
x 3 - the grandkiddies loved it
x 3 – the grandkiddies (and the son-in-law!) loved it
x 4
x 4
x 5
x 5

And now for a couple of bridges that are closer to home:

Bridge on the Random Passage walking trail near Cape Freels, NL
Bridge on the Random Passage walking trail near Cape Freels, NL
Mr. Blue Sky and me - Bridge right here in Newtown, NL
Mr. Blue Sky and me – Bridge right here in Newtown, NL
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Calm Before the Storm

Published on by J. Kelland Perry43 Comments

When you get a beautiful sunny day around here in the middle of February, it’s almost impossible to resist the urge to get outside and enjoy it. And especially so, when the forecast is telling you that it is the calm before yet another winter storm.

Yes, the winds are going to whip up again tonight, and we’ll have to be content with more cocooning. But yesterday my husband and I enjoyed a walk on the branch road, on perhaps the most brilliant winter day we’ve had this year.

Here is a sampling of some photos from our walk.

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View from our back deck
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Lots of ice in the Tickle
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View of Perry’s Point from the branch road
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That’s our house (light one with the matching shed)

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His nibs (just kidding 😉 )
Moi
Moi
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Some of the sparse evergreens in our immediate area

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Another little “droke”
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Back on the Point

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Plenty of “batty catters” (Newfoundland term for ice and snow formed on shoreline rocks)
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l love the calm of the blue sky and ocean
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How about where you live? Are you enjoying your February weather?

A Winter Visitor

Published on by J. Kelland Perry18 Comments

I was a little disappointed this morning when I learned our area wouldn’t be getting the big dumping of snow that St. John’s and the rest of the Avalon Peninsula has in their forecast. Everyone there is bracing for up to seventy centimeters of the white stuff, while we are only expecting five to ten.
Boo! 😦

But then along came a little visitor down by our beach.

January 2013 003
January 2013 007I thought it was an adult harp seal first, because he appeared to be mostly black.

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January 2013 018But as I inched closer…and he turned to see me…

January 2013 019I could see more spottiness and some “whitecoat” on his other side.

January 2013 031When I reassured him that I meant no harm, he seemed to squint his eyes…sort of like my cats do when I talk “love talk” to them. 🙂

Don’t worry, little seal.

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January 2013 044You are so very close to my house.

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January 2013 054I’m not fond of seal meat or flipper pie, so you have nothing to fear from me.

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January 2013 056

So even though I’m going to miss the big snowfall back home, I never could have gotten these pics back in my old backyard !

To see photos of the baby seal, or whitecoat, that visited us last winter, click here, and scroll down. 🙂

Travel Theme: Multiples

Published on by J. Kelland Perry6 Comments

 

Here is my contribution to Ailsa’s travel theme this week, a closer look at multiples on some vacations of mine.

To start things off, here are a couple of snaps from Cuba.

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imageHmm…this perspective is making me thirsty.

Of course, when it comes to multiple anything, Disney World delivers.

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Inside the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, an abundance of stained glass splendour awaits.

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…And just outside the cathedral, who can resist all the tiny feathered friends eagerly accepting snacks?

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A restaurant on a pier in Jamaica awaits its tablecloths, and its evening diners.
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Springtime in Montreal is always a delight.

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imageAlso in Montreal, I spotted these ladies. I just love them.

imageSwimming in Florida. Multiples come in actual human form too, of course.

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My First Anniversary…and Ten Things I Didn’t Know When I Started

Published on by J. Kelland Perry16 Comments

 

One year ago today, on New Year’s Eve, 2011, I started this blog, Jennifer’s Journal. And as I mentioned in the very first post, Follow the Yellow Brick Road, I had no idea where my blog would take us. So here is what I found out.

1. I didn’t know I would have the resolve to faithfully post to my blog a little more than once a week on average. WordPress, being the best blogging site – in my opinion – had a lot to do with my enthusiasm.

2. I didn’t know I would be taking my visitors and followers on a pictorial journey of our 2011 trip to Italy and France. Nor did I know that one of these installments,
“Scenes From Italy – Part Three: Siena and Florence, Tuscany” would consistently be my most visited post, from all around the world!

3. I hadn’t made plans yet to take a Spring vacation in Florida, with my husband and my daughter and her family. My photo album from that trip,
“For the Young, & the Young at Heart: Disney’s Magic Kingdom“, would garner a record of 449 views on May 8th, the most views I had in one day.

4. I wasn’t fully aware of how beautiful it actually is where I live, here in Bonavista Bay, Newfoundland, until I read your lovely comments on my local photographic efforts. 🙂  “Autumn Walk on the East Coast” was a particular favourite.

5. I came to learn how the poems, musings, and photographs of my grandchildren would be a popular subject for many!

6. That goes for the posts of my little cats, Maisie and Vivian, as well. One of them even guest-posted in “Vivian’s View From Here“.

7. I was overwhelmed with the outpouring of support my blog received, as I was losing my mother. I cannot fully express what a source of comfort those caring comments were, and still are.

8. I didn’t know I was going to publish sixteen of my poems, and that I would be proud of them. 🙂

9. I wasn’t sure (but I am pleased I did) that I would keep my resolution to start writing a novel, and am now starting Chapter Six of the first draft. My post about it, Then You Must Write It, would be one my most popular blog posts, generating many of your comments.

10. Novel writing or not, I love my blog as the vehicle of self-expression it has turned out to be, and I will continue to update it in 2013. Connecting with many of you and making new friends is one of the best advantages of blogging.

So, let me say to all of my followers and visitors from sixty-six countries, a GIANT THANK YOU! And a Happy New Year to you all. 🙂

Jennifer’s Journal: 2012 in review

Published on by J. Kelland PerryLeave a comment

Well, what do you know? WordPress.com prepared a 2012 annual report for my blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 5,700 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 10 years to get that many views.

Silly statistic, isn’t it? But don’t let that stop you:

Click here to see the complete report.

A Welcome Weekend

Published on by J. Kelland Perry6 Comments

This Friday, my husband and I are going to town to spend a few days caring for our two little grandchildren. Allowing L and J’s hardworking parents to go off on a private weekend and enjoy some time by themselves has become a little tradition for us, a tradition we happily and gratefully accept.

We look forward to taking them on a couple of outings, one of which will be to buy a Christmas present for a needy child and putting it under the Happy Tree at the mall. Some visits with family, a Santa Claus Parade, and the obligatory games and bedtime stories will ensure lots of fun-filled moments for the children and grandparents alike.

This weekend couldn’t come at a better time for me. Spending time with my sweet little ones is just the diversion I need right now, a breath of fresh air that will help me regroup, regain focus, and get back to my normal life. There’s this novel I started writing last month that I had no other choice but to put aside due to my recent loss, but it is back on the agenda this week, I am pleased to say.

Here are just a few photos I selected from fun times we had with L and J, over the past year.

Four more sleeps, kids! Your Nanny and Poppy can’t wait. 🙂

Heritage Fishing Village

Published on by J. Kelland Perry11 Comments

 

Come along with me as I revisit my community’s Living Heritage Village. It is a major tourist attraction in this part of our province, providing a historical look back at the old days for our visitors, and seasonal employment for some of our locals.

Templeman House, a registered heritage home
Templeman plaque
Benjamin Barbour House

The heritage homes also boast a treasure trove of antiques and other artifacts.



I just love this door
Fishing Stage
Fishing Supply Building
Alphaeus Barbour House






Schoolhouse
Old Shoppe restaurant
St. Luke’s Anglican Church is also a living heritage site
The church received the Southcott Award, for preservation of Newfoundland and Labrador’s architectural heritage.

During the summer, the Village provides guided tours by staff in period costumes, as well as dinner theatre and concerts in the buildings I have shown here. Also featured are a craft shop, art gallery, tea room, and a restaurant.

So if you are ever in my area, do drop in and check it out. For more info, visit the website: www.barbour-site.com