Frost is lovely to look at and I happened to have my camera with me one morning while outside .. replenishing the bird feeders. These marbles looked so pretty with their light covering of frost. In the summer I had added water to this dish, hoping to attract some butterflies to rest and have a sip of water …the cold has caused the dish to fracture so guess I’ll have to find another container for the summer.
And each day, I trundled out to the yard to knock out the frozen ice in the bird baths and added some clear water for the birdies. The ground is frozen hard and all the life therein is resting, waiting for the spring to arrive.
Yesterday I had some extra time in between appointments so I took advantage of this and visited Willows Beach .. a lovely place especially for dogs and their families to run and play. Overhead, there were lovely blue skies and fluffy clouds.
And some interesting skies over the water .. a bit darker …but not much, really.
Lots of parking for vehicles at the side and it was mid afternoon so not very busy either.
Refreshing sounds of gentle waves … such a pretty sight to see.
Of all the dogs that were playing and running .. this darling little Olive caught my attention. She was 100% positive energy, excitedly running for the ball that her doggy mommy would throw for her. She is a prime example of how to enjoy life! She ran with such joy and speed! I visited for a few minutes then continued my walk, so incredibly happy to have met this darling little girl so full of life.
The ocean shares what is hidden to our eyes … a visual treat.
Grass will grow where it wants, don’t you think? I liked the mini garden that grew in this log, a lovely contrast of weathered wood and the tenacity of the grass. With the velvet addition of the moss to pretty it up and provide a place for insects to hide.
There were a couple of people enjoying their kayaks and they looked quite colourful on the water .. here is one of them ..
Such strength and beauty in this weathered chunk of wood .. in so many ways ..
I sat on a comfy log and just relaxed, enjoying the tranquil atmosphere, the silvery grayness of the water and then began noticing the flow of the water on an apparently flat section of the beach. Watched as the water followed a design of its own, meandering in style to the ocean where it joined that body of water. And thought of how life is like that, if we just allow ourselves to be, to follow the flow that is meant for us and not worry or be sad, just be. All will be fine and that was comforting. I guess that is where the “go with the flow” phrase comes from!
I scrambled over some rocks, carefully, as some of the rocks were a bit slippery and I didn’t want to take a tumble, by myself, how awkward would that be, 🙂 Sometimes life seems like that pile of logs, all topsy-turvy .. yet wild and free! My life feels like that and I’m happy, it suits me.
So .. normally I do not spend money on myself. My $$ seems to go on trips to visit family, I would rather go to France, Ireland, Germany, but duty prevails. And on groceries and of course, on plants! However, yesterday, I succumbed to the lure of this lovely Sonic Drum and decided that I deserve some joy so now this lovely drum is mine.
I love the silvery magic sounds of the Hang Drum and dreamt that someday I would have one. However, the $$$ of that drum, plus the large size (awkward to carry around) helped me decide to get this drum. It is hand-made in Indonesia, tuned to A Major. I love the sounds and am having so much fun playing around with the sounds, the middle section can be treated as a drum and I gently tap the smaller cuttings and then play some drums and the result is so lovely. I’ll be playing this quite a lot, I’m thinking. Plus .. it is yellow …. my favourite sunshine colour!
Here is a site with a similar type of drum, so you can hear some of the magic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGk4y1Y3MS4 and there are many others, here is one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HHLmwORr3Y
There are quite a variety of steel drums out in the world, ornate and simple, tuned to various keys. I’m happy with mine. Some use little batons, but mostly one just lightly taps, with an upward motion for the sounds.
And the types of instruments that can be played along with this drum seem to be endless. Here is a video of a Hang Drum with trumpet (starts at about 1:57) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZdGUrqTbjA
Sigh. A busy week this has been .. a mixed bag with some happiness thrown in for good measure.
On with this day.
Walking along one section of the gravelly beach areas, more logs have been tossed into a pile. Magnificent to see the waves splashing up and over any barriers in their way. Can’t stop the power of a wave.
There are a number of stairways leading to the beach areas. The wooden steps were a tad slippery, so it was good to have sturdy rails to hang onto, to catch one’s step. 
After a cloudy start to the morning, the skies soon cleared and there was beautiful sky art overhead to brighten up our little world. Seagulls happily flying overhead. Watching their side-slips and swift turns made me long for the summer and high flights in the glider. Just a few more months and then that will happen, oh great joy! 
Yummy .. yummy … kelp! Good for forming baskets (keep them out of the rain, haha) or chopping up for the garden. My pal D and I will go seeking seaweed in the new year. Lovely for the garden!! Adding zillions of minerals to the soil. 
A couple of seagulls taking a bit of a rest between flights. Checking out the weather conditions and where is Charlie anyway? He promised to join us here! Lots of logs making their way to the beach area.
Another set of stairs, the wood looking lovely and weathered by the salty air.
Well, that is it for photos.
My Lovely Garden … Mon Joli Jardin 