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Cattails in the WInd

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An Unpleasant Surprise but a Wish for a Happy New Year!!

Posted by Lorac Wednesday 30 December 2009 12 comments

I found out, on the day before Christmas, that Second Career funding I had applied for and had been waiting to hear if I was approved for, had changed the guidelines and that I would no longer qualify. These guidelines are effective as of November 20, 2009 but I only received the letter telling me that on the 24th. As far as I can see by reading the criteria it is because I already have a college education. The letter stated that they wanted to concentrate on people who only had a a high school education or less. I think that if you were laid off in the last year and due to circumstances the prospects are bleak for getting hired, that the assistance should be considered equally amongst the applications.
I was shocked! I was upset as I had been told I was a very good candidate. I was angry that I had finished my application in August and only find this out now. All the work I put into this has been a total waste of my time. This was not just filling out an application. This was a very complicated procedure and it took me a few weeks to gather all the information required. This government has never ceased to amaze me! Second Career was put into place to help individuals who were laid off due to the poor economy and had little prospect of work in their past careers. Also, you cannot reapply for this. Once they have said no, that's it. So I am alternately pissed at the government and pissed at myself for ever thinking that any thing they would come up with could or would, actually be of help to me!

On a brighter note I want to wish everyone,
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Hours of happy times with friends and family 
Abundant time for relaxation
Prosperity
Plenty of love when you need it the most
Youthful excitement at life's simple pleasures

Nights of restful slumber (you know - don't worry be happy)
Everything you need and most of what you want
Wishing you love and light

Years and years of good health
Enjoyment and mirth
Angels to watch over you
Remembrances of a happy year!




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Merry Christmas - Hoar Frost

Posted by Lorac Friday 25 December 2009 13 comments

Blinkies


Christmas Day December 2009                                       

Some times in winter we get hoar frost. I was not sure why more so on some days and not on others so I looked it up. Courtesy of Weather Online an explanation was given.

Under clear frosty nights in winter soft ice crystals might form on vegetation or any object that has been chilled below freezing point by radiation cooling. This deposit of ice crystals is known as hoar frost and may sometimes be so thick that it might look like snow. The interlocking ice crystals become attached to branches of trees, leafs, hedgerows and grass blades and are one of the most prominent features of a typical 'winter wonderland' day. However, the fine 'feathers', 'needles' and 'spines' might also be found on any other object that is exposed to supersaturated air below freezing temperature.

Hoar frost must not be confused with rime, which derives from freezing fog or glaze which forms as a continuos thick layer of ice, rather than individual frozen droplets.

So I took some photos to show you the Hoar Frost and thought to day was a good to day show them!













Merry Christmas to All!


Crazy Canucks!

Posted by Lorac Thursday 24 December 2009 7 comments

I have always loved ice fishing. I thought I would look around and see what I could see on that subject and came up with this video from You tube. It made me laugh! It is a good idea to put on a sweater before you watch this! Canadians are not usually this crazy but obviously some are! The maker of the film and one of the swimmers said "We shot the video at Kukagami Lake.
The people are just your average everyday Northern Canadian."



Don't Sweat the Little Things

Posted by Lorac Wednesday 23 December 2009 3 comments


I am a Gemini. I always tell people that I can't remember if I'm the good twin or the evil one. I am in a nasty mood today, so evil twin is winning as she sometimes does. I was stuck in the house all day waiting on “important” phone calls that never came. I feel like this day was a total waste of makeup!

When I finally gave up and did get out to make a quick trip to the grocery store I was immediately assailed by an old co-worker (Nice perfume. Must you marinate in it?), that insisted on getting me up to date on people and places I haven’t seen in years and more importantly don’t care about anymore, if I ever did. (Don't bother me. I'm pretending to live my happily ever after!)

Then she started on about her husband, a bottomless pit of needs & wants. But she goes with the creed of better living through denial I think! Anyway, the last time I saw her husband he was three sheets to the wind and two were flapping! That was in the middle of the afternoon on a weekday, so we know he can entertain himself! She felt I needed to know about his enlarged prostate for some odd reason. Luckily at that point, her son runs up to the cart and starts to pull on her arm, talking over both of us. This boy is about 12 but it is obvious the he is meandering to a different drummer but I was able to make this my opportunity for a great escape.

The shopping finally done, I went up to the check out, where there was 4-5 people waiting in line at every register. I ensured there was no one I knew so I could get my groceries and take my miserable self home.
This was not to happen quickly. Behind the counter was an adult child of alien invaders. You know the kind, He who laughs last, thinks slowest? She and the lady in front of me in line were discussing which brand of toilet paper they liked best and going on and on about it. Do they ever shut up on your planet? I kid you not! I can’t help thinking, watching them, is it time for your medication or mine?
OK, I admit I am stressed today. I abhor large companies who promise to call you back about an important matter and then, don’t! After waiting the day through with no calls, I was out of sorts and not fit company to be out in public, I admit, but the cats needed food and I hate coffee without milk. So it was a necessary trip to town.
I am home now. The world is safe from my ire. I should take a lesson from the legendary George Carlin who stated, “Don’t sweat the petty things ... and don’t pet the sweaty things!”
Good Day all!

Watery Wenesday

Posted by Lorac 14 comments





Watery Wednesday

Don't see winter as a thing to be endured. See it, in the rhythm of the changing seasons, as something very positive."



I enjoy all the frostiness in the air and the ice and snow on the rivers!



If you stand close and listen quietly, you can hear a tinkling sound of the water flowing under the ice. It's musical!



A magical scene in the spirit of winter!

For wonderful posts from all over the globe got to Watery Wednesday!

Winter Solstice

Posted by Lorac Monday 21 December 2009 10 comments

December 21 2009 is Winter solstice. Today is the longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Today even the sun stands momentarily still in the sky!


Great God of the Sun,
I welcome Your return.
May You shine brightly upon the Goddess;
May You shine brightly upon the Earth,
scattering seeds and fertilizing the land.
All blessings upon You,
Reborn One of the Sun!
Know that you are Blessed.

The word solstice literally means "sun standing still". At the moment of the winter solstice the path of the sun in the sky  over the last six months has reached it's furthest southern position and now turns northwards! At noon today the sun will stand directly overhead at latitude 23.5 South, Tropic of Capricorn. In the southern hemisphere it will be longest day of the year, but for us in the Northern hemisphere the day will be the shortest. But on  the bright side, the day after the winter solstice marks the beginning of lengthening days leading up to summer solstice!

Since ancient times people have celebrated winter solstice with religious and cultural traditions. The Winter Solstice was important to our ancestors as a marker for the beginning of a new solar year and that spring was going to come again. When Christian priests started to work their way across Europe, spreading the word of their new religion, they found everywhere firmly entrenched celebrations of the solstices and equinoxes. They were smart enough to realize that these festivals, which they saw, often wrongly as being pagan, were too well established and popular to dislodge, so they simply rededicated them to celebrations of the most important Christian events. The Winter Solstice became Christmas, and we now know the Spring Equinox as Easter. The original connection is evident in the name Easter, which comes from Aeostre, the name of a goddess of spring. The differences between the dates of the solstices and equinoxes compared with those of the modern celebrations come from various adjustments in the calendar.

Massive prehistoric monuments such as Ireland's New Grange tomb are aligned to to capture the light at the moment of the winter solstice sunrise. It is perhaps the most famous of the 250 passage tombs in Ireland. It covers an area of one acre, and has an internal passage that is almost 60 feet (19 m) long. The tomb has been dated at about 3,200 BCE; it is one of the oldest structures in the world. At Maeshowe, (Orkneys, Scotland) there is a chambered cairn built on a leveled area with a surrounding bank and ditch. It has been carbon dated at 2750 BCE. Inside the cairn is a stone structure with a long entry tunnel. The structure is aligned so that sunlight can shine along the entry passage into the interior of the megalith, and illuminate the back of the structure. This happens at sunrise at and near the winter solstice.
Germanic peoples of Northern Europe honored the winter solstice with Yule festivities.  In the fourth century, before the Romans became Christian, they were Pagans who, on Dec. 25 during the winter solstice, celebrated the Feast of the Unconquered Suns, or Sol Envictus, to honour the sun's return and the days becoming longer.The Romans also celebrated Saturnalia, a week long feast included the winter solstice. It was called "Alban Arthuan" by the ancient Druids. It is the end of month of the Elder Tree and the start of the month of the Birch. The three days before Yule is a magical time. This is the time of the Serpent Days or transformation...The Elder and Birch stand at the entrance to Annwn or Celtic underworld where all life was formed. Like several other myths they guard the entrance to the underworld. This is the time the Sun God journey's through the underworld to learn the secrets of death and life. And bring out those souls to be reincarnated.
Neopaganism is a group of religions which are attempting re-creations of ancient Pagan religions. Of these, Wicca is the most common; it is loosely based on ancient Celtic beliefs and practices. The winter solstice sabbat is often called Yule. It is a time for introspection, and planning for the future. 


The day of the Winter Solstice marks the beginning of a new Solar Year. Let us rejoice and again turn our eyes upward to greet the new dawning.

Olympic Torch Relay - Scenic Sunday

Posted by Lorac Saturday 19 December 2009 15 comments

This morning was a little warmer at -12C. It was 6:45 am and I was waiting for the Olympic torch to run through my town, Georgetown. I never had an opportunity to witness this before. I was not going to miss this one.

The streets were lined with people, cameras were ready, children on Dad's shoulders, all waiting to see this historic event. There was a procession of vehicles before the torch bearer. The local police, RCMP, Olympic security all there to ensure everyone kept put of the way of the coming vehicles. Next came two Sponsor Coke trucks all decked out with music and flashing lights and the other sponsor, RBC, had their own van with loudspeakers and music. Lots of people having fun on these trucks!! An Olympic van carrying the relay torch bearers came into view, stopped and let the next  relay runner out  right where I was.



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 Soon the torch bearer came into sight. The one that the van had let off was waiting on the street, to meet him and light his torch. I was standing right at a transfer of the torch to another runner! That was pretty cool! Every one involved with the torch relay had the official Olympic clothing. They looked great!



The crowd cheered as the torch was lit! It was amazing to see!.


A very short ceremony switching runners and then he was off down the road to the next torch bearer!



It was great to see such a large turnout! There were all ages and all abilities there to greet the relay of the Torch! The torch will go all around the Greater Toronto area for the next two days and then on it's way across the country. Good luck Torch Bearers across Canada!


There was a celebration going on in the arena with scheduled events through out the day but I was already freezing and headed for my car to warm up. I thought I would go and see how the work on the 105 year old train bridge just north of town was going. They are building right over the original supporting structure to enable the addition of a new line. I thought the local deer population must be spooked with all the work going on down there.



As I was staring to drive away a sun-dog caught my eye. Sun-dogs are the sun lights reflection on ice crystals in the air, I see them on and off throughout the winter. They are short lived but pretty.



That was my skies for today. To see more skies from around the world got to Scenic Sundayhttp://scenicsunday.blogspot.com/!

Watery Wednesday - Bellville Ontario

Posted by Lorac Wednesday 16 December 2009 10 comments

Watery Wednesday
I spent many days traveling for the last company I worked for. One trip I made several times a year was over to Bellville, Ontario. Bellville is right on Lake Ontario and they have an amazing water front.
Belleville is located at the mouth of the Moira River on the  Bay of Quinte (Part of Lake Ontario) in southeastern Ontario. They have done a lot of work at the water front and there is a great walk way for a couple of miles with lots of parkland and wildlife to see. Sir McKenzie Bowell, Canada's 5th Prime Minister was born here. This town turns out great hockey players too! The Hulls, Bobby, Bret and Dennis were all from Bellville.This is where Avril Lavigne was born and grew up in nearby Napanee and many other talented people both in sports and the arts.



Ontario is well known for it's Lime Stone and it is well used here throughout the park for retaining walls into the water and to ensure proper embankment.areas.



Great gardens are seen all along the waterfront.


I love the colour of these!


 Plenty of places to sit and gaze at the water.



  There is lots of wildlife to be seen. Here out on the bay is a Blue Heron and a few ducks  waiting on their dinner.



Along the pathway the is a huge plaque commemorating the rail road in Bellville. It was quite striking!


(other side)



Lake Moira is fed by Moira River and is along Hwy 62 on the way to Madoc. This trip I was providing training in Madoc and caught this sunrise on the lake.



For many other beautiful posts form around the world go see Watery Wednesday!

When two worlds collide.

Posted by Lorac Monday 14 December 2009 14 comments

There is such a wonderful feeling when I see a small glimpse of the wildlife right in my back yard. This handsome young buck was feeding off the frozen apples under the tree. It was a very misty day and they seem to feel protected in that kind of weather and will travel out into the  open more. I had to take these through my kitchen window or he would have been spooked. He is a young buck with small antlers, three points, but he was a big-un! He fed for awhile and finally , just before dark set in, wandered back into the bush.





Every time I have seen deer in the back yard it has been a good omen. I wonder what this one will bring?

Sccenic Sunday - Freezing Rain

Posted by Lorac Sunday 13 December 2009 15 comments

Scenic Sunday
It is a rainy day, freezing rain to be exact! We get a few days like this every year so I pulled a couple  from the archives of the after effects of a  freezing rain day. I am not going anywhere, have a fire going and a book to read.



Everything glistens with ice.




For more great posts and  Scenic Sundays!

Beauty and the Beastly Cold

Posted by Lorac Saturday 12 December 2009 11 comments

We are having a deep cold spell. This morning my kitchen window and back screen door were frosted in whorls of ice. So many different patterns to be seen. The back yard looks colder still as seen through a frosted window.



Looking at this
I thought it resembled the ferns that grow in the forest at the cottage.



And this, waves splashing on the rocks!


Even in a deep cold there is beauty to be found.

SkyWatch Friday~ Blue Skies

Posted by Lorac Friday 11 December 2009 22 comments

SkyWatch Friday
We finally were hammered with winter and the snow hasn't stopped for three days. The high winds and extremely low temperatures (-19C) have made the roads treacherous with white outs and drifting snow. Police have been warning people to stay off the roads and many a hapless driver have found themselves in a road side ditch. In the north it has been declared a snow emergency and up 100cm is expected there.

Through all this, it is still impossible to refute the beauty when a storm pauses for a brief moment. The sky opens to a blue only known against against a a snow ridden landscape. For awhile, I was in the Winter Wonderland.

A sky that has been shy of the sun for days, welcomes the sun this day




Blue sky, hanging above me....nothing but blue sky










There are many more skies at SkyWtch Friday. Go see great hosts and posts!

Watery Wednesday, Frozen State of Mind

Posted by Lorac Wednesday 9 December 2009 22 comments

Watery Wednesday
I love this day. Warm and cozy inside while there is a blizzard outside! They haven't even plowed the road yet and it is already 10:00 am! In the last hour there has been over 2 inches of snow for a total of 7 inches. Little Chick-a-dees seem to love this weather and are are fluttering all around sending out their distinctive call, chick-a-dee-dee-dee!

It looks surreal, all covered in white, as a bridal dress for winter! The snow muffles sound and it is very quiet. So quiet I can hear the snow falling with great plops on the ground!





This Wednesday's water is of the frozen kind!
Go see more Watery Wednesday posts form all over the world!

SkyWatch Friday

We had the best November weather wise that we have had for many years. Not to much rain , above seasonal temperatures and most importantly, no snow. Now in December we have had only rain! Huge rainclouds and rain pelting down leaving little mini river-lets.

The sky was very dark this day. Rain had come in droves for s few hours.



Finally, there was a bit of sun that shone through illuminating the hills in the distance.

Graced me with the presence of a rainbow.
 
  Blue peeks through the rain laden grey clouds,



Clouds so high they kiss the sun!


Skywatch Friday Blog site has the most beautiful skies from all corners of the world . Go and have a visit!

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Lorac
Georgetown, Ontario, Canada
I have lived in Georgetown for 37 years but have traveled around a great deal. I own my own business which takes a lot of my time but try to blog as much as possible! I love to take pictures, no training, just a love of photography. Enjoy the pics but please do not copy them.
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Copyright ~~All content and photos are original to Carol Merten, Ahhh...The Cottage Life! and are copyrighted. Please do not copy, or download any content without express written consent. All content and photos remain the sole property of Carol Merten.

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