Little Pleasures Still Ringing My Bell

DECORATING HOMES for the holidays has a way of spilling out into the streets and, in this case, parks and beaches. On a recent walk in Crescent Beach I spotted ornaments swaying prettily in the breeze.

Someone thought to string these few simple treasures on tree branches.

I appreciated the helping hands of a passerby who offered to lift the wings on this ornamental butterfly so I could take its picture. Her friendly gesture put us both in good spirits.

I am guessing that the wildlife in the area will intuitively know these dangling delights are not edible. The earth is my home and the wonders I find there are still ringing my bell ... and yours, too, I hope on this eve of 2013.

Happy New Year everyone!

To explore sights from around the globe, link to Our World at the sidebar.

Visit Postcards From Penelope Puddle to view more BC scenes.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

May Love & Joy Visit Each Home

MAY GATEWAYS of the heart open to new adventures and the best possible health be granted to all throughout the holidays and in the coming year.

See more gates here and at Postcards From Penelope Puddle here.

The Secret World Of Puddles

DIPS IN THE ROAD and potholes make wonderful puddles where I wander. These random cavities filled with rainwater are usually shallow and fun to jump into if you are very young or a kid at heart.

A puddle can be touched by the sun and reflect its surroundings or be murky and unfathomable.

An inch of water or a deep well … it is sometimes difficult to tell.

The face of a puddle can ripple like a circus mirror or be as placid as a sheltered pond in the forest. Images within puddles are illusions that look similar to the outside world but are a little more fluid and enchanting.

A puddle can vanish the way a dream does upon waking ... taking cities, country lanes, skies and trees right along with it when we are not watching.

I took these photos at Crescent Beach where there are often lots of puddles and reflections to explore.

Although pockets of water are common world over after a steady downpour, it should be noted that this South Surrey community is situated where both Boundary Bay and Mud Bay flow. The ground elevation ranges from 0 to 3 meters above sea level. The area is surrounded by a dyke system should those puddles get too extreme. Most recently the high groundwater levels were addressed with a drainage pump located at Blackie Spit Park.

See more mirrored sights from around the globe at Weekend Reflections.

Visit Postcards From Penelope Puddle to view more BC scenes.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

Safe Harbors In The Bleakest Of Weather

THE WARMEST place in Canada as winter approaches is generally southwest BC. It is also a time when rain seems to pour down endlessly from the skies. When there is a break in the dampness an icy chill can set in. Hands wrapped in mittens now hold umbrellas. Frost nips at the edges of coastal life.

Boats are tucked into safe harbors. Only a few adventurers will go out when the waters get choppy.

Parks empty as visitors drop off one by one like leaves from the branches of trees. Avid walkers step more briskly past vacant benches.

Strutting birds will huddle with other birds no longer warmed just by their own feathers. Everything sheds ... everything falls into a messy muddle. The thorny, frail and brittle land in a heap of dust at our feet.

To me autumn is the most striking and profound of seasons. The yearly cleansing of clutter opens windows and makes horizons visible again.

And although things will likely get worse before they get better, have we not all heard summer ring with bright expectations like a faint bell around the corner of every winter?

Perhaps snow will fall as it has more frequently these past winters. But it will not be crisp or white for long. Soon it will mix with showers. Snowmen will droop. Toboggans will get stuck in brown muddy puddles. But the imagination will flourish ... particularly for people who are nourished by the rain.

Creativity is a year-round harbor that was taken indoors this weekend at the Ocean Park Hall in South Surrey.

The Semiahmoo Potters were showing their wares as they do each December. Earthy colors were on display. The work was nature inspired.

There were many ornaments from which to choose. I came away with a single word that speaks to me and I hope to you, too, even in the bleakest of weather.

To explore sights from around the globe, link to Our World at the sidebar.

Visit Postcards From Penelope Puddle to view more BC scenes.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms