My love affair with.... nature

Small in a big world...

2015-04-20T10:31:00.001-04:00

When I saw this little creature last fall, so small and alone on this beach, I couldn't believe the struggle it had endured to get to its destination - all over, others of it's kind were empty, hadn't made the journey. As I sat there looking at it closely, I realized that we all go through struggles at points in our lives to get to the destination we are meant to be in. So, just like this little guy or gal, we stay strong and find our way.

Even though we may at times feel small in this big wide world we live in, the strength is within us to overcome our struggles and reach our destination.

"Even though I feel small in the world, I have a big heart."

Port Stanley Ontario

North and South

2015-04-20T09:38:00.001-04:00

Wherever you are in the world, no matter the weather, there is always beauty to be found if you take the time to see it.

Alone in the snow

Northern Ontario

Beautiful skies, and the most peaceful sound with the wind in the trees

Northern Ontario

So peaceful

Northern Ontario

The sun playing peek-a-boo in the trees

Northern Ontario

Love the green

Northern Ontario

Nature and city

Southern Ontario

Robin keeping watch

Southern Ontario

The first true signs of spring!!

Southern Ontario

New places....

2014-11-08T07:39:00.003-05:00

“Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale.” ~Lauren DeStefano

Springbank Park

Port Stanley

Just hanging around
Port Stanley

Lake Erie - Port Stanley

Windy day
Lake Erie - Port Stanley

Lake Erie - Port Stanley

Love the colors in this one!
Lake Erie - Port Stanley

Had an idea for this shot and it worked! :)
Lake Erie - Port Stanley

Lake Erie - Port Bruce

Duckies! :)
Westminster Ponds - London

I love fall!
Westminster Ponds - London

And the ice has arrived!
Westminster Ponds - London

Frozen in the water
Westminster Ponds - London

Canada Geese
Westminster Ponds - London

Westminster Ponds

I love how certain plants adapt to fall :)
Westminster Ponds - London

Boat trip on Temagami Lake - last day....

2014-07-25T21:36:00.000-04:00

The last day was probably the nicest. I woke up to calm mirror like water. There was a fog hanging just over the water. My friend and I took out the paddle boat and stayed on the water for over an hour. It was so calm and hypnotizing. I know that in the future, when I am having a down day, I will look at these and remember the beauty and calmness I felt.

"I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order." - John Burroughs

Boat trip on Lake Temagami - day two

2014-07-23T16:11:00.003-04:00

Our second day on the water was amazing. Beautiful skies, with a bit of rain at times. The water was so clear and cool. I loved looking at the effect the water had on the rocks, the designs and colors. No matter where you look, there is beauty in everything nature has to offer us - whether it be the sky at sunset, the water, the beaver and its dam, or the rocks in the water. I love nature!!

Boat trip on Lake Temagami - day one

2014-07-21T19:44:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago, I got to spend 4 days and 3 nights on Lake Temagami. The days were spent on a house boat and on land. I saw beautiful scenery, gorgeous sunsets and starry skies. Being in nature like that with no cell phones, computers, or televisions was wonderful. The only sounds were the waves hitting the boat, birds chirping, loon calls, wind in the trees, and camp fires - oh and I cannot forget the buzzing of misquitoes...lol.

Sunset

2014-06-24T23:17:00.002-04:00

Just breathtaking..... I had to stop and try to capture what I saw, and wow! What a sight!

McIntyre Park

Gillies Lake

The moon

2014-06-14T02:09:00.002-04:00

It's not everyday you can get a nice picture of the moon, especially when the sky is often full of clouds.

Beauty isn't always at eye level - it can by high in the sky, or hiding among blades of grass. I love nature :)

Flowers

2014-06-10T19:50:00.000-04:00

I think my favorite time of the year is when the flowers bloom. We get to see all the beautiful colors and smell the wonderful sweet scents. I love spring!

Another beautiful sunny day....

2014-05-31T18:35:00.000-04:00

It's been a very long, emotional week. I've been up and down, happy and sad, and the one medicine that always works is being in the bush, finding things to take pictures of. I found a few flowers and more beautiful scenery. My home town sure has beautiful walking areas!

What a beautiful red!

Stunning!

A view from the bottom...

I can't wait to see these purple flowers...

First foot dunk of the year :)

Hugs and have a great weekend!

Lazy day...

2014-05-24T23:19:00.002-04:00

I spent most of the day sleeping away due to being sick. This cold is kicking me in the butt, and no matter what I do, it's not letting go. In the late afternoon, I couldn't stand being cooped up in the house and decided fresh air was needed. Took a nice slow walk near the power lines not far from home. Being out there did me some good. I took my time, and sat around a lot, just admiring and observing. Found a few things I hadn't seen before which always makes me happy. Hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them.

Hugs!

Finally some leaves are appearing :)

More color! These flowers are smaller than dimes.

Can't wait to see this white flower bloom. It was even smaller than the purple one.

The clouds were breathtaking today!

Odd tree mushrooms

Duck day :)

2014-05-23T00:04:00.002-04:00

Today was a rather gloomy day, not much sun to enjoy. No walks for me, so I decided to visit the ducks at the lake. They really didn't mind getting their picture taken...lol!

Hugs!

Daffodils...

2014-05-20T20:03:00.002-04:00

I have to say I am a sucker for punishment. Here I am, sick as a dog with a bad cold, and I go out for two walks today. Now I am paying the price and I feel like someone has run me over with a Mack truck...lol! On my second walk, I came upon some daffodils. I was very surprised to find them in the woods, as they are not the wild ones. Nonetheless, I was very happy to see the bright yellow mixed in with the green and brown of the woods.

McIntyre Park

What can I say, I love pine cones :)

Beautiful blue sky.

Not sure what this is, but I love the red.

I love looking up at the trees :)

Male duck at McIntyre park pond.

I guess he didn't like that I was taking his photograph...lol

Pearl Lake

Someone must have planted these.... beautiful!

Mr. Groundhog

Another male duck at Gillies Lake

Loon at Gillies Lake

Hugs!!

Victoria Day...

2014-05-19T16:55:00.006-04:00

What a beautiful day today, the sun is shinning and it's wonderful! I went for a very nice walk at Hershey Lake again and found new signs of life among the dead leaves; and even some color finally...lol! My little friend from the other day was there again, having a feast on seeds people left. I am so happy that spring is finally showing signs of staying - even if I did find a little bit of snow. I am looking forward to all the beautiful colors Mother Nature will have to show us.

So small...

A little bit of color :)

Tamarack Lake - I love this little lake off the trail...

Ahhhhh, you can only hear the birds, and the sway of the trees...

These were very small...

Still some snow and ice kicking around.... go away! lol

Growing at the base of a tree, so tiny and determined to grow :)

More color!! :)

Love this trail!!

My little friend :)

So adorable! :)

Hope you all had a good weekend!

Hugs!

Victoria Day long weekend

2014-05-18T00:28:00.003-04:00

I got to try out my new camera yesterday and today, and after a stressful day, just being out in the woods taking pictures calmed my spirit. Walking, hearing the birds chirping and the wind blowing in the trees, allowed me to relax. I think I did pretty good with the images I captured, considering it was either snowing or raining...lol!

Aftermath of the forest fire of 2012 near Timmins. The trees are still black. - May 17

May 17

Love the green! - May 17

So tiny! - May 17

May 17

Yes, there is still snow...lol! - May 17

Mr. Duck - May 17

What beautiful colors he has! - May 17

May 17

I know it's not the nicest of pictures, but I wanted to capture the

oddness of the trees... - May 17

Peek-a-boo! Too cute! - May 18

Upside down bird...lol - May 18

May 18

This one is my absolute favorite!!!! - May 18

May 18

Hershey Lake - May 18

Have a great long weekend!

Hugs!

~Nat

Spring is back, and so am I...

2014-05-07T11:55:00.003-04:00

Spring has officially made it's presence known, a month and a half late. But like they say, better late than never. This past weekend, I finally was able to take a nice walk in the woods without sinking to my knees in snow. Don't get me wrong, there is still snow in the woods, but some parts are walk-able. I managed to snap a few pictures - finally. Being out there, in nature, breathing the spring fresh air, renewed some of my spirit, shedding away the winter blahs. I am anxious to be in the woods more, walking, enjoying the sounds of nature, and just getting away from the everyday hustle and bustle. I hope you like these pics - I know just taking them brought back a part of me that has been missing.

Hugs! xo

A beaver visited the area.

There were mushrooms all over the trees in this area.

I just loved the hanging moss of this tree. The whole tree was full of it.

I have something with pine cones...lol.

I wonder what animal lives in this hole...

This piece of ice in the moss was the size of a quarter...

Forest fires around Timmins

2012-05-24T10:09:00.001-04:00

Things have been a tad on the crazy side here since Sunday. There is at this moment a 50 000 acre fire not far from the city. It has caused much smoke to hover over us and falling ash at times. I have taken some pictures as much as possible of the fire's effects, but none of the fires themselves as highways are closed. We are praying for a good rain fall, but not thunderstorms as lightning is the worst thing right now.

May 20

May 23

Size of fire named Timmins 009

Spring has arrived... I think....

2012-04-23T09:44:00.000-04:00

What a beautiful weekend :) On Saturday, the sun was shinning and the little time I spent in the bush was great. There are surely signs of spring even though I did find some snow hiding in parts where the sun cannot reach. I truly hope that mother nature makes up her mind as we are expected to get another 5cm of snow tomorrow.... not looking foward to that. But no matter what, the warmer weather is coming and we all have to be patient, myself included...lol!

Ending the day in a positive way...

2012-04-20T00:01:00.000-04:00

I was 3 hours from home today, and it wasn't the best of days. On my drive back, all I could think about was home, and the difficult day I had had. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted this moose on the side of the highway. As rushed as I was, I stopped and gazed at it for a few moments and had enough time to take these two pictures. I don't get to see moose often, so as bad as today was, this amazing creature of nature brightened my day.

Spring is here

2012-03-26T10:58:00.000-04:00

I must apologize for my winter absence. It has been a busy, at times cold winter, and I spent it mostly hibernating indoors. I am happy the cold is almost gone and the warm weather is slowly arriving.

I did snap these beautiful sunset pictures in early March when my son was out sliding, his final sliding day of the year. The sky was amazing, and i am happy and lucky I caught these shots. The week after these were taken, the snow was completely gone.

I hope you like them. And I promise, I will have more pictures up soon, the beautiful weather is here to stay.

Happy Monday,
-Nat

Thank you!

2011-08-14T12:54:00.002-04:00

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has viewed my blog, and all of you who are following as well. I am honored that so many of you like my pictures.

Thank you again!
-Nathalie

Work trip

2011-08-14T12:42:00.000-04:00

Last week I went on a work trip 4 hours from home. I got the chance to re-visit a highway I hadn't been on in years and re-discover its hidden treasures. No matter how busy life is, taking even 5 minutes to de-compress and explore the beauty around us does amazing things to our spirit - well it does to mine anyway. I hope you all enjoy the pictures! Visiting these places was one of the best parts of my work trip!
Have a great week everyone!

Hugs!!

Trails

2011-08-01T21:59:00.000-04:00

I hope everyone had a great weekend! I have to admit I had a lazy weekend - layed on the beach, watched my son play in the lake, admired the sky and the clouds, enjoyed the sounds of the wind in the trees....sigh...

I didn't really get out to take pictures, so I decided to go through my nature pictures folder and pick some to share on the blog. These pictures were taking in the past 2 years, in all seasons, in trails near my home. I need to go back in those trails and take more pictures, make more discoveries, and enjoy the sounds and the smells I love so much.

Have a great week! Hugs!

The heat is on.... yuck!

2011-07-21T01:02:00.004-04:00

It is hot and muggy here and it's only now just starting to cool off for the night, thank goodness! Sorry for not posting in a while. I was extremly ill with a bad flu and am still recovering. Slowly my energy is returning, and i have been getting some fresh air. And of course, the camera is at my side. This time, a good friend of mine lent me a Sony DSC-F828. This camera was a bit intimidating for me, especially compared to my Nikon Coolpix, which i love!! The first 20 or so pictures with the Sony were not what i wanted - i just couldn't get a good shot. I tried again later, and as i became more relaxed with it, i got some pretty nice shots.

These pictures are of my weekend at the beach, Saturday and Sunday. It was a mixture of temperatures: rain, thunder, amazing shows lightning, lots of sun, and most off all lots of heat and mugginess. Ah, the joys of summer!

Hugs!

Blueberries already? They are early....

Can you see the rainbow? What a sight :)

New discoveries

2011-07-04T23:27:00.001-04:00

Very hot day today. The minute I got home from work, my son begged to go to the lake. So after dinner, and a small power snooze, we headed off to the lake. I had planned on laying on the beach, watch my son and his friend have fun in the water, and try to get some reading done. Well of course, my wondering eye spotted a flower it had never seen before. Before you know it, I was snapping away, and discovered more new flowers. I was in heaven!

We get so busy with our lives, our jobs, and everyday things that we don't often take the time to admire the small things around us, the small wonders mother nature has given us.

Have a great week,
-Nat