When the weather is cold and grey

It's the middle of winter and although we haven't had that much snow in the Midlands, it is cold and the dull sky is distinctly cheerless.
So remembering last summer and the many sunny days, here are just a few of the photographs from the second half of our visit to Ohio and Toronto.

This hydrangea bush starts of with white flowers, but as the days go by they change through pale pink to a vivid pink.  The Ohio climate obviously suits them - in the UK my hydangea has a way to go to catch up.

Lunch on the porch - we had a good many meals outside - the weather was so good.
Ada is keeping guard.












 The fire was blazing and we enjoyed the evening air -' smores' were on the menu - I think that's what they were called - toasted marshmallows.

A visit to a fruit farm and the bushes were loaded with blackberries.  It didn't take long to buy enough to make jam.  When we got back to base I learned quite a lot about jam making and got the job of stirring.

Visiting some family friends and another evening eating out of doors.  E and M made us very welcome to their home.

A visit to the Botanical Gardens in Cleveland - A shady spot and a chance to take a rest after all the walking - the camera worked overtime taking so many photographs - far too many to post.

Equally beautiful were the flowers that we gathered from the land surrounding G and B's home.

We had to move on from Ohio to visit our family in  Toronto, Canada.

A  trip around the boating  pool by pedallo - I think the water was about a foot deep, but customers were not allowed to take any chances.

A visit to a winery on the way to Niagara Falls and my first taste of iced wine.  I thought I might buy a bottle until I saw the price - but it was very special.

How to get thoroughly soaked on a bright sunny day - take a close look at Niagara Falls - another memorable experience.  The lens of the camera got thoroughly splashed but it hasn't stopped working though I think it would not take too kindly to being soaked on a regular basis.

No visit to Niagara Village is complete without 
sampling the ice cream

 Back in Toronto - and looking over the waterfront from the top of the CN Tower.

It's surpising who you meet when you visit Toronto.                                                                                                                                      

It all ended far too quickly and we were in the taxi on the way back to the airport - we left with some farewell gifts - hopefully we will visit again.

 

 

Time Flies

Time flies – another year ended – here are some photos that were taken when we took advantage of a break in the weather and went for a walk along the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal.  The clear sky and bright conditions were good for taking photos of reflections in the canal.  In some places there was no ice; in other places the ice had been broken by passing barges.

 This is someone's garden - they must have an army of gardeners to keep it so manicured.

 Logs reflected in the icy water

This historic building, Tixall Gatehouse, looked resplendent, its gilded weather vanes shining from each turret. At over three hundred years old it is about the same age as the canal.

We walked along the towpath until we reached Haywood Junction where the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal joins into the Trent and Mersey Canal.

High up in one of the large trees on the opposite side of the canal we saw an owl.  He should not have been around during the daytime.  Perhaps this was the best roost he could find.

This sheep came near to the waters edge and provided another opportunity for a reflection photo.

By the time we had strolled along to the Junction and retraced our route the Sun was setting.  We had been out for about three and a half hours.