Walk in the garden.blogspot.com

Halloween is Here!

2011-10-30T18:24:00.000-04:00

a fun shimmering jack o'latern

Wishing you a Happy Halloween!

I've been experimenting with Glitterboo and a few of my photographs, I'm pleased
with how the features work and experimenting to see where best to upload
and share the animations!

With love,
...from the garden

Celebrating the Giving of Gifts

2010-12-25T16:36:00.001-05:00

The giving of gifts, a long honored tradition that applies to almost every celebration we

humans conjure up certainly takes center stage during the Christmas season.

On the surface of our modern day world, marketing and retail corporations would like us all to believe the world's financial state relies on brisk Christmas and Boxing Day (After-Christmas) sales. Millions of dollars are spent promoting a frenzy of consumerism and blatant

overconsumption.

Ya, yawn, we all know this, really, BUT...

Come on Scrooge it IS Christmas!

The giving of gifts is still something that we all enjoy doing, anytime of year and I celebrate it.

In my opinion I've acquired the philosophy that;,

When a gift is offered, the giver also gains a gift of their own. They are reminded of their own

abundance and good fortune and affirm it through sharing that abundance with another.

Sharing with whom there is a great emotional or respectful relationship seems to me to charge the circumstances with that much more good energy for all.  Consequently I would say that

the promotion of abundant gift giving during Christmas may actually be doing us all more

good than harm because it has a healing affect on us. Despite all that seems to be negative

about the whole system of consumerism, when it requires overconsumption by the masses to satisfy the beneficiaries, it may at least help the masses feel good. And feeling good is where we all want to be, what we all want to feel, what we're all searching for in our lives.

I received a gift today from Jerry & Esther Hicks and the group consciousness known as

Abraham, it's a great reminder and I wanted to share it because it is one of the most important things I've learned in the past and I know many others will benefit from remembering this! I'm much more interested in allowing improvement and so this was an important reminder for me!

Most people do not realize that as they continue to find things to
complain about, they disallow their own physical well-being. Many do not realize that before they were complaining about an aching

body or a chronic disease, they were complaining about many

other things first. It does not matter if the object of your complaint is about someone you are angry with, behavior in others that you

believe is wrong, or something wrong with your own physical body. Complaining is complaining, and it disallows improvement. 

--- Abraham

I enjoy listening to the audio work of Jerry & Esther Hicks and the group consciousness

known as Abraham, there's an interesting website at abraham-hicks.com a lot of their material is available to download. However purchases are limited to credit card payments at the

moment.

Hoping you are abundantly celebrating your abundance through your holiday giving and

receiving, however way you enjoy going about that!

With love,
...from the garden

Celebrating Celebrations!

2010-12-09T08:30:00.000-05:00

Celebrations seem abundant at this time of the year. Back in October some were celebrating the end of Ramadan, and Canadians celebrated their Thanksgiving. Then there was Halloween, followed by Remembrance Day on November 11th and Americans celebrated their Thanksgiving later that month. Hanukkah is just winding down today to be followed by Kwanzaa, Christmas, Boxing Day and New Year's Day! So much to celebrate and so much fun to be shared for so many people!

Family occasions, company parties, religious and traditional holidays are all different in their scope but celebrating them seems quite universal. Whether formal or casual, families, friends and co-workers generally want to share goodwill and good wishes during these times. It is also heartwarming to see how people get together to help others less fortunate, that they too can also participate in a variety of holiday celebrations.

These times can be difficult for some people, perhaps they've no family nearby or family members are no longer living. The loss of a loved one around such times of the year can be depressing, even devastating for some. We last my Dad two years ago, just a month before Christmas and this year is the first time we've even felt like decorating for the Christmas holidays, even though we still cooked a traditional meal and enjoyed some time with my daughter and her family. In some ways the holiday seemed a bit of a drudgery that reminded us more of our loss than of the special time of year that it is for our family.

This year we've chosen to return to our family traditions and have reminded ourselves that Dad would want us to carry on with them and take the time to enjoy them. So to honor his memory we're moving forward and keeping him in our hearts while we set out decorations and plan some fine breakfasts and dinners and prepare for another visit to see my grand daughters! Young children are truly a joy to included in holiday celebrations because they remind us of the simpler things that are so worth celebrating; like the first snow and making a snow man or snow angel and being first down the toboggan hill! Their glee is such a joy to experience it helps bring everything back into perspective and makes us realize we have so much to be grateful for.

Hoping you have been enjoying your own special celebrations with others that you hold dear and that the traditions you know are honored and kept in a special place in your heart.

In celebration with you, and, as always,
With love,
...from the garden

Celebrating Dream Time and Sleep

2010-12-07T22:41:00.000-05:00

Today I celebrate dreams, dream-time and sleep. Thought I'd bring that one forward because many of you who know me well know my day is somewhat upside down compared to most. I work a straight midnight shift and so when many of my friends are heading off to work I'm winding down my "day" and preparing for a good and restful sleep. The schedule works well for our family, allowing someone to be home at all times to tend to my mother's needs and keep our dogs well supervised and give them the personal attention they thrive on.

I'm finding a split sleep schedule actually works well for me. Though it seems counter to any sleep advice I've heard. However one thing I have read is concerning older adults and their tendency to get their sleep in two or three sessions. I am one of those people who rarely sleeps a full 8 hours, 6 or 7 has always been my norm and now I find I get that time in at least two separate sessions. As a creative person I am finding this schedule is enhancing my creative energies. It's as if I can pull creative ideas from my dreaming time through to my awake time much more easily, and I have read that this may be a more natural process than I've realized.

During dream time our brains and our subconscious work not only on solving and assimilating the challenges of our day but also in expanding our creative and imaginative powers. That's something that I'm happy to celebrate. If you're familiar with the contemporary band Collective Soul they have a song that talks of dreaming, and of wishing that our physical reality could better reflect the beauty and magic of the time while we're sleeping. That our dreams and our reality could become the same. And that reality helps one to appreciate the world of our dreams.

I think because our dreams know no limits it may even help us build confidence when in awake time we may feel less sure of our abilities and more fearful of hurts, real or imagined. Nothing however makes a person feel or even look better than a restful sleep. To sink into our comfortable beds, wrapped in soft and soothing blankets, we return to our subconscious world in dream time, a place we've known since before our birth and yet remember little of once we awaken.

Enjoy your dreams and your sleep time, it is universal to all active living beings and is as natural as breathing!

With sleepy, dreamy, love,
...from the garden

Celebrating Passion!

2010-12-06T17:33:00.000-05:00

What are you passionate about? The word passion applies to a whole lot more than romantic attentions but the effect of a passionate desire of anything is quite similar in it's energetic qualities. Professors who are passionate about the subject they teach can inspire their students to delve deeply into their academic studies and those students usually remember that teacher's impact for the rest of their lives. Writers, passionate about their craft, can hold their readers spellbound through the thickest of novels. But just how did these passionate people become so enthralled in their work and in sharing their skills with others?

What makes these people different from the run of the mill teachers or writers or lawyers or athletes that do their thing but in a more lackluster fashion? Love seems to be the main factor to separate one from the other. And getting back to those romantic attentions, romance just doesn't happen without love. Think about this; sex, in and of itself is just another physical activity, but sex, coupled with love can and often is passionate and complex and far more satisfying. If that makes sense then it's not hard to transfer that same logic to all other activities in our lives.

While it is unlikely that every aspect of one's life is backed with passion, housecleaning for example is not everyone's cup of tea and yet for some it is their passion. Just as not every person is attracted to becoming a renown musician those that are passionate about their music seem driven to share their talent, and their love, with the world. Because a person loves the subject of their passion they seem to focus more intently on what they do and how they do it. They may have been at it for a whole lifetime or it may be a new discovery in their lives that simply sparks a love for and interest in a particular way of being or doing and always it is approached with enthusiasm.

So passion can't really be faked but people can learn to be more passionate in their lives. It just takes some self reflection, asking questions like; "What do I really love doing?", "What interests give me a great sense of satisfaction?". By focusing on the answers to those types of questions people can find hints to lead them to the activities and interests that they are passionate about. From there it seems the next step is in cultivating that passion, like a flower in the garden, allowing the passion to flourish and develop, until at some point one just does what they love and forgets there was ever a question like; What is your passion in life?

Our world is filled with passionate people and it is also filled with people who are struggling to learn how to connect more fully with their own inner abilities and strengths. I am inspired by the passions of others and love to learn more about their lives and their loves. In particular I love their energy and their determined focus. Sometimes shyness or fear may hold others back from fully exploring their passions and my hope is these people will find their passions and begin to explore them in depth. A world filled with people who are passionate about their lives and the lives of others is a world that is exciting and inspiring. That's why I celebrate passion, I believe the more of it we have the better our world will be!

Leaving you to ponder this and as always;

With love (and passion!),

...from the garden

Celebrating the Gift of Forgiveness

2010-12-05T10:11:00.000-05:00

Today I thought it might be best to celebrate forgiveness and I've a good reason for doing that as I have to ask for your forgiveness! Our Friday and Saturday were such busy days this week. I work midnight shift and my timing often gets a bit out of whack when I work overtime or have family matters to attend to and I had both to contend with this week. I am a little embarrassed at missing my 4th entry but will resolve to make it up to you somehow!

Forgiveness is a special human activity that gifts the forgiven and the forgiver. A win-win situation in my understanding. By forgiving anyone for what-ever slight or harm we've experienced we release ourselves from the focus of judgement and allow ourselves to return to a state of grace and well being. For by being in judgement we are, in fact, out of alignment with our best and highest good. By virtue of the basics of the Law of Attraction, where "that which is alike, unto itself will be drawn", we do ourselves much good to place our focus and attention on those things in our lives that make us feel good. Thinking of past wrongs, no matter if horrifying or not, focuses our attention in negative directions that will likely attract more of the same to us.

Considering also the power of keeping one's focus on the immediate now moment in our lives. By being fully present NOW. Right at this very moment when we have the power to make choices we can choose positively or negatively but we can choose, we can do, we can be that which seems right to us at the moment. In the past, into the future we have less impact and are really just wasting our time placing too much attention in those directions. Right now is where energy and matter connect and we experience our lives in physical reality. That is the only time it happens. Everything else is not in real time, not in reality. The past, near past or ancient past, the future tomorrow or 10 years from now do not exist in reality, they are thoughts, memories and ideas. They can still be powerful forces in our lives but they are not in the position of power - We ARE, right now, right here! At least that's an opinion that is held by some people, myself among them.

Those two concepts help to highlight why forgiveness makes so much sense. By releasing those for whom we hold disdain, avarice or hate we remove our energy from making that emotion more important than our own happiness or sense of well being. We'll be healthier because our nervous system won't be churning and boiling with our rants, fits of depression, anxiety attacks or pity parties. Imagine the freedom we can feel by simply letting go of passing judgement upon another human being. The action may or may not be appreciated by the subject of your focus, they may not even be aware of your hurt or their slight, but that doesn't really matter in the scheme of things.

Come to think of it, this forgiveness thing is interesting... because, really, it's of much more benefit to the forgiver than the forgiven. I think that's a fun thought for starting your day today; Go ahead and be selfish, forgive, and benefit greatly both physically and mentally by the activity! Gift your mis-givers with your forgiveness and gift yourself with the freedom to move forward in life with a better sense of well being!

Okay, I'm a believer that things always happen for a reason, so I must say I must have missed posting on the 4th just so I would be sure to include celebrating forgiveness in my list of celebrations for the month! Such an odd and happy coincidence I am glad to ask you for your forgiveness, because if you gift me with it you will gain so much and for that I would be so very grateful! What a happy circumstance this can be. In the end I guess I really can make this up to you and I'm hopeful you'll accept this little gift. ;-)
As always,

With love,
...from the garden

Celebrating Science and Discovery

2010-12-03T21:47:00.000-05:00

Today I'm inspired to celebrate science and discovery and the wonders uncovered through the dedication and determination of curious adventurers.

Just in the past year or two there have been amazing new discoveries in science. Some of these include the discovery of water on Mars, the new advances in quantum physics, the decoding of human DNA and new work with stem cell research.

Just yesterday an article in the Globe & Mail, a large Canadian newspaper, reports that a new study published in the scientific journal Nature suggests there may be three times the number of stars in the universe than was originally estimated by astronomers and astrophysicists. And while there will likely be years of debate before any agreement will be reached I find the idea quite enchanting to imagine we are sharing the universe with such a huge and almost unimaginable number of stars. In the order of 300 sextillion stars, that's 300 followed by 23 zeros and that is an incredibly huge number! Not to mention the fact that all those new stars will likely have their own planets and moons and meteors and star dust!

Check out the article yourself here.

Study triples count of stars in universe - The Globe and Mail

I celebrate all the great and beautiful starlight that shines upon us each night and the men and women inspired to explore the depths of our world, even questioning their old assumptions and shaking up their own "orderly" scientific world of knowledge in order to stretch our knowing that much further.

Not to mention that it's worth celebrating the fact that we're all here to witness such amazing news! What an incredible time to be alive!

Under a sky brimming with the most beautiful stars I bid you sweet dreams, and as always this is shared; With love, ...from the garden

Celebrating the Colors of Creation!

2010-12-02T19:35:00.001-05:00

Today I celebrate the colors of creation!

Have you ever wondered just how many colors there are in our natural world? They are limitless, it seems, even though some differences may be subtle. For example; when the trees begin to leaf out in the spring it is usually quite obvious that each variety of tree gives off it's own unique shade of green which, in a mixed forest, can display itself like a beautiful tapestry of colors and texture. Of course spring flowers and fruit are undeniably some of the most uplifting and exhilarating visions for people who live in climates like Canada's. After a cold snowy winter there is nothing more welcomed in a Canadian household then sweet lady spring!

Late November, here in my little corner of the world, helps remind me to celebrate colors because of it's nearly absolute lack of color. If we haven't gotten enough snow to cover and brighten the landscape the damp and dark days in November give the landscape a monochrome appearance which has a beauty all it's own but is more focused on texture in deep shades of grey, brown and green. This is in extreme contrast to the spectacular display of autumn leaves and flowers that would've graced the same landscape just a month or so before. Often November can be drab and dull, not just lacking color but also absorbing light so that there is little to be found. The striking differences help me appreciate the colours that exist throughout our natural world.

Colours have meaning to many people and others are affected by the presence or absence of colour in their environment. Red is associated with danger or power in many circles. Green, traditionally associated with money is now more widely associated with environmental issues. Yellow is a favorite here in the garden along with blue. It is a colour I believe represents cheerfulness and spring-time although others connect yellow with the need for caution.

I recommend throwing caution to the wind and letting your heart guide you to the colors that you are attracted to. Enjoy them and let their light vibrations soothe your very soul. Immerse yourself in colour when you are feeling down, depressed or lethargic. Wear a cozy scarf or a striking hat or tie in a color that suits your mood or enhances and uplifts your mood. Try it and see how it also affects the people around you. It may be fun to share your experiences here if you're so inclined or visitors might be interested in hearing your thoughts about colour, your favorite color, color memories and the like.

In any case have fun with color and have a great, color-full day.

With love,
...from the garden

Milestones to Celebrate - Beginning by Celebrating YOU!

2010-12-01T14:52:00.000-05:00

We've reached a happy milestone on our Facebook Page, where what used to be called "FANS" we now have over 100 of you who have "liked" Our Enchanted Garden!

While that may not sound like a huge number, I am honored to see all of you and I am amazed by the diversity of people who regularly visit from around the world. Some of you are local friends, some are family, and the majority of you are people I've never met personally save for our meeting in Our Enchanted Garden.

From Australia to India, to Lebanon, Switzerland and Uruguay, we are as diverse as Nature herself and scattered around our beautiful globe. Through the wonders of internet connections we have come together to share our love and appreciation for the natural world we live in.

So this first day in December I celebrate each and every one of YOU! You are amazing and you are welcome here in the Garden! Your participation inspires me beyond words and I am so glad to meet you all. If you are interested you are welcomed to post photographs of your own garden or other gardens you admire. You can begin a discussion, post a note, your poetry or even share a video with us all. I welcome interactions and look forward to getting to know you better.

I also invite any suggestions you may have; subjects to cover or requests for products or artwork. Perhaps there's an image you've seen that you'd like converted to a mug, a postcard, some stationery or even a framed print.

I truly appreciate and enjoy your participation on our page, here at our blog, on our Website and for your support through donations and through purchases at our Zazzle Gallery . Thank you so much for becoming involved and joining us in celebrating Nature, the natural world and the human spirit immersed within it!

With immense gratitude and, as always;
With love,
...from the garden

Postcards with Autumn and Thanksgiving themes

2010-11-14T16:09:00.000-05:00

Thought I'd play with some of my new autumn photos to make up some pretty postcards for the season and the holidays.
Postcards just seem to make sense to me. With all the concerns of wasting paper I considered what most of us do with the envelope after we've received a card in the mail; we toss it in the recycle bin! With a postcard there's less waste and the card can still be hung on a fridge or bulletin board. Heck they make durable bookmarks too!
A few turned out so well I thought it would be nice to highlight them here;

Sun Kissed Autumn Stream Postcard by OurEnchantedGarden
See more Autumn Postcards

This is one shot that really pleased me. Mainly because it demonstrated the windy autumn we had, inspiring the title for this image: Autumn Whispers in the Wind.

Happy Thanksgiving Postcard by OurEnchantedGarden
See more Autumn Postcards

Another pretty autumn image was inspired by the planter at our front door, using some cartooning effects this softened and romanticized the subject. Autumn Floral;

Cartooned Autumn Floral by OurEnchantedGarden
See more Autumn Postcards

I'll add more in the next entry once I've worked up another few postcard ideas! There are often lovely photo opportunities this time of year and I've a good selection of favorites to work with! These are fully customizable - you can add your own text on front or back, even add a personal photo on the back if you don't want to write a long message. A great way to stay in touch in a traditional and eco-friendly way!
Give them a try and see what sort of fun you can have sharing with your loved ones and letting them know you're thinking of them!
Enjoy!

With love,
...from the garden

Well worth their cost!

2010-10-24T10:01:00.002-04:00

Well worth their cost!, originally uploaded by Our Enchanted Garden.

At $30 a piece these are well worth the cost. The sharp thorns will discourage the U of G students from stealing our flowers & decorations (have lost so-o-o many things to the drunken U of Goo Hooligans!) - will stop the neighboring parents from laying their bikes along the property line when dropping their kids at school ( You won't believe what those adults did to our fence! It was such a pretty fence!) And will discourage neighbor dogs from eliminating on the garden proper. (Such is the urban nature of our little front garden!) That combined with the colourful antics of the plant itself really put them in a class of highly useful planting material!

In summer the plants have a distinctive mottled leaf of green, white and pink. Come fall they take on their pretty glow and then turn a deeper red-purple until their leaves are ready to fall in winter!

It's like having several plants in one. I call it our animated hedge!

Go Forth in Excited Anticipation - that new ideas will bubble forth!

2010-10-18T09:23:00.000-04:00

This quote is one that really resounds with me today!

There is nothing that you're wanting to know that you do not have the capacity to understand fully. And there is nothing that you're wanting to know that the Universe does not already know that you want to know, and has already begun the process of answering. And so, go forth in excited anticipation that the new ideas will continue to bubble forth, and that the Universal Forces will continue to come forth in loving, benevolent, eternal answering to that which you are about. There is great love here for you. We are complete
--- Abraham

Esther and Jerry Hicks share excerpts from their workshops and seminars as daily quotes. Some days the quotes are incredibly in tune with where my own thinking is focusing. Love that Synchronicity!

Enjoy your own going forth and receiving in this miraculous world of ours!

With love,
...from the garden

In Tension or Intentions; Through the 10-10-10 Gateway, Choose Your Focus

2010-10-10T05:26:00.001-04:00

These are incredibly creative times. You may have noticed the quickening pace of the physical world we live in, this is now heightened by the shortening daylight hours in the Northern Hemisphere. Are you feeling tense, witnessing the tensions of those around you or frightened by the tensions that seem to keep rising in all corners of the earth? You are not alone! Conflict, frustration and anger seem to be the by-product of our evolutionary spiral into the next levels of human experience and co-creation! Choosing your focus wisely in these times can help you through!

In a recent gathering with many gifted lightworkers we learned to help ourselves through this "Eye of The Needle" in human history by focusing on what we wish to create in our experience. To focus intently, using our inner guidance to help us feel those creative intentions as if they already exist on the physical plane. To even intensify those thoughts and feelings with emotional strength, pushing gently against the veil and using the intense creative forces of the 2nd dimensional levels to help catapult our intentions and desires through to the 5th dimensions in manifestation.

Focus on what you want from life, in life, for life. Other focuses will charge your experience with the tensions and fears that are swirling in the mass consciousness and you may find yourself angry, confused and frustrated, caught in a vortex of fear generated in the 4th dimension. Be careful what you wish for, as these are potent, energetic times and the universe wants only to grant you your souls' desire - be sure you are clear on your focus, in your best and highest good, as the universe is poised to deliver whatever you are calling to you.

Take heart in knowing there are cosmic energetics helping to add light in what can be these dark, heavy days. Recent solar flares and the presence of Hartley 2, a relatively new comet currently gracing our dark night skies are showering our world in cosmic love, starseeds and light energies and can assist us in maintaining a sense of grace & ease in the midst of turmoil and chaos.

Additional help can be found in neighborhood spiritual groups, if one doesn't exist in your area try getting a few friends together to help each other. On the internet you will find a wide range of self help, self development, spirituality and lightworker resources and groups that can provide a virtual gathering of like-minded people. Let your heart guide you to where the information you need at this time can be found. One site that is comprised of meditations and classes aimed to help those inspired to serve the greater good for Gaia and human kind is Katherine Wright Desai's web site; Vitability.com/Aquarian Energy Healing and the page the preceding link will take you to features attunements, including one for the 10-10-10 gateway as well as others in the archives.
You can listen to the class we attended Thursday evening, where (links are listed below) we worked specifically on helping strengthen our ability to stay in a state of grace and ease, to be energized with love and joy and less affected by the chaotic energies of the masses.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Listen on Computer:

http://www.audioacrobat.com/play/WCZV9bjr

Download Audio:

http://vitability.audioacrobat.com/download/Trinity_of_Rays_Joyfilled_Change.mp3

It is a powerful meditation and discussion that can help settle some of the nervous, edgy energies you may be feeling and can be listened to several times for added benefit and full advantage. It can also serve as a sampler for you if you are searching for an on line resource and gathering place in which to develop your world service skills and contacts. I have experienced several guided meditations and classes and have enjoyed very positive effects from the work I have participated in. Feel free to explore if you are guided!

Here in Canada we are also celebrating our Thanksgiving holiday this weekend and it seems the timing is perfect given the gratitude I feel to be so fortunate to be able to participate both in our family celebrations and in celebrating the ushering in of a new age of humanity through the 10-10-10 celestial gateway. It is truly an amazing time in history and to participate in such positive endeavors helps all of us, helps our earth and our existence as we face the challenges of the human spirits' evolution in our lifetimes!

Life is awesome! Live it like you LOVE it!

To my Canadian visitors; Have yourselves a very Happy, Healthy, Joy-Filled Thanksgiving and Thank You for dropping in for a visit!

With love,
...from the garden

2010-09-17T09:08:00.001-04:00

I received an e-mail from Katherine Wright Desai regarding a positive attunement meditation session to prepare us for both the full moon energies and the upcoming equinox. If you have time today do join with us and share in the loving, caring energies that come forth by being in communion with others of like mind.

Hope you can make it later today, I look forward to sharing the positive energies with you!

Here's Katherine's e-mail; ( and don't be shy - feel free to share this with any friends you think might be equally interested.)

Come and align to the positive only aspects of what is

in store for us cosmically and astrologically the next

two weeks.

Come be in communion with a boost and whisper of

light to help you stabilize and get through.

Friday - 12:00 p.m. New York Daylight Time

5:00 p.m. London Time

9:00 a.m. Los Angeles Time

12:00 a.m. (Midnight Wed/Thur) Bali Time

check time in your area:

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html

We all need relaxed sanctuary energy - as we approach equinox our brain

functioning may be a little off - as the pull of the

magnetics are shifting.

Best bright blessings,

Katherine

P.S. Invite or share this with your friends.

P.P.S. Open to all who seek and need it and supported by donations and
ongoing subscriptions by people like you.
Donate here:
http://www.vitability.com/aquarianenergyhealing/id121.html

book a private energy healing session with Katherine:

http://www.vitability.com/aquarianenergyhealing/id33.html

8709 Cold Spring Rd.
Potomac, MD 20854, USA

To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit:
http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?zBxsHGwMtCzs7IzsrMxMtEa07BzMrEwMHA==

I know I can benefit from a boost and a loving whisper of light these days. Life seems to be it's busiest as the days get shorter. A re-calibration of my energy levels might be just the thing to help set things right for the next few weeks!

With love,
...from the garden

Event Schedule for Sacred Wisdom Centre - Guelph, Ontario, affordable experiences in the arts.

2010-09-16T21:37:00.000-04:00

It is such a pleasure when we have interesting visitors in Guelph. We are a small city that enjoys a different pace than our neighboring larger communities. As I can rarely travel to attend such talks & conferences I am happy to learn of this interesting event. Hope to see some of my area friends there and I’ll provide a synopsis of the talk afterwards for those who can’t attend.

Here is a link to the Sacred Wisdom Centre and a quote from their registration page.

Event Schedule for Sacred Wisdom Centre - Guelph, Ontario, affordable experiences in the arts.

Event Information/Registration

LOVE IN ACTION with Marianne Williamson and Andrew Harvey

View Flyer for this event

Talk: Friday Sept. 17, 2010, 7:30pm-9:30 Harcourt United Church, 87 Dean Ave., Guelph $25.00 incl. HST

Workshop: Saturday Sept. 18, 2010, 9:30am-4:30pm The Cutten Club, 190 College Ave. E., Guelph $195 incl. HST and a light lunch

Two of the most internationally acclaimed spiritual teachers of our time will share their most recent work with an appreciative audience in Guelph this fall. Marianne’s book Return to Love, a #1 New York Times Best Seller set the stage for contemporary seekers with her famous insight

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure"

Andrew’s life work profoundly contributes to a new world founded in universal compassion and sacred passion for all life. He is the founder of The Institute for Sacred Activism in Chicago and a prolific author and accomplished wisdom teacher.


marianne.com	andrewharvey.net

With love, ...from the garden

Check out our (experimental) survey

2010-09-02T10:58:00.000-04:00

Using Google docs and some of their lovely templates I've created a short experimental survey which I hope you will be interested in completing and sharing with friends and family. I've never used Google's survey templates before so this test will provide a means to measure how their process works. I expect this will be a fun tool to help engage our readers and provide insight into your interests.

Results will be posted on our Facebook Page and here on our Walk In The Garden Blog.

Your responses will help us determine our focus over this fall and winter to help others imagine and plan their own Enchanted Space!
Don't be shy, no personal info is required or shared. If you do provide your e-mail address we will use it only to send you word when updates are ready to release!

To visit the survey Click Here

I look forward to reviewing your responses! And, a huge thank you in advance for your participation!

With love,
...from the garden

There's Magic and Mischief in the Garden these days!

2010-08-18T15:31:00.000-04:00

I'm writing from the garden, the dogs have finally settled since they were let out to the garden to play. They have been enjoying this summer very much and Our foster boy Billy, who has been neutered, has been enjoying extra attention from our Lab Daisy who's currently in heat! (Daisy will be spayed when she's a bit more mature in hopes to prevent any possible cancer later in her life.) needless to say it's been an entertaining week since the two love birds have been playing and wrestling. Daisy knows there's something really urgent she should know but she's still not quite sure what that is and she's quite energetic at the same time, comical! She's only 21 months old, not quite full grown and large breed so I think the more time I give her to fully develop the better. It's a bit of a nusance but we do manage!

John and I are lucky that we tend to have an inner connection with animals that allows us to appreciate their own worlds differently than most other people we know. We are learning more as our puppies are growing and maturing and an almost wordless understanding is building between us. Such bonds aren't anything new or special really, anyone reading this would likely share a similar tale of the uncanny ability of *name of animal* to "read my mind" or understand weird commands. Animals have such fun personalities and when you really pay attention your can catch their uniqueness very well! I find their company that much more enjoyable. I find them fresh and energetic and playful, like children. And, like children they have tonnes of unconditional love to give.

That's also why we enjoy fostering so very much. Each of the 9 male dogs we fostered were different in such interesting ways and yet we were able to work with each of them and integrate them into our temporary pack. Daisy and our rescued Jack Russell Terrier named Mia have been amazing at their roles as foster sisters and they are growing into the roles so naturally and gracefully, really, with very few hiccups. Well, except for the barking thing...

My neighbors finally came over to visit in the spring about it. I was mortified for the dogs but also apologetic and I resolved to solve the issue. We do live in a dog neighborhood and now most of the other 6 or so dogs in the immediate vicinity bark more than our brood of mutts! We have used a range of techniques in order to help us, from muzzles and kennels, to halters and water squirt guns, we even tried that Bark-Off ultrasonic device. Lately though I can trace our success to a wonderful form of meditation and a radiating of peaceful love energy through the garden and beyond that I have been praticing and reminding myself to practice regularly. I sometimes chant a favorite Buddhist chant and enjoy the soothing energies it brings forward for me. I stretch, I breathe and I relax when I hear the dogs barking, ours or the others nearby, I find it seems to calm things nicely and the dogs seem to enjoy it.

The inspiration to try this technique came following some on-going teleconferences and meditations with Katherine Wright Desai at Vitability.com and a group of fellow students. We were led over a 33 day period thorugh exercises to help us become more in tune to our true spiritual selves and able to maintain a centered joyful and loving balance in the midst of these energetic times we are living in! Tools and guidance and gentle nudges to help initiate the incorporation of a habitually balanced sense of being that is attuned to a feeling of oneness with the world, in love with life and experiencing the joy and wonder that exists in our world.

Another series begins soon, the Thriving Series and I welcome my curious or lighworking friends to join in - who knows we might even participate together in something by pure coincidence and synchronicity! That might be fun!
With love,
...from the garden

Jack Russell in the Strawberries Greeting Cards from Zazzle.com

2010-08-14T09:52:00.000-04:00

Working up some items featuring photographs of our rescues and foster dogs.

This is one of my favorite spring photos of one Jack Russell Terrier in the strawberry patch in early morning. She's making sure the squirrels don't get to the berries before we do!

Jack Russell in the Strawberries Greeting Cards from Zazzle.com Check it out, leave a comment or rate the image or pick up a copy or two for sending to your JRT loving friends!

With love, ...from the garden

Notes from my Grand Cross Meditation Experience

2010-06-26T13:28:00.000-04:00

These are the notes I put together following my teleconferenced session with Katherine Wright Desai and her Grand Cross Meditation;

Excellent sensations. Katherine brought in an energy level that was well beyond our realms. Beyond Ascended Masters. A galactic energy that is embedded in the very fabric of our universe. Katherine described it as being part of the dark matter of space, the space between planets, stars and moons that holds it all together. The energy was very calm, peaceful, loving and all enveloping. In an attempt to give it a name Katherine chose; grandmother / grandfather energy to name it and I think it fits beautifully. Being a grandmother myself I felt a strong identification with it. Feel imbued with a sense of peace and contentment while still fully understanding the work yet to be done. Feel ready, fully engaged and capable.

That's what i was looking for I think! Engaged and capable to move forward. To continue to trust my inner guidance - wait - to trust it even more now as it's that much more aligned to where spirit is leading me! Oh JOY!
When we talked briefly after the session I told Katherine about my sensations. She felt that this energy is indeed stable in comparison to the earth's current energy level. Not that the earth is unstable but that grounding to her isn't as smooth as it has been in the past. Earth is experiencing the same changes and adjustments we are all going through and so it can be more difficult to get a calm sense of energy when grounding with her. This galactic energy seems to smooth out some of those jitters and feels helpful, likely for the earth as well!
With the summits, G8/G-20, happening in the neighboring city of Toronto, my heart energy is focusing on these leaders and their agendas, also on the protesters and on lookers, that they all may sense this peace and use it as their rudder while negotiating and communicating with each other.
Grand Expectations are my effects from this Grand Cross experience, and I lovingly send that energy, that message, to the ethers!
Grand Expectations indeed - for our world - for humanity - for life as we know it! Hoping you will enjoy the ride!

***Special thanks to Katherine for her dedication to assisting us all in these times!****

With love,

...from the garden

Lightworkers! Are you Attuned and Ready to Shine in these times?

2010-06-25T13:42:00.000-04:00

The link on the title above will take you to Katherine Wright Desai's website; Vitability.com where you can explore additional information, audio files and text to support you in your work.

The link below is to a specific meditation which is very timely and can assist anyone in finding a good sense of center, peace or grounding, with much support from outer realms. This session allows a strengthening of your own inner sense of sanctuary. From that position you are better equipped to maintain your own steadiness while being in service to others. This is an excellent preparatory for attuning your energies prior to the upcoming lunar eclipse, this Saturday the 26th.

please click here to download the Universe Soul Temple Sanctuary of Love Attunement....

http://www.vitability.com/aquarianenergyhealing/id119.html

It's rare that I will send out a blog specifically to lightworkers. It seems however a very good time to share this information. I have experienced this attunement and can speak of it's effects as positive and centering. If you have been feeling the pressures of late, no matter how the tensions may be showing in your life, it may be a good time to re-charge and reclaim your own sacred soul sanctuary. This may help you in that regard.

Katherine has arranged a gathering by teleconference to work with the eclipse energy on Saturday morning,
please participate if you are feeling drawn - it is drawing you for a reason - let us join together in discovery and love!

Meditation begins at

7:15 a.m. Washington, DC USA Time

6:15 a.m. Chicago time

5:15 a.m. Denver, CO, USA

4:15 a.m. Los Angeles Time

(Come even if you only have 1 eye open (the 3rd Eye))

12:15 p.m. London, UK Time

6:15 p.m. Jakarta, Indonesia Time

9:15 p.m Sydney, Australia Time

Check time in your area.

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html

Call in a few minutes before the allotted time to be sure to get a spot. This call will work with Skype for those who use that feature. (I do!) Long distance charges will apply, for those who don't have an unlimited phone plan the call will likely last 45 minutes. This is an approximation only.

Call in to;

Phone Number: 712 - 432-1690

And when prompted key in the entry code below, including the pound sign.

Entry Code: 623 251 #

I look forward to participating with you in this meditation if you manage to find the time to be involved.

Be sure to share this invite with others - invite your friends or colleagues

And If you can't come, have your own gathering of like minded folks to connect & celebrate in Light in your own way.

If my corner of the world is any indication I can say there are some very strong energies peaking and dancing through the cosmos and the earth. Here in Guelph, Canada, just 100 km west of Toronto, the energies of the gatherings of G20 and G8 world leaders are stirring things up not just in peoples' hearts and minds. Ottawa, our nation's capital, demonstrated the tensions deep within our earth by releasing a magnitude 5 earthquake just yesterday! I am amazed and grateful at our earth mother's calm action believing she has helped pave the way for less tension and more connection as these leaders pursue their agendas.
Did you feel the quake? I know many did - what an experience! What did you think?

With love,
...from the garden

Gone To Seed - an unusual arrangement

2010-06-24T16:19:00.000-04:00

By a stroke of luck my camera works - a game that we are playing - one or two photos at a time.
Because I've often felt my most successful photographs are channeled more than created, this little game the camera and I are playing has some surprising and fun aspects. I am enjoying it and willing to keep playing while working on manifesting my next new tool!

such cute little flowers with seed pods too!

A different sort of planter arrangement!

I was thrilled to capture these shots! The mesclun lettuces mix and the spinach I'd planted early in spring had gotten very confused by the strange weather we had in May, rather than supply us with a nice early batch of fresh salad greens we received what appears to be an interesting arrangement of wildflowers!

I find them quite pretty and hoped I could snap a quick shot of them when I grabbed the camera thinking, what the heck it might decide to work today. A couple quick snaps later the camera stopped working again!
Whew, I thought - that was lucky. Or is it, because it was just what was needed for the latest blog entry?

I have been so anxious over my computer and camera troubles of late I seemed to forget I can simply write...but a picture always adds so much more dimension to a story.

We have strawberries, this year we're growing them in hanging baskets and we're picking a half dozen berries a day - a great snack while out picking weeds or playing with the dogs. They're an odd hybrid that will bloom & produce fruit all summer and the blooms are pink or the more traditional white. I love the pink ones, cuties!

The cherries! Oh My! They are almost ready to pick and this year we got the netting up well before the little green balls starting hinting at some color. That means the birds might get the odd piece of fruit but they won't be stripping the tree clean before we've had a chance to see the cherries ripen to perfection! Yum! The robins and cardinals who live nearby have helped themselves to a few. The grackles and starlings who've gravitated to the big trees nearby knowing the cherries are there aren't so inclined to venture closer with the net in the way. This is our third year with the trees and it looks like it will be the first year we'll get to eat more than the odd sample.

Our grapes have just bloomed - the weird outer-space looking little flowers are transforming into groups of tiny green balls and we'll enjoy watching them ripen through summer and into September when their purple goodness will be savored in jam. If it's an abundant harvest I might try making some grape catsup (ketchup) it's something I always wanted to try!

We have a lawn again - only the odd patch of stubborn ground that's yet to allow the little green sprouts to break through it's tough skin! It's green and pretty and nice to walk on with bare feet. So much better than the mud pit we had in April! The dogs are allowed to romp on it again too - and they are as happy as we are about it! Though we still use the kennel area - it works so well and keeps the Jacks calmer when neighborhood kids are making noise in the school playground next door. It's also the easiest way to keep their potty "business" under control without having to hunt out the poop land-mines on the lawn! I just let them out of the kennel after they've finished what they need to do, they're usually calmer then too! I can imagine, as I'm rarely calm when I really need to go too!
.
Next job is replanting our front meadow! It became overgrown with unwanted plants that have choked out my prize sub-alpines. We're still sourcing out some perennials so haven't finalized our plans yet. If we don't finish it in early July we'll likely wait till late September and get it in place so it's ready for next spring.

And if you were wondering about the video experiments I'd alluded to in an earlier post; well gee id YouTube doesn't support easy uploading of those types of recordings! The nerve - I had a few trys at it and each recording got truncated, making it useless as a tool. Since then I've acquired another video editing tool that might help me. I'll be experimenting with it and if successful the results will show up here!

Our garden is our little haven in this wild and crazy world. A place to relax and re-charge. What's yours?

With love,
...from the garden

Designs for Father's Day, my Dad's Know; series and more!

2010-05-31T20:16:00.001-04:00

This project helped me shake off my little funk and start moving with my inspirations. I got creative and, as things will happen when I'm in "the zone", I got very productive! We humans often operate on a pattern similar where creativity often follows a depressive episode.

Gee and wasn't there a full moon just Thursday? Ha Ha! As if on cue I put together 15 designs for Father's Day cards, plus a few fun & customizable "I Heart My Dad" items that will be released tomorrow! Check out my card designs at Zazzle. Don't be shy to rate them! Leave a comment if you're inclined. I would truly appreciate the feedback!

create & buy custom products at Zazzle

Of course the above zazzle widget also shows some of my other work in addition to the Father's Day items,

enjoy & explore if you dare!

We lost Dad to a bizarre shingles side effect about 18 months ago and I'll admit it's been a tough haul since then. The Dad's Know; series has been very helpful for me - as I review my image stocks and recall some of Dad's quirky ways and connect an idea with an image I get to laugh and remember

With love,
...from the garden

Holes of Despair in the Sidewalk of Life?

2010-05-25T10:17:00.002-04:00

I can see I've been away far longer than I'd imagined and summer is unfolding quickly in the garden with the warmer than usual weather we are getting this year. Back in April we were playing with computer hook-ups and rearranging our front office and since then our land line phones and both cameras have gone on the blink. A current drought of cash flow doesn't make me any happier, and has required me to look at things from fresh perspectives. Sometimes this is best, despite any frustration it sets off in my experience. Challenges such as these are that which can be opportunities in waiting. The trick, as has been discussed in the garden before, is to watch for the magic to unfold and to allow the change of perspective, the fresh approach to a reoccurring issue be the catalyst for creativity.

This quote came to my e-mail this morning, in many ways it is a simplification, yet so is life when we let it be!

If you had one goal, and that was to feel good, you would never again need to hear another word from anyone. You would live successfully and happily and in a way of fulfilling your life's purpose ever after.

--- Abraham

Sometimes I still have to remind myself to watch for the magic, sometimes I need to remember that the tougher things get - the greater the opportunity for life's miracles to unfold. Like anyone, sometimes I forget and I can fall into holes of despair in the sidewalk of my life. Some of those holes are very deep. Climbing back out of many holes can take time and determination. Some are simply small pitfalls that trip me up, they can slow me down when I've pushed too hard and when I need to remember to allow!

So I am trusting that I can overcome any current pitfalls, I am trusting I can manage to keep my website and associated domains up and running, that computer connections, phones and cameras will begin to cooperate and that once I find the right mortgage broker to talk to we'll get things in place in a way that allows us to move forward once again. And - I'm hoping I can pull it all together this week! Yup, it's a rough sidewalk, it is pock marked and cracked and uneven and full of pot holes. It's the path I've chosen for whatever reasons and I desire to continue exploring the potential it seems to beckon me with! (...the path less traveled, the beat of a different drum, the unconventional...)

Garden updates will be a bit more challenging for me as we make it through this transition and I will try some YouTube videos using my laptop web cam - that will likely be the easiest way to provide some visuals. Perhaps even the garden will have something to say when I film it. I'll do some test runs in the garden today and if all goes well tomorrow I will have something fun for you to see and possibly to hear as well!

Stay tuned for that!

With love,
...from the garden

More shots of April Flowers #OEG Life returns in vibrant abundance!

2010-04-17T00:21:00.000-04:00

So here are more shots to document what's blooming and when for this year 2010. Things are quite a bit earlier than last year too! Got some great shots!

The Sweet Cherry Tree

The Daffodil , frontal

Primula, pretty!

Wild Violets near the Compost

Sweet Violet is aptly named!

The Blue Scilia are nearly finished

Finally showing off it's finer details!

These are baby spinach! growing in a planter box on the deck.

And here's the mesclun mix I showed in an earlier post, should be about 2 weeks to harvest now!

So much is happening quickly all around the garden. A new pile of topsoil was dug, delivered and dibbled up this afternoon to cover the damage caused by the dogs, then more lawn seed applied. Supposed to rain next day and a half but not enough for the seed so we'll be watering every other day until the grass gets into good shape! The hyacinth are getting ready to bloom, irises, peonies and other plants are barely raising their heads yet! Thank goodness for the enclosure John built! The dogs don't mind at all and they're less likely to lose their ball!

I hear the Osprey are back at Guelph Lake and getting set to nest at the roadside so we'll be out and about for some shots there soon, depending on weather. Those amazing fishing birds are probably setting up shop at the Shan Dam on Lake Belwood too! Wish me luck!

With love,

...from the garden ;-)

#OEG Our Cherry Trees are blooming!

2010-04-16T17:15:00.000-04:00

Here's one of the first shots taken this afternoon of the blossoms that opened this morning!
It inspired me right away to apply it to a card design. Also got me thinking about the potential for pretty coordinated sets specific for weddings, maybe even some ideas for attendant gifts and favors! This could be fun and some of the images I manage to capture just seem to want to be used somehow!

I'll add more photos for as long as I can handle being away from my editing tools!

So up close and personal you can almost smell the cherry perfume;

I call this one Edgy!

This one Peachy!

And this one Details!

Lots more life to share still, the garden is exploding into life, including our veggies, be back soon!

With love,

...from the garden ;-)

New Spring Gallery opening! #OEG

2010-04-13T11:24:00.000-04:00

Spring!
It's really setting in now. Birds are nesting, some chicks like morning doves are already hatched, plenty of other eggs have yet to be laid. I love the spring and there seems to be something new and beautiful in the garden every day.

I've put together a Spring gallery of images at my Blogger site. You'll find a link to it near the top of the blog home page. The link is also built into this post's title. I'll build the gallery to include some of this spring's shots as they come along, currently it features some favorites from last spring.

Some of these images, and other favorites have also been utilized to create products like note cards, t-shirts, Keds shoes, fridge magnets and aprons. Check them out at our Zazzle Gallery ; Our Enchanted Garden

Your support of our work is so very appreciated. Words cannot express the joy I feel when I've learned a special image had touched a heart and triggered pleasant memories for someone. We endeavor to share our shots and our thoughts as a sort of therapy for our world. Nature and the natural world we live in is far too often overlooked and discounted.

Noticing the nature around us, appreciating and even encouraging it to flourish are the first steps in what we can each do individually to help our world. Our world is an enchanted garden and this author, photographer, artist, gardener and spiritualist is finding the ways and means to remind us all that we are human spirits immersed in a magical world!

With love,

...from the garden

A safe enclosure - for our pups and our lawn! #OEG blog post

2010-04-09T21:28:00.000-04:00

If you recall last year's blogs we often wrote about the puppies in the garden and the challenges they provided. Our smallest, Mia is one spunky Jack Russell Terrier and she can jump over tall fences. Daisy the Lab has grown to near her full size, about 100 pounds and her weight alone can destroy new sprouts and delicate flowers. Not to mention the beating our lawn has taken as the puppies grew and romped in the back yard with their friends and foster brothers. Mind you, that can't be blamed on the dogs alone - the weather through the past two winters has provided next to no snow cover to keep the root system of what was left of our lawn healthy. Needless to say - we needed to find a way to keep the dogs and the lawn safe but also in good shape!

Our solution? We built an enclosure at the end of our driveway and the beginning of the backyard, an area that is covered with fine crushed brick gravel and doesn't get muddy. We already had the gate at the driveway so we simply added a second interior fence and gate that connects at the back corner of our deck creating a huge 25' by 35' enclosed area, lots of room for the dogs to run and play and still do their business while leaving the grass seed some time to grow in this lovely warm early spring weather we've been enjoying!

We wondered, after putting up the new gate - why didn't we think of this sooner? Ah well! We spoiled the puppies with all that room to romp and it was good exercise for them. This summer, once the lawn has had a good chance to grow in, we'll allow the dogs to play on the lawn at controlled intervals, hopefully finding a happy medium for both of what we enjoy in the yard; Our dogs and Our Garden!

With love,

...from the garden

#OEG Spring Greens planted the first week of April!

2010-04-09T14:01:00.001-04:00

The garden is showing signs of life and some spring greens planted the first week of April are already up!

A spicy mesclun mix blend in planters on our south facing deck.

Tiny sprouts, these will grow fast!

This view gives you some idea of their size!

21 days to harvest the package says...

Yum!!!

With love,

...from the garden

Our Garden is Giving me the Blues! #OEG

2010-04-06T12:58:00.000-04:00

And when our scilia are blooming I don't mind The Blues one bit!

Such tiny clumps of delicate flowers - when they first start growing they look like a clump of crab grass.

I took these shots in between today's rain storms, thinking they may not look as good once they're beaten down with the heavy raindrops and there's even the possibility of hail. Beautiful little parcels of life and color, like these sweet little bells of blue must be appreciated in the now - later they could be gone, such is the fleetingly fickle heart of nature and her synchronistic ways! Something I've come to truly appreciate, as learning to be fully present in the now is a skill I am cultivating while I work with the garden, the camera and nature herself.

My favorite shot is this verticle image above with the focus set on the forefront flower, this is a perfect example of a depth of field shot at close range. It gives a fabulous sense of depth and size even though these sweet little beauties are no taller than 4", or 100 cm for my metric minded readers! This marks the beginning of the flowering in our perennial beds - with the weather playing it's fun tricks I'm certain there will be more popping up all over the property!

There are so many delightful, cheery flowers to adorn our gardens. Which is your favorite of the first flowers of spring?

Stay tuned - planting and sprouting of our vegetables has begun and we're also getting the back lawns into shape again after having been subjected to the pounding of puppy feet for over a year. I will be adding entries highlighting both later today!
Also see Our Garden Blog at http://ourenchantedgarden.net/gardenblog for similar stories and larger format photographs. Do feel free to follow me at Twitter or to become a fan on our page at Facebook if you are inclined. (See this blogs' side bar for links.)There are so many great ways to keep in touch I enjoy taking advantage of the services and learning how they work!

Cern ... What will we learn? #OEG

2010-04-02T17:12:00.001-04:00

Cern ... What will we learn?, originally uploaded by Our Enchanted Garden.

The broad mix of people's reactions to the experiments at Cern and attempts to discover the smallest particles; the Big Bang type of particles that exist in matter!
There will always be controversy and mystique around something with so much potential, so many unknowns.
Some of the graphs, charts and diagrams shown in the media were interesting. I got inspired to play with elements of these digital maps. Symbols representing some of the questions and concerns raised by media and concerned citizens are superimposed over a representation of a photon tracking chart from the banks of video screens at the research facility.
I am curious where the experiments will take our world and ever hopeful we apply it's gifts wisely, generously and with compassion.
It is an incredible time in history to be alive and witness the birthing of such new breakthroughs in science, math and philosophy!
What will we learn?

Spring Reflections on the Eramosa River #OEG

2010-03-28T18:28:00.001-04:00

Spring Reflections on the Eramosa River, originally uploaded by Our Enchanted Garden.

A mating pair of Canada Geese wouldn't come too close because the dogs were with us. Caught a great reflection shot as they moved past us warily! We were out for a walk along one of the rivers that runs through the city, enjoying the sights and sounds of nature as much as our two Jack Russell Terriers.
A nice walk on Earth Hour day seemed appropriate entertainment to us and the dogs! It has a "low carbon footprint" and marks a time to actively appreciate the natural world we live in.
Temperatures are still cool, there's very little plant life showing signs of activity yet. Lawns are just starting to turn green in our neighborhood, just a few blocks from where these shots were taken. Sunshine makes up for cool temps - with a good jacket and a faithful willing companion a brisk walk is good for us all!

Under The Bridge - men's lo-cut ProKeds shoe, urban style

2010-03-27T01:00:00.001-04:00

Now that I'm getting a better idea of how the shoes are put together I'm finding some fun photos that just lend themselves to the design - this took two different photographs from a collection of shots I took a couple of years ago while out for a stroll along one of two rivers in our neighborhood. This is all natural light and unaltered photography - The heel and tongue of the shoes feature a powerful miniature image.

Hoping for some feedback from some of my friends kids; whether or not they feel the design. Some distressed versions of the images and even 3 color posterizing will create nice effects... have been exploring other people's designs as well and think this turned out to be intuitively a great image for this application!

Under the Bridge - Urban style in men's sizing by Our Enchanted Garden

Under the Bridge Men's Lo Cut Keds Shoe by OurEnchantedGarden
Try out the custom shoe builder online at zazzle

Under the Bridge Men's Lo Cut Keds Shoe by OurEnchantedGarden
Get your own custom sneakers at zazzle.com

Oh Hey there! Before you take off - thought I should share this with you too;

I will be applying this design to a variety of other shoe configurations in women's sizings and kid's, in case this particular shoe doesn't interest you so do stay tuned for updates to our new product ideas!

Red White and a Rose - keds slip ons

2010-03-25T19:57:00.000-04:00

I had such a blast putting this little shoe together! I've waited far too long to play with more of the features and items available at Zazzle.com or Zazzle.ca. It's such a great place to put some of my favorite photos and images to good use! What do you think of this sweet little slipper? I think many of us agree, rose clad tootsies are very cool for spring!

Red White and a Rose - Keds Shoe by OurEnchantedGarden
Browse other Rose Keds Shoes

Early Spring and solar powered clothes drying! #OEG

2010-03-20T09:08:00.001-04:00

The other day I took advantage of the great warm and clear weather we've been having and hung some laundry to dry in the garden! I love the smell of fresh linens off the line and it's such a wonderful way to herald in a new spring season! Plus it saves loads on our electricity bill and it's great exercise too!

But the best bonus of all is the pleasure of listening to the birds singing boldly, showing off for the females in their range! Spring is such a pleasure to all the senses and there so much more to come! I found myself meditating while hanging my clothes and communing with the forces of our natural world right there in my own back yard. Ohm=m=m=m=m=m! How lovely = how enchanting! ;-)

Cardinal singing, flight at end

2010-03-18T13:46:00.001-04:00

Shots of the Cardinal and his song too!

2010-03-18T13:24:00.001-04:00

What a treat this morning to be able to capture a fairly decent shot of some cardinals, even had the Kodak handy so I could capture a video - not so much for the image as for the sound of his song! The birds sing so boldy in the spring it's always a pleasure to give them a listen!

Conscious Creation - It's just Natural!

2010-03-11T20:37:00.003-05:00

I received this quote in my e-mail this morning from Esther & Jerry Hicks and it really got me thinking. I posted it on my status at Facebook and then found myself entering a comment right after. A friend commented on that and I went back to see her comment, re-read what I'd said and realized I should explore the subject in more depth...

"You're really not wanting to limit beliefs because belief is just perspective, and the more beliefs or the more perspectives or the more attitudes, the bigger the vibrational kitchen from which you can make your pie. Just get so good at directing your Energy that the belief doesn't dominate." --- Abraham

This was interesting to ponder... Because often I and other people I know focus on releasing beliefs in order to move forward in our personal and spiritual development.
"... directing your energy so that belief doesn't dominate" makes sense to me. Why not focus on the vibrational energies available to us and just allow the contrasts and perspectives to be our barometers? They become tools to help guide us as we make choices and explore our paths in life.

By being involved in our creations in a conscious way and following the bliss of that energy we are able to rise above any restrictions or barriers that might be perceived. When in the flow of these universal energies, the Vortex as it is sometimes described, creation becomes effortless, in that actions take place with ease and grace, naturally progressing as needed. The more connected We can be with Our higher vibrational selves the easier life becomes and limits fall away!

When I observe nature this is what seems to be happening for creatures in their natural world. Birds, squirrels, toads, even cats and dogs to some extent. And I am having a good chuckle writing this; what's important in that statement is the fact we are creatures in this natural world too! For so many reasons we remove ourselves from that reality. It's just my opinion but this is really a crying shame! This is why Our Enchanted Garden was born and why I'm driven to find the ways and means to keep reminding people of our connection with this dynamic, natural world!

I wonder, what would our world be like if we'd developed a philosophy that embraces our animalness? Could we call it Natura-cracy? Hey, that's got a nice ring to it if you practice a few times!

Hope I've left you wondering yourself, don't be shy to post your own ideas on the subject!

This garden is smiling, even in winter!

2010-03-08T01:08:00.001-05:00

As I might have mentioned, the alley views I'd posted a few days ago gave me a sense they would lend themselves to some interesting experiments with contrasts and other filtering techniques. The image above was fun to play with and another view inspired me into making a collage with a sampling of adjustments I'd made that each had such distinct emotional feel and depth to them. I want to try a few more ideas... this might inspire more road trips and some mobile research!

Well here's to new adventures,

inspiration and following our passions!

Alley Cat in Cambridge?

2010-03-06T20:17:00.000-05:00

Older buildings in the downtown Galt area of Cambridge, Ontario show the character of the region and add so much interest to a shot. With the textures, the tones and the linearity the view provides I have wanted to stop and take a few shots of this area for a while now!

Glad we did this day. Would like to try a rainy day as well for some interesting contrasts. Nearby buildings are being renovated and it's likely the facades here will change with pressure from the neighborhood.

Inspired With Snowy Perspectives

2010-02-23T22:40:00.001-05:00

Our Monochromatic Winter
showing a fresh perspective
the dressings are subtle
the textures softened
Even sounds are hushed
in light blankets of snow.

Out for a walk after the spring like snowstorm - so glad I remembered to bring my camera with me.

Effects like these don't often last long and I might've missed my chance altogether!

Winter offers a different way to look at our world.
Hiding and disguising features, making other features stand out.
Showing clearly that there are many faces to Nature to enjoy and cherish.

to our world

Phosphorus, Potassium, Oxygen & Water!

2010-01-27T15:13:00.001-05:00

This formula included with antibiotics, rest, breathing exercises, some chanting and a vital connection with my divine inner strength turned a life-threatening situation to vibrant health and a deepened faith in my ability to heal in just 5 days!

Choose to Breathe or you Choose to Leave!

2010-01-25T00:38:00.000-05:00

That might seem an odd statement; Choose to Breathe or Choose to Leave!
Just last week that statement was the most important focus I held .
The tale is one of self preservation and self love, an epiphany, rejuvenation, transmutation, becoming one with the universal source energy and drawing what I need that I might be able to continue to serve humanity through my life's passions, photography, nature and helping abandoned animals and who knows what else!.
I had been run down from a frustrating back pain that plagued me since early September, somehow came in contact with a strong flu virus and within a short period of time found myself with a bout of pneumonia. This isn't all that unfamiliar territory I have had run ins with this shifty character several times before.
But this one was a bit different - my bak still hurts but it is getting easier to get around. I'm still weak and a bit vulnerable at the moment but my healing capacities have amped more than 40%! With all the medication and IV's and all the ice cubes I could munch on ...somehow i became the complete opposite to dehydrated and I never knew how fantastic that feels! My skin is not dry, and wrinkles tha I had are gone or very mild.
I feel balanced and clearer headed
On Wednesday i began trying to think up some lung exercises...and remembered the chant "OHM" I worked with that a while realizing that my voice felt nice and stronger than ever. So i added another Buddhist chant which has a beautiful melodic tone when large numbers of people are present and work with it, The chant is one that would have the effect of blessing their home and any spirits that may be associated with it!

I've got another chapter I can put together on this article,,, will be back with that one.

Prayers For Haiti Join Us at 11:00 am EST

2010-01-23T10:52:00.001-05:00

THE WORLD PEACE PRAYER SOCIETY
GLOBAL LINK TELECONFERENCE

Prayers for Haiti

January 23, 2010

Thoughts, Intentions and Prayers

reach the Inner Sanctuary of all living things.

Together we can create an Energy Field of infinite courage, strength

and healing to embrace Haiti and the World.

May Peace be in Haiti

May Peace Prevail On Earth

January 23, 2010

11:00 am EST

08:00 am PST

GMT - 4:00 pm

Please click here for World Time Converter

Join us on the Telephone or in Spirit!

Dial In Number

1-877-380-7755

Pass Code: 4434733

Guest speakers

Margaret Trost

Founder and Executive Director

What If? Foundation

Providing Hope and Opportunity to Impoverished Children in Haiti since 2000

Lavarice

Program Liaison of What If? Foundation

LIVE from Port-au-Prince, Haiti

(telephone connection permitting)

Barbara Wolf

Founder

Global Meditations Network

Urgent Appeal - Jack Russell Terrier Rescue of Ontario NEEDS HELP!!!

2009-12-14T01:32:00.001-05:00

I received a copy of this notice today from some of my friends at Jack Russell Rescue and thought it best to post this as many places as I can. Here's what I received;

   "The Jack Russell Terrier Resue is in an emergency situation at present. We have dogs that are in shelters and in undesirable homes. We need to get them help however we do not have enough foster homes. This week good fortune shone on our heads as a new foster came to the resue of Oliver (a young Jacj that was having a difficult time in the shelter.) This lucky jack is being resued by a new foster Dad who is not only willing to take this dog into his home but is making the long drive to Ottawa to pick him up. We have other jacks who are on our waiting list. Dameon is one such dog. The poor guy is living at a boarding kennel. He sounds very sweet and is dog, stranger and kid friendly. He is 9 years old. He should be in a loving home for Christmas.

   There are many other Jack Russells needing our care also. These rescued dogs can come with their own difficulties. As a rescue we know that good foster homes can make the difference for them. These dogs require not just a place to live but a chance to be part of a family with schedules, structure, discipline, understanding and love. e are desperate for foster families. Please look into your heart, you life and see if you can take in another Jack Russell. If you know of anyone who would like to foster please have them contact us.
   WE ARE DESPERATE. WE NEED YOUR HELP!"

************************************************************************

And here's a few pointers if this is catching your attention - Please Note:

JRTRO operates in Ontario, Canada with dedicated volunteers, adopting families and foster homes across the province.
With economic and high stress situations as those occurring at present, family pets are often the first to suffer the fate of abandonment, or worse.
Jack Russell Terriers are one of many particular breeds that do not respond well to animal shelter housing for any length of time. Fostering is a very effective tool in the process of an adoption as the animal can feel safe and loved, less threated when meeting a potential new family. They can get the care, attention and interaction they thrive on and find their transition to a new family a more secure and comfortable one.
Where ever you are in the world you can bet there's an organization near you that has the same need. Look them up on line or through your local city or town hall. You've no idea just how much your help is appreciated by these groups and the many animals who need care, love and support.
Besides it truly is the natural thing to do. In nature abandoned babies or youngsters are often adopted and raised by other animals - sometimes odd combinations too!
And then there's the love you can give to an animal - not for a long term commitment, but instead simply to be there and help in a time of dire need, when often the only other option for an animal is euthanasia unless a permanent home can be found immediately which is too difficult to arrange.
The sloppy kisses of appreciation you'll receive from some lucky pup will be treasured believe me!
It's almost like being a foster family for kids but instead you take in an abandoned & rescued animal!

************************************************************************

Shine Your Light - a revisted design!

2009-12-02T14:40:00.002-05:00

Already it's the beginning of December and we are still having a warm spell here in Southwestern Ontario! It's not all good as we're hoping the ground will freeze up soon so the dogs don't have to play in the mud! Not that they mind at all - We're the ones who mop up after them! Happy pups are usually muddy pups!

So while the dogs are busy taking a nap and it's too muddy to work in the garden I thought I'd play with some images and take some design ideas a little further. The Daisy image below is one I've enjoyed playing with and the theme intrigues me.

Click on the image above to view it at my Flickr site. When there - you can click "All sizes" above the image on the right side to view a full screen size.

The Solstice will be here before we know it and I wanted to play with some artwork that celebrates the return of the light to the Northern Hemisphere. There's something reassuring about celebrating the return of the sun right at the beginning of winter in the northern half of the globe! While it may be getting cold the days will begin to get longer and will usher in the the warmth that will eventually melt all the snow that is sure to come!

Wanted to see how this image would look on-line and hopefully get some reactions from my visitors. I'll be using it to send to friends to remind them of the Solstice. There's so much to celebrate this time of year!

If Jack Russell Terriers Had Wings...

2009-11-18T09:06:00.002-05:00

If Jack Russell Terriers had wings, this would be a very different world!

Indeed our one year old Jack named Mia is the friskiest little alpha female I've met yet! And we swear she sits at the end of our deck, watching birds, squirrels and chipmunks skitter through the trees around and near our backyard garden just wishing she had wings to fly up to the trees and get on the hunt! She's already proved to be a good mouser with 2 notches in her collar and she loves chasing bugs and bees! Unfortunately she also managed to catch two young sparrows through the course of the summer - she does have a love for hunting!

Running, jumping (very high!) and wrestling are her next favorite activities - that and anything having to do with water, she loves water and will stay in it while she shivers. I usually have to pick her up with a towel to get her out! What a girl! Bath-time is a cinch at least! She's my first Jack Russell puppy, we have fostered several male Jack puppies since adopting Mia and we've had such great fun in the garden with them all and our other pup who'll be one year old this month; Daisy. She's a beautiful Black Lab-Doberman cross.

One thing I can say, it's a wild and crazy kinda place in the garden with a slew of puppies running around! We have had to adjust our garden to keep them away from plants that might make them sick and protect the plants from being trampled. Fences had to contain the garden and then we learned we needed to raise the height of several fences because Mia can jump 5 - 6' when she's got a good run at it! She has escaped several times on us and we've had a few good frights. Truly, it's as if Mia has wings sometimes the way she leaps and jumps - spring-loaded terrier.

That speed and stealth helps Mia when she's playing with Daisy who is now three times her size and out-weighs her by 60 some odd pounds at least! Because they've been together since they were both young they love each other dearly and while they tousle and growl and grab each other by the ears they have a ball then plop down together for a good nap or a good chew on their rawhide sticks.

I love the playfulness they've added to the garden! Once I get the lawn replanted things will look a little better but grass is something that grows fairly easily so I'm just waiting for the pups to settle down a bit before we expend all the energy to get a lawn going again! Maybe another year or two before we go to the effort of adding top soil and sod. It's the easy way and does work better then trying to re-seed a lawn with dogs running around!

Rememberance Day and Magical 11's!

2009-11-13T10:38:00.001-05:00

It was a beautiful day in Guelph at 11:11 on 11/11/2009!

*note: 11:11 on 11/11/2+0+0+9=11 the numbers 33 and 55 are also significant today!

Peace and a renewal of the conviction of Not Again was the mood of the crowd!
In particular re-iterating Canada's desire to assist in the maintenance of peace and the assistance in building of a solid infrastructure to support the people of war ravaged regions. That was what people I spoke with seemed focused on. It seems to me that's basically what the UN could be doing with quite a bit more authority!
some affirmations for this energized day and the times following, borrowed from a friend;

Do work with these affirmations and the energy

as you are guided...

"Every Cell of My Being Vibrates with the Energy of the Wisdom of Peace'

"I Vibrate Peace Wisdom"

"I create Peace"

"I Am Peace"

"I Create Peace"

"I Organize Peace"

(out of the particles of possibility that feels unorganized around me - I choose and I create and I organize the energy of Peace)

I'm also working with a guided meditation that i purchased through katherine wright desai's website at http://vitability.com, designed to assist in creating and supporting vibrations of Peace. Helping even to raise the Peace vibration as much as possible on a Global scale!

I do believe Peace is possible!

I do believe People and Angels are working for Peace!

Living in the Magic

2009-11-09T11:54:00.001-05:00

Living in the magic
I know you might not see it
but Im living in the magic
and learning how to be it

I'm living in the magic and
letting nature lend a hand
living in the magic
knowing life is grand
I love living in the magic
I have no other plan
just living in the magic
letting spirit lend it's hand.

I AM Living in the magic

and I know you might not see it

but I AM living in the magic

and I AM learning how to be it

I'm living in the magic and

letting nature lend a hand

living in the magic

knowing life is grand

I love living in the magic

I have no other plan

just living in the magic

letting spirit lend it's hand

cc 2009 Our Enchanted Garden / Cheryl Binstock

As Ever; Finding the magic, honing our skills and trusting all is well

2009-11-05T21:36:00.000-05:00

  I've spent several years now following and watching and, when I'm lucky, capturing the magical moments that creep into life, that is if I am out of my way and when I allow my spirit and intuition to take the lead. This is where my inspiration for Our Enchanted Garden arose. Sometimes I manage to capture little moments in a digital image or video but in our most recent enchanted garden experience we are gifted with an interesting everyday life sort of story with wonderful twists and turns.
  I lost my job just recently, only to come home and find a cheque (enough to cover about a month of lost wages) in the mail - money owed to me from an insurance settlement for an injury incurred a few years back. Phew - crazy or what? While the job loss event upsets me in many ways, seeing myself at failing in the challenge, yet I find myself repeating the words; Things Happen For a Reason - because I just know it's so true. When I did that, it's as if i unlocked some new level in the video game of our life!
  The day previous John and I had been speaking about the Law of Attraction from the perspective of breaking old patterns of behavior and we were presented with the challenge of determining what was wrong with our truck AGAIN! and if we had ourselves a *&%+#@(* lemon of a truck or what!!!! Funny thing is I suggested to John if he doesn't force the issue and he just "Goes with the flow" he might get a pleasant surprise and find the truck will be fairly easy to fix.
  Today he confirmed it when he went out to his truck (sitting lonely at the parking lot at work.) and after locating an interesting little re-set switch was able to start the truck with no trouble! He came home with such a grin on his face, it was great and we agreed it was worth not forcing the issue of trying to repair the truck immediately and just flowing through the challenge to find a solution.
It may be we have a design flaw in this truck that may be covered by a re-call so we will be working on exploring that with Ford!
  I continue to make the intent to move forward in my passion for my best and highest good and trust that opportunity will present itself to allow me to explore and express that in some manner. My passion continues to be Celebrating Nature, the Natural World and the Human Spirit immersed within it. I enjoy finding ways to share that with any who wish to explore. How I am able to express that in conjunction with my world experience seems to be some of the latest explorations spirit has taken me through.
  So in trusting that the magic will continue to unfold as I have always been able to feel confident with. I await the dawning of another new day and more magical adventures to encourage and inspire me further. This is such a joyful and productive activity I'm beginning to wonder why I would want to "operate" in any other manner! Many of us have underlying beliefs and have been programmed through generations to believe life should be hard to prove you are worthy somehow! This is something I don't really see happening in nature and it seems to me it is as un-natural for humans as it is for a lady bug!
  In the end I am ever humbled by the opportunity I have to experience such marvels. Many miss these little magical moments - they can seem so small, often they can be short-lived, and yet they can stand out like a beacon at the same time. Ever grateful, I remain;
The caretaker,
With love, ...from the garden

A trip into the city and a ride on the Go train!

2009-11-03T23:04:00.001-05:00

I thought this might be of interest to people who are considering greener alternatives to travel but have little experience with mass transit and are intimidated by the prospects of venturing into the big city and trying to coordinate with buses, subways, street cars and trains. The whole experience seems daunting if not bewildering. In this story, the city I'm referring to is Toronto, Ontario and we are traveling from the Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph region.

I've often traveled by bus within cities, between cities and across countries, since I was quite young if I include the school buses I've ridden in! It's always seemed a practical mode of transportation to me and almost always I've felt quite safe and comfortable on my travels. On a rainy day in September John and I planned to venture to Toronto to attend a birthday party for our 5 year old grand daughter. The location of the party was near Exhibition Place, a well known landmark near the lake shore.

I learned we could hop on the Lakeshore West line of the Go train from Union Station, on Front Street downtown right to Exhibition Station, near the entrance to the grounds. This seemed a fun opportunity to hop on the Go train and experience what it's like to ride the train in Toronto. We even got to find seats on the top level of the train. From Exhibition Station we had to walk the equivalent of several blocks to arrive at Medieval Times where 12 seats were reserved for our family to cheer on the Red Knight!

This turned out to be a fun adventure for John and I and it gave me the chance to see what the trains where like. How the connections worked and if it was easy to board, etc. I have worked as a ticket agent and I've always wondered what the Go trains were like. Over the years I've been on Via through parts of Canada, plus trains and Metros in Denver, Montreal and New York City. I'd ridden the subway in Toronto and love taking the streetcars when I have the excuse, but hadn't ever tried or needed GO to get anywhere I guess.

Our ride into Toronto was via Greyhound and was a very pleasant, uneventful ride. Traffic was good the weather was fair and we arrived at the front doors of The Royal York Hotel in downtown Toronto, right on schedule. This first stop, on Front Street is across from Union Station where we connected with our train to Exhibition. Union Station is a hustling, bustling place and it's been years since I'd been there, pre-Go years I think...I found the Go extension to the building and the construction around Union Station difficult to maneuver around. I also discovered there where lots of stairs to climb and descend. As a result I don't recommend this route to anyone with a physical limitation making walking or climbing difficult.

Our return trip was almost the opposite except that we had to make our way to the terminal at Bay Street. We decided to take our time and walk from Union Station up Bay Street to Dundas where we'd be able to catch our return Greyhound bus. It's a great walk if you're able or have the time. There are many interesting and historic buildings along the way, bringing you right near the Eaton Centre and Nathan Philips Square, Toronto's City Hall. The ride home was rainy outside, warm and sleepy inside and John and I both agreed it was a great idea that we decided to take mass transit to make our trip stress free. It worked well for us and helped us reduce our impact on our environment at the same time.

Fall Colors, views are "Painting Perfect"

2009-10-21T20:39:00.000-04:00

I've been having some fun taking some shots of the fall colors in our area. Some of them turned out looking like paintings I remember from my childhood. Gave me a good laugh! I may even try adapting some of the shots I've taken with some editing to give them texture so they look more painting like.

Fall colors are great subjects for photography they are free to view and never complain about the camera though will often disappear without much warning!

The second shot is my favorite of these two I think. I wonder if, because the water is so shiny, this may look more like a pathway than a stream. :)

Testing to see how well twitterfeed works... another app I tried became way too repetitive, I may not like this one either but will see!

Billy, our latest foster boy; Here's his page on PetFinder

2009-10-16T23:29:00.006-04:00

Highlighted portion copied from Petfinder.com site.;

Billy

Jack Russell Terrier
Size: Small
Age: Baby
Sex: Male
ID:
Notes:

This is Billy, he is about one year old and came to us from
a shelter. Mr Billy is a happy go lucky high energy jack,
he has the sweetest face and is very nicely marked, he
does have long legs and stands about 15 1/2 inches tall at
the shoulder and is 18 lbs. He is very smart and knows sit,
shake, gives 5 with the other paw and can roll over! He is
very vocal but is learning Not to bark in the house,, he has
had no accidents and runs to the door when he needs to go
out,, he sleeps very nicely in his kennel and stays in the
kennel quietly when I put him in for quiet times. He does
need lots of exercise and would be a great dog to do fly ball
with or Jack Russell trials,, he is very fixated on toys or
balls. He loves my teenage son and seems to love kids,
but might be too rough with very young children.
He likes other dogs and wants to play all the time!
This pet is up to date with routine shots.
This pet is already house trained.
This pet has been altered.

Jack Russell Terrier Rescue Ontario (JRTRO)

Toronto, ON

adoptions@russellrescue.org

8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Billy, our latest foster boy.

He's been with us only a couple of weeks.Can't believe he may
already get adopted. Lucky boy is sweet and deserves a great
forever home. He's still just a pup and has a whole lifetime of
loving to give to his people, and he'll be happy to be their puppy.

Billy loves to fetch, though he doesn't deliver too well! He drops
things nearby. He hasn't learned to "give" or release.
Though he does understand leave it! He adores having his tummy
rubbed once he's come to trust you he'll be quite loving and submissive.

Billy is a very vocal fellow. Patience and gentle persistence will be
needed to help him learn to bark appropriately. He communicates his
desires through various barks; I have to go out, ball is stuck
somewhere - help please!, Toss the ball please, let's play, hey, she
stole the ball, my chew stick, my toy... oh yeah - he's such a little
boy still, he does whine and yelp with a squeak!! I think once he
settles down and learns how to communicate nicely with his family
they'll find him to be quite a little talker in the group.

He's enjoyed the safety of playing freely in a fully fenced large
yard frolicking with two female dogs Mia, a 1 yr old Jack Russell
Terrier and Daisy a 10 month old black Labrador pup. They run
obstacle courses and fly off the end of the deck when playing
hide and seek with each other.

Though sometimes Mia will get too grumpy, often the three of
them will eat and drink from the same bowl. This is one special
little pup. He needs lots of attention, lots of exercise and
structure plus plenty of chew time. Best kenneled when alone
for his own safety. Billy will often go into a kennel on his own
when he wants to take a nap or a little rest or to chew his
rawhide stick.

Once he warms up to a person and feels he can trust them he's
very cuddly and happy to curl up on a lap or beside someone on
the couch to be scratched and stroked or to quietly chew his
rawhide. Likes to tear things apart, stuffed toys, socks and
what have you. Best toy though is a squeaky ball - will keep him
thrilled for hours - though will keep you busy too.

Controlling barking with spray bottle of water works very well
with Billy. Used just when barking is excessive. I'm very happy
with the technique.

Hi I'm Billy!

Warm & Sunny Thoughts Flower!

2009-10-12T17:09:00.001-04:00

Picnik'd Sun Flower, originally uploaded by Our Enchanted Garden.

It 's Thanksgiving in Canada today.

I give thanks that I have family to share it with still, even if we do it over the phone or the net... Just glad we're here, glad we can enjoy another harvest and celebrate the abundance of our world.

I'm grateful to be a witness in a changing world. Hopeful for the future and the wonders yet to be discovered!

The Omo People

2009-10-09T11:48:00.001-04:00

This is just the coolest collection of photographs. The Omo's are very creative and expressive! A friend had marked this link elsewhere (twitter i think) and I couldn't resist passing it forward so others might see it too!

Synchronicity Slides In with Ease!

2009-10-01T22:48:00.000-04:00

I opened this message in my e-mail after posting my last post. (follows below) Had a few similar messages from others along the same lines, none had seen my post before sending theirs... am thankful for reminders of what I can do and many like minded people who participate in such groups.

I have been a member with the Global Coherence Initiative for about a year. We often focus on specific issues in the world around us as well as general focuses like "Children of the World".
Here's a sample of one of their messages when there's a need for a focus on a specific subject or region.

Dear Cheryl,

Several natural disasters have taken place recently affecting many thousands of people.

Two powerful earthquakes, one in Samoa and the other in Indonesia have created mass devastation in these areas. Many lives have been lost and tens of thousands of people are now homeless. Roads and bridges have been destroyed hampering rescue and aid efforts.

Severe flooding from Typhoon Ketsana has crippled the Philippines and a new Super Typhoon, Parma, is bearing down on this nation and is expected to hit Saturday. Additionally, floods in Spain have created loss of life and significant challenges for many thousands of people.

We respectfully ask you as part of the GCI community to send heart-focused care through whatever methods you choose for the next few days to help ease the emotional pain, fear, insecurity and loss these people are experiencing.

Thank you for your participation,

The Global Coherence Steering Committee

GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR GCI CARE FOCUS
As the Global Shift is playing out, there are a growing number of situations that unfold continuously around the world that could benefit from focused care. This makes it difficult to choose a GCI focus that would suit everyone at any given time. With GCI members from many different countries and cultures, it’s understandable that this would influence personal feelings of what would be most appropriate for a GCI care focus.

At times when a global issue is more important to you than the GCI care focus selected, we suggest this: Spend a little time on the GCI care focus, then spend most of your time sending love and compassion to whatever situation you feel is most important. Some of you may choose to hold a vision of the planet in a state of perfection, which can help manifest how we would want it to be. The most important thing is for us all to love, accept, and respect without judgment each others expressions of care.

The techniques suggested by the GCI team won’t always feel appropriate for everyone because of our many cultural backgrounds and personal belief systems. This is very understandable. When this is an issue, we invite you to use your own heart’s choice of technique, prayer, meditation, affirmation, visualization, etc., when sending love and compassion to the planet and its inhabitants. It’s our genuine coherent love and care that make a difference, much more so than method or technique.

Our common link with each other is that we all care. By honoring our differences, we multiply the strength of connection and effectiveness in our care for the planet and each other. This is what the planetary shift is about - differences coming together in the heart to co-create a greater wholeness.
You can use the Introductory Coherence Technique or whatever method you choose that’s comfortable to you that engages your heart’s care and compassion. Visit the new Global Care Room and join in with others from around the world in this Care Focus. Click here to learn more.

Global Coherence Initiative – 14700 West Park Ave – Boulder Creek, California 95006 – 831-338-8500

Sorting out feelings of anguish

2009-10-01T21:31:00.000-04:00

I read a piece recently by a woman who suffered through years of Chronic pain and depression with drug therapy and now deals with her situation completely drug free.

She claimed her biggest success came with learning to stop trying to be what she wasn't. If she felt depressed she would allow herself to truly feel that depression, to become it, to embrace it. She realized that otherwise she was simply in denial of her true feelings.

Pain, depression, heartache, devastation - they aren't things most people actively choose to experience, yet they can be a part of anyone's life at some point in time. As all things do, the episodes of depression or pain or suffering will pass and be replaced with all sorts of other human emotions and expressions and episodes.

I am trying to work with this, not really doing the best at it... The past few days really seemed to put my thoughts in dark, scary, painful and angry places.

My passion is to share my sense of joy in creation. To celebrate nature, the natural world and the human spirit immersed within it. To encourage others to do the same. Yet i know that today in the world as a whole it may be difficult to maintain a celebratory stance. I have such confused and mixed feelings about the devastation of the lives of so many through several powerful natural events; tsunamis, earthquakes and a typhoon.

Nature, in this story will heal and what has changed will move on in a new direction as the laws of nature see fit. People's lives and families are another matter altogether. I pray for their safety and comfort and sense of peace. I am thankful that there are many on their way to assist as best they can. I feel such unfathomable grief for all that is lost through such calamity and hope for swift healing and recovery for all.

Then there's the Roman Polanski story which I guess I've allowed to get under my skin... no need, perhaps old wounds are being poked or what have you... it just makes me wonder about the whole "other world" the Hollywood society seems to live in.
Then again, who am I, I've no right to be judgmental... I don't wish to be, i'm trying to understand something, realizing it's futile and completely unnecessary anyway... I have to laugh at myself... yup - there's an old wound there that feels it's being prodded. Something that needs working from me... okay, perhaps I can work with that and find my way back out of the dark hole!

I guess that is the point of feeling through it all. hmmm I'm sure I'm not done yet... but maybe now it won't feel so fierce! May peace and love be a pillow to the world tonight.

With love, ...from the garden. ;-)

A Slideshow Celebrating Autumn

2009-09-23T20:34:00.000-04:00

The colorful beauty of the beginning of autumn in South-Western Ontario is something people celebrate each year. We Canadians track the color change and map it out for tourists and "Sunday drivers" encouraging them to get out and view the countryside.

Sometimes that's not possible, I find themed slide-shows help me when I can't get out and about. Enjoy!

Hopefully this Flickr slideshow will work, at least until I manage a better one using my Picassa or Photoshop software. Think I'll try both and compare them! (subject of next blog perhaps!)

Windows Marketplace - What Is Microsoft Thinking?

2009-09-10T20:30:00.000-04:00

I clicked the selection link to check out the site and lo and behold, no Canada selection and no english language selection either... I think the proof reading went wrong before publishing! Windows Marketplace and their Microsoft store are off to a rocky start!

At the Heart of Peace: International Day of Peace movie

2009-09-07T09:46:00.001-04:00

Happy to share this short video from HeartMath2. Being promoted by the Global Coherence Initiative, a group I've been following for about a year. The International Day of Peace is described as a holiday in some circles, and could reach that state worldwide some day! That's the hope I hold in my heart and the joy of that thought lifts my spirits! When we share a world where we celebrate each other, our natural world and our natural place within it. When we honor all life and embrace our far ranging diversity we will find the peace within that will create peace in our world. Mark your calendar and find some way to celebrate a peaceful world view on September 21. Your intention will create an energy wave that will connect with all others on that day, raising the vibrations of peace around the planet, even if only for a brief moment. Hold peace in your heart and radiate peace outward from your heart to the world around you. May Peace Be with You.

A Handsome Gentleman

2009-09-05T08:02:00.001-04:00

A Handsome Gentleman, originally uploaded by Our Enchanted Garden.

Meet our most recent foster boy. He came to us as Tweedle, a name that was given to him by the shelter that picked him up as a stray quite a while ago. Our grand daughters tried to help us find a new name for him and we discovered he didn't seem to have preference for any that we tried. The best they came up with was "Mister Sir" - he is such a gentleman and Buddy - because he is a real Buddy!
Tweedle-Bud might be too cutesie but it does sometimes suit him!

This fellow plays well with others; including dogs, the elderly and children. Very well mannered, he even barks quietly! Mind you he can bellow out a good loud bark too but usually he's quiet when guarding the back yard from marauding squirrels and birds with just a little "woof" under his breath. Very nice for the neighbors!

He knows to sit, though stay does't last long. He hasn't tried to find a way out of the yard yet; warning; he's a very independent guy and will take off if left to his own, he is very adventurous, not shy or timid. We're fairly sure he hasn't experienced any abusive treatment, he seems to have come from a loving home and settles in well where he knows he's safe and appreciated.

We've helped him heal a sore paw that is now good as new and knowing all his tests came back with flying colors we're hoping a happy, loving family will be coming to take him to his new forever home soon. Mind you, he's welcomed to stay as long as it takes but we're certain there's a family out there looking for a fellow just like this Handsome Gentleman.

2009-09-04T11:19:00.005-04:00

Have been working with a trial version of an updated Photoshop application. Enjoying it muchly... missed the sale date and am fretting now over what I'll have to pay to aquire it... well not fretting as much as feeling regret and remorse over losing track of the time like that! I'm not surprised as it's something I do often - time seems much more flexible to me, until it's past and then I begin to wonder where it went, he he!

Oh well!

still, I enjoyed the exercise and think it's worthwhile to purchase just for the ease in which I can perfrom tasks that took hours of concentrated effort to achieve previously. Really simple tasks too, you wouldn' t think it would be a big deal to add copyright notices and other details but I have found it to be a very time consuming process in the past. Okay - I can hear me justifying... yeah...

Just check this out...

I was playing with a pretty image of some lavender blooms

I managed to apply an effect to the backgound of the image and found the effect very pleasing;

Then I tried comparing the enhanced image, with the regular for in use as a greeting card type of layout that emphasises the lovely lavender hues;

Thinking it'll be worth the investment in the long run, I've used my older version for almost 5 years now!

Images of The Newest Arrivals

2009-08-21T08:46:00.005-04:00

Snapped a couple of early morning shots of the new plants we'd introduced a couple of weeks ago. Early morning light adds extra dimension to these images and enhances the colors making them come through with more intensity.

Such a luscious & soft golden color .

The cone-head center of these golden beauties will provide food to small songbirds this fall and winter. As they select their free lunch they will inevitably scatter seeds on the ground. Some of those seeds will sprout and expand the black-eyed susan plantings! Nature plays an active hand in our garden.

And below, this profile view of one Hollyhock bloom highlights the contrasting textures between paper thin petals of the flower and the knobby, bulbous center where all the magical action happens.

We pick and scatter the seed pods these plants produce along our fence line each autumn to guarantee a future crop of colorful hollyhocks. They are bi-annuals and with a little help from us grow into the prettiest privacy screen every summer!

I am pleased that these shots turned out so well. Sure hope you've enjoyed the view!

Lovely Lavender

2009-08-20T21:42:00.001-04:00

Lovely Lavender, originally uploaded by Our Enchanted Garden.

Another favorite in the garden, with spikes of tiny purple fleurettes , here still mainly in bud state. Walk by them and they release an earthy calming fragrance. Leaves and dried flowers are becoming popular in some novel recipes. They are also fun additions to miniature bouquets.
I enjoy adding them to wreaths made for special occasions and to make scented scrubbers for use in the bath.
This is one plant that is very hardy and makes a nice landscaping specimen or mass planting that is tolerant of lower water levels. Take care in it's application in areas where the general public may come into contact with them. Their volatile oils can irritate sensitive skin causing a dry patchy rash.

Branding My Work

2009-08-15T02:58:00.001-04:00

Violet Rose Of Sharon
Originally uploaded by Our Enchanted Garden

Took this sweet image of a Rose Of Sharon blossom and played a bit to achieve this soothing look. I'm liking the feel of this one.

Delphiniums have returned to our garden!

2009-08-07T23:01:00.009-04:00

Introducing some new plant specimens to the garden this year. Replaced my old fashioned favorite, a purple-blue beauty with a bit of a white face; the delphinium. This young plant could live for years in it's new garden bed, they get very large and last for decades like peony plants do. A friend of mine saw her plants grow 7 feet tall or more last year. The light was too low to do a macro shot when I took this one. I'm thinking early morning light might give me my best image of this pretty flower, so I'll be trying more later!

Also added a new variety of black eyed susan - another of my favorites!

These sweet daisy like flowers produce cones of seeds that various finches and the chicadees love! I try to grow a variety of seed producing plants, shrubs and trees that help feed the creatures that come to visit here.

Another old fashioned flower that is becoming well established along one of the fence lines right near our little barn! It's such a perfect setting for them! (they were often grown to hide small farm buildings or fences.)

Well that's one quick tour of the garden today, more to follow as things keep growing! ;-)

The Wheat is coming off in Brant County!

2009-08-02T23:06:00.001-04:00

The Wheat is coming off in Brant County!
Originally uploaded by Our Enchanted Garden

We've finally had enough heat and dry-ish weather for farmers at this location, to harvest their wheat.
It has been an odd year for vacationers, farmers and even our own garden, cool damp weather had stunted some growth in crops in our area, though they seem to be springing back with this past week of warmer temperatures. Molds and fungi could be a real concern for everyone this year.

The shadows were so pretty crossing the field of view where Brant county farmers were harvesting wheat. We just had to stop so I could play with my camera a bit! I got a nice range of shots and love the color. It seems it was just the right time of day to capture the beauty and tapestry-like impression of the images.

Birdsongs in the garden!

2009-07-31T12:02:00.002-04:00

Broadcasting Live from Our Enchanted Garden

2009-07-25T05:58:00.002-04:00

Here we go!

A trial run this morning in the garden to see how well the technology works and wether I'll need help to run the show! Or wether the weather will help me with the show by encouraging the birds to sing to alll our guests in a sort of impromptu garden party!

Fostering really is the Natural Way

2009-07-17T07:35:00.005-04:00

Lately a lot of the posts here for the garden have focused on adopting abandoned animals, fostering and the challenges of training puppies and keeping them safe in the garden. It wasn't really my intention to see our blog be centered on pet issues and yet what has come through from these experiences has been the discovery of more of nature's magic. There it was; plain as the nose on my face!

Fostering really is Nature's way. You see birds and dogs and cats do it. This points to me of how very important it is that people who are drawn to helping other creatures, including humans, follow through on their feelings and their inspirations. This is a natural instinct among living beings.

My thoughts drift to 2005, when I was freshly inspired by my calling to the garden and the wisdom it spoke to me. This came to be just weeks before Katrina bore down on the Gulf Coast of the US. At that time people came together to help each other. Multiple levels of government and specialists in safety and rescue with almost unlimited funds at their disposal seemed unable to step up to help without tripping over red tape and politics.

Fostering is what was arranged for people who had nowhere to go after government assistance ended and there were still no homes available for those left homeless in Louisianna and elsewhere! It might not be what people call it but it works out to the same sort of thing.

Right now in the United States and Canada there are countless living beings who need your help. One of the easiest ways to help is fostering. If you have the room in your home, foster children or even families. If you don't have that sort of room but still have that space in your hearts and your yards; foster dogs, cats, rabbits, pot bellied pigs, horses or other animals in need. Seek out local shelter and animal rescue groups and learn what's needed in your area. Offer those groups your administrative or fundraising skills if you can't possibly foster people or animals.

In these hard times many families and their pets will suffer without some sort of assistance. As a foster mother for Jack Russell Terriers I can attest to the needs out there that arise out of family break ups, the loss of a family bread-winner, and sudden life changes that prevent some people from being able to continue to care for family pets. None of these situations can be controlled by the pet and they come to their neediness out of no fault of their own. Animals require attention and love, exercise and socialization and these needs don't end as changes occurr in their lives.

If you've ever had the inclination to help - consider it again and make a few enquiries, someone will be happy to learn you're interested in helping. You might get a big sloppy kiss from some loveable pup for your efforts, but heck, it could be a lot worse!

Back to the Jack!

2009-07-16T22:09:00.004-04:00

Jack met his new family a couple of weeks ago, this is a shot of his new sister Maggie.

His new owners thought it might be fun to change his name slightly to Mack. It's so close to his earlier name and he's still so young and eager that a name change likely won't cause him any stress! Maggie and John Mack, sporting a muzzle

for safety and showing

off his heart!

"Getting to know you..." This family is now having loads of fun romping together in their own garden! Don't you just love it when a plan comes together? But then that's the little bit of magic that happens when a dog is in need and a family wants to add to their pack. Like radar, they often seem to seek out and find each other.

Miller defends Toronto's cleanliness on CNN

2009-07-09T16:09:00.002-04:00

Wow! Poor Toronto is having some woes and worries! Miller defends Toronto's cleanliness on CNN Shared via AddThis

I can't imagine our parks and other green spaces being used as dump sites. However our little city, Guelph has a large section of parkland that was once a riverside dump site and reclaimed in the seventies for naturalization and recreational use! How ironic would that be?

Jack of Hearts!

2009-06-28T22:58:00.001-04:00

Jack of Hearts!
Originally uploaded by Our Enchanted Garden

I just had to play with this shot a bit, he's such a sweet fellow and this little heart shaped bit of dog hair is amazing!

There's a happy family that's looking forward to meeting Jack and he may be going to a new forever home soon! Lucky boy is sure to give his new family years of love and entertainment.

We surely will miss him when he does find a family. The whole point of fostering is to be there for the dog at their most vulnerable, to help them settle and re-gain their confidence and then help them become part of a new family.

By fostering any family can potentially help hundreds of Jack Russell Terriers, or any other breed for that matter, rather than just one! Any person with the room in their yards, their lives and their hearts should strongly consider becoming a foster home for animals. Look on the net for info in your area, Province or State - many are breed specific, and arrange to speak with one of their volunteers.

Jack's Heart isn't on his sleeve!

2009-06-26T10:58:00.001-04:00

Jack's Heart isn't on his sleeve!
Originally uploaded by Our Enchanted Garden

Yipppeeee!
So glad I finally managed to get a shot of the heart on Jack's forehead. Far more visible when his brows aren't raised or furrowed!
It's a very subtle contrast between two shades of brown hairs but there's a heart there without a doubt.

Jack is such an interesting character, has been with us for two weeks now and has shown himself to be an incredible companion. Mia has loved his romantic attention (they're both fixed! crazy pups!) and Daisy has loved his robust playfulness!

Jack's most endearing traits are that sweet heart he wears between his ears and his amazing collection of barks! When he is being brave and playing sentry of the back yard he has a deep bark that belies his size - sounds like a big hound dog! When Jack is playing with Daisy and Mia he'll sometimes use short sharp barks, and other times he squeaks rather than barks - it is the cutest sound and always gets us giggling!

Rescuing Jack

2009-06-21T13:20:00.001-04:00

Meet Jack

When I recently told a friend I was considering rescuing a young dog and giving him a foster home until a suitable forever home can be found for him, she wondered out loud - "what are you thinking?" Okay sure, with two dogs of our own it may seem like a wild idea to bring another dog home, but this little Jack needed some TLC and attention. He was suffering emotionally from separation anxiety and the poor little fellow had no idea or control over what happened to his owners.

He's just a pup, at 10 months old and really just wants to be loved, be safe and get to play his heart out. That's all most Jack Russells want, a safe loving home (safe, as in JRT proof!) with lots of play and stimulation plus room to run, hunt and explore! I enjoy the breed and their happy, energetic personalities. They have a reputation for being troublemakers but usually the dogs are less responsible than their owners for lack of training! Jack Russell Terriers do require a bit more attention than many other breeds and new owners often learn that the hard way.

Our family are now the proud rescuers of a total of three Jack Russells; Keisha whom we lost last winter to cancer, Mia we adopted near the end of winter when she was 6 months old, and now Jack. Our other dog, Daisy is a large black Labrador-Doberman cross, she's the youngest and yet she plays babysitter with the other dogs. We adopted Daisy when she was a tiny 6 wk old pup. We brought her home to meet Keisha during her last days with us. Meeting Keisha helped Daisy learn some respect for an older sick animal and other important socializing skills. Not long after Keisha died we began looking into adopting another Jack Russell and that's when Mia came to stay with us. Mia and Daisy have grown together like litter-mates and now Mia doesn't seem to notice Daisy is three times her size, they play and fight and romp together and then curl up and snooze together too!

Three dogs, does it seem too much? Nah! But, if I help JRTRO by rescuing and adopting Jack but then have no more room for dogs then JRTRO would lose me as a contact, other than for referrals. Instead my partner and I felt we could help get little Jack settled and more comfortable here while volunteers with Jack Russell Terrier Rescue of Ontario work to find him a suitable home. Then Jack can be paired with a loving family and our family, including our two babysitting puppies can move forward to help another stranded and frightened Jack Russell. Our two dogs, Daisy is 7 months old and Mia is 9 months or so. They never cease to amaze me and I'm thrilled to help them help others of their species. They are becoming fabulous hostesses!

So while people may wonder where my senses have gone, bringing in a foster puppy keeps our two puppies well occupied, gives them a sense of purpose and provides a wonderful gift to an animal in dire straights through no fault of his or her own. Our house is really too small for foster kids but our yard and hearts are certainly big enough to foster unfortunate animals!

HA HA; Hope Always Helps, Actually!

2009-06-11T10:45:00.003-04:00

Depression is one of the strangest states of imbalance in a person's mental health. Getting a handle on how it affects my day to day experiences is a constant learning endeavor. I know laughter helps me cope considerably and that got me thinking. "Ha Ha, there's hope...", and then I realized; Hope Always Helps Actually! Perhaps this is why people search so for answers to the questions; why are we here, what's the point of this human existence. It's why organized religions, despite their shortcomings, have had such a hold on the human psyche. Hope seems to be an elixir for us all in our day to day lives, helping us see beyond challenges and pitfalls to the potential that is inherent in our life experiences. Hope says we have the potential to realize our dreams and to grow beyond any current situation. People who feel life is hopeless, or believe there is no hope of overcoming something negative or unpleasant in their lives can find themselves dissatisfied and disenchanted with the life they are living. The sensations, if prolonged and unaddressed can become dibilitating and can even lead to serious health problems like high blood pressure, obesity and premature aging. Laughing in the face of perceived danger may seem foolhardy and yet if a danger is only perceived but not an actual threat then it may be the very best remedy by far! Laughter releases chemicals that help the body relieve stress, fear, even pain. Laughter puts us on a different playing field, where anything just might be possible or where our imagination can ahke up new ideas and connections. Laughter even makes a person more approachable, as everyone knows a good belly laugh is infectious! We all enjoy laughter, at least everyone I know does. I use laughter where I work to help diffuse tense situations and to assist my customers by uplifting their moods, at 5:30 in the morning I think my customers appreciate the fact I have a smile on my face and a pleasant greeting for them! Well I'm hope-full this is help-full to anyone else in a similar situation!

A Pretty Magic Wand

2009-05-16T11:11:00.001-04:00

A lucky shot with a magical feel!

Mother nature sweeps her magic wand around the garden and the trees and plants respond with their most beautiful show of growth and color. The life cycle begins in earnest as the northern hemisphere of earth awakens with vibrant life. The peach blossoms are such a delight! Delicate, intricate and colorful; five petaled, star-like beauties doing their best to attract the bees and insects that will help create some luscious fruit! Their fragrance is light, fruity and sweet! There are four families of sparrows living beside the garden. With chirping, hungry babies the parents will be a big help in keeping harmful bugs from our fruit trees. In exchange we provide a safe environment, abundant food, a fresh water supply and some of the prettiest perches in the neighborhood! Co-creation with nature, living a life enchanted; my joys and the source of my passion!

Plants, creatures and colors grow so intense in Spring!

2009-05-14T20:43:00.002-04:00

Plants, creatures and colors grow so intense in Spring! Originally uploaded by Our Enchanted Garden

Loved the colors in this shot. Wished the bumble bee had posed a bit better but there are still some interesting aspects, angles and texture in the image. (click for larger view) Hooray for the bees and other critters that hang out in our garden! Signs that our family attempt to allow nature to have its' own balance here in Our Enchanted Garden is of some success! Generations of birds, toads, squirrels, beetles, spiders, bats, lady bugs, chipmunks, and others live in and around the immediate area where we live. We hope to eventually build a waterfall and pond with a pool area for the dogs to enjoy. Just a small setup with a "pond" for the dogs, maybe a 6' diameter kiddie pool. That might be inviting to some frogs and fireflies adding to the backyard wildlife! Most of these critters eat bugs that otherwise might damage the fruits and flowers we're growing. They help us keep the garden in good shape naturally! Natural wildlife also play a role in helping the property reclaim its biodiversity, their excrement spreading seeds of locally native plants. Some plants are allowed to survive in the garden depending on where they show up and if they are a desirable addition to the eco-environment.. Such Intense Color, such is life in spring; Intense and poised and ready to expand into its full potential and expression. What all life forms innately crave in the bowels of their being - each displaying the desire in their own ways. Life is just so Beauty Full, so said my grandma years ago and another very good friend recently! I've been convinced of the same for years and hope to remind others of the simple wonderful treasures in life we all often overlook. We move so fast, think so hard, we forget to hear our inner knowing. There can be too much distraction and static and drama in a person's focus to hear any intuitive or sub-conscious nudging. Pause a moment and celebrate the colors of the season around you and the diversity of life and nature that abound everywhere! Drink it in, breathe it in deeply while remembering to be grateful for your many blessings!

Merry Cherry Maker!

2009-05-13T22:01:00.003-04:00

So very glad to see the honey bees in the garden busy pollinating our fruit trees, planted this time last year. What a pleasure to watch the development of fresh fruits in the back yard! Nature's spontaneity and abundant synchronicity are the "magic" that is the very fabric of existence. Here is that magic in action; the ant and the bee and a mass of flowers to explore with random, wild abandon. Yet most of the flowers seem to be successfully transformed into tiny cherries, despite the lack of any apparent plan! We humans can learn so much from that!

The Apples Begin Showing Off Their Adventures!

2009-04-26T12:49:00.001-04:00

Sweet Signs Are showing in the garden! Sweet and tiny still, these buds are set to explode into a bright and fragrant show of beauty unfolding. The magic and miracles of life and rejuvenation on display for all to enjoy and appreciate with gratitude. Life on this fair earth is ever changing and striving to reach its full potential!

*testing, this was an old draft I forgot to post - want to see where it turns up on the blog page...

In The Garden These Days

2009-04-04T13:45:00.005-04:00

On Thursday afternoon 4-2-09 we had a nice preview of the warmer weather to come; this shot documents it, just for fun showing the temperature at 10 C, at 1:50 in the afternoon. This was in light shade! (Ah, promising! More please!!!) In my last post I had mentioned the birds had begun their nest-building in the garden. We have a few home-made houses on the front of our little barn, you can see the grass streamers in one shot, the other has a male sparrow perched on the uppermost birdhouse. It's still too early to do much in the garden, other than cleaning things up. With rains keeping things wet I find it best to avoid trying to work the soil. It's difficult for me to be patient at this point in the garden's season. I surveyed the yard to see what will need attention soon and noticed our little statue had lost her head. When I tried to replace it she looked a bit odd! Frankenstatue?

Life In The Garden Returns - No April Fool Here!

2009-04-01T16:18:00.000-04:00

A favorite early spring flower of mine, Blue Scillia opens just a week or two after my neighbors' little white Snow Drops. They send the clear signal that the ground is warming and our bulbs and perennials will soon start popping out of the ground. A bonus that it marks the beginning of April - we'll likely have blooms in the garden in time for the upcoming long weekend. Like Crocus, these tiny flowers multiply through garden beds and lawns and finish flowering well before the grass will need cutting and can be mowed without consequence of damage to the plants. Something else that's showing life in the garden are the young fruit trees we planted in late April last year. They were already flowering when they went in the ground so we are experiencing the early spring transformation of these trees for the first time. we have two Cherry trees; one is a sweet red cherry and the other, a sweet black cherry. They are accompanied by a lovely little peach tree that I just adore blooms on! Can't wait till I get shots with the Canon I bought last summer, the macros are much better than my previous camera even though they were good too! Macro photography and gardens go so well together - the close up images really help show off delecate blooms and details you might otherwise overlook. Insects are also interesting subjects, as are toads and mice if you can get them to sit still long enough! The peach buds surprised me by being fuzzy just like the fruit that will grow from them. A borring bit of trivia perhaps, it is true too, the cherry tree buds look different. Their outer casing is smooth and, oddly enough, reddish brown! I even double checked to be sure. Ah, spring! The birds and bugs are getting active. Nests are being built in the birdhouses, evidenced by fluttering streamers of dried grasses and old morning glory vines dangling from the little round doorways! Most of Sunday morning in the garden we were serenaded by a good mix of bird songs; crows, blue jays, morning doves, house finches, purple finches, chickadees, sparrows, goldfinches, nuthatches. red winged black birds, robins, cardinals and cedar wax wings. Looking forward to documenting and sharing a whole new season in Our Enchanted Garden!

A Book Cover - View from the Tower

2009-03-31T20:47:00.001-04:00

I've been having a bit of fun playing with image enhancements that transform photographs into images that can resemble oil paintings, posters, litho prints, watercolor or even a pastel drawing. One of my hobbies that sometimes results in an interesting or fun image I can use for e-Notecards or Greetings. Here I took a shot of the Niagara River looking from the start of the Bruce Trail toward Lake Ontario, taken in autumn and played a bit to see what sort of emotional feel the changes would create with the image. Of the experiments this is one of my favorites, it's intriguing and gentle. The saturation and gauziness gives the viewer the sense of twighlight approaching. This image would be fun used as a book cover. It would suit a book written about the Niagara River, Niagara on the Lake, Queenston Heights. This would even suit something on a historical line, including General Brock who died near where this shot was taken. It could also suit a story about the Niagara Escarpment and/or the Bruce Trail. Likely it would also lend itself well to a romance, given the softness, the color and the framing of the image. Before all the playing; the image was a nice silhouette of the same view. It would also work for many of the same applications. I was born in this area and love it here. It's surprising that this region is right on the northern border with the US and yet one can only barely see any rooftops above the trees! It's one of the things about the image that is priceless compared to the commercial representations of the region featuring casinos, waterfalls and a carnival atmosphere. There's so much more to Niagara than the flashy tourist attractions; there are botanical gardens, family oriented parks and play areas, historical buildings, sites and monuments. There are a wide range of fresh fruits and vegetables available throughout the growing season from local farm markets. A wide river with Lake Ontario at one end, Lake Erie at the other means lots of fresh water to enjoy recreational boating, fishing and swimming. There are also miles of bike trails and hiking trails to satisfy the dog lover, fitness aficionado, naturalist or birdwatcher in most of us. The Heart of Niagara?... It's her River!

Running Obstacles

2009-03-17T21:57:00.001-04:00

Running Obstacles
Originally uploaded by Our Enchanted Garden

Another update on our puppies; still the only things actively growing in the garden!
Mia and Daisy are taking good advantage of the mild weather in our region and getting loads of exercise in the backyard. We practice their leash walking nearby around the neighborhood and we've had a few visits to the park. This weekend we may try some trails combined with a trip in the truck to help them get over their motion sickness. Daisy is getting pretty good at it and I'm sure Mia will come along alright. We want to be able to take them on road trips so it's an issue to deal with ASAP with spring just a few days away!.
Mia is very athletic and acrobatic. We don't have to build much of an obstacle course to amuse her - she finds her own! I'll upload a few more shots tomorrow after work, have to clear my memory card so I can start fresh for the spring season!! Looking forward to some good candid shots of the girls but beginning to realize a digital video camera will be helpful and more useful at times - when the dogs are being quite active for example!

I AM MIA!

2009-03-09T16:32:00.001-04:00

Mia Settles In
Originally uploaded by Our Enchanted Garden

Mia is settling into her new home. Mia is our second Jack Russell Terrier and also the second dog we've adopted as a rescue. She is a sweet puppy (only 6 months) and fortunately the only abuse she experienced in her life has been her lack of training or socializing with other animals.
We were very fortunate to be able to acquire a young Jack in such great shape as a rescue. Often this breed is misunderstood and the uninformed human can do harm by neglecting their training and not providing enough exercise. Worse the mistreatment can go on for years creating a dog with personality disorders like fearfulness or aggression and nasty habits like biting, barking, and chewing. They can be seriously overweight or underweight, have dental issues and a host of problems.

With us Mia is guaranteed to be trained and well exercised plus she will be socialized with our Lab puppy Daisy (3 months). Daisy helps with the exercise because they love to chase each other around the yard! Mia will learn the regular puppy "stuff" like sit, stay, down and come. She will learn how to walk on a leash and when she's a bit older she'll learn how to run beside a rolling bicycle and we'll work on some tricks hopefully by the end of summer!

Our goal is to have two well adjusted dogs in the end who will be good companions and guardians for our family. Their unconditional love will help us all through any of the rough edges the outside world seems to expose. Who knows, maybe we'll get the pair volunteering to visit sick kids at the hospital or home-bound adults or seniors or something along those lines! It's something I'll be researching in the next few months. Helping others would be a worthwhile activity for the dogs, giving them a sense of purpose which all living beings thrive well in!

Sepia Daisy larger

2009-03-01T11:55:00.000-05:00

to see how large, large is!

Sepia Daisy

2009-03-01T11:45:00.000-05:00

Our Daisy is growing and inspires us each day! Watching her grow and learn is a blast. She loves the garden and as she gets to know the neighborhood she'll love it too. There's so much to explore. She's been to the station, walking with John to pick me up after my shift and we all enjoyed walking home in the middle of a February thaw! Towels by the door are a necessity this time of year when walking any animal, the water, mud and grime and salt can make a mess indoors, best to dry their feet, legs and underbelly just inside the door upon entry. She's already used to the routine and has no trouble with cooperating. I can no longer say that our pup is the only Daisy growing in the garden! With the thaw we had in February there is very little snow cover in the yard and tiny young plants, hardy varieties are showing signs of life. This includes tiny daisy plantlets, pansies and early primulas! Only 3 weeks till the spring equinox and warmer weather to follow a few weeks after that! Something to really uplift the spirits is the sweet promise of spring in our enchanted garden!

Remembering Valentines!

2009-02-28T22:18:00.002-05:00

I took a few shots of the pretty bouquet John had gotten me for Valentine's. I love carnations, they last longer than most cut flowers and don't need a lot of care. Grown in the garden they have a fragrance that reminds me of cloves - very nice! And they have a fairly wide range of colours. An old fashioned favourite that would be suitable for a n english cottage garden. Baby's Breath or Gypsiphelia (sp) is also a favourite of mine that suits an old fashioned garden. This image makes a pretty valentine card all by itself without having to add a thing. I found it fun to try framing the flowers and decorations to give it a greeting card feel. Not thrilled with the flash feel of this and wonder what I might do to soften that a bit! Something to experiment with. With three weeks until spring and at least 2 months before non freezing weather is expected I'm still working on finding seeds and learning what the nurseries will be offering this season. We'll be container planting and filling in our perrenial beds with more new specimens after adding some fresh rich soil and some good mulch. At least Daisy, our lab puppy, has been able to have some good romps in the yard even though it's the dead of winter! She didn't do well in the deep snow but all that has since disappeared and she does big figure 8's through the middle of the back yard and gardens. Of course no one can blame her for having cabin fever, she's eager to explore her world!

Sh-h-h! The Garden Is Sleeping!

2009-01-31T01:19:00.001-05:00

Sh-h-h! The Garden Is Sleeping!
Originally uploaded by Our Enchanted Garden

The garden in winter seems to be still.
Yet deep under the snow things are beginning to awaken.
Activity, color and vibrancy will return soon.
In the meantime, as the days get longer, the birds have become more active. Hopefully we'll snap a few good images worth sharing!.

Melting your Heart is my Specialty!

2009-01-17T22:25:00.001-05:00

Melting your Heart is my Specialty!
Originally uploaded by Our Enchanted Garden

Look deep into my eyes. You know you can't resist.
I'll melt your heart in no time flat.
"Way too cute!" - I resemble that!

Meet the newest member to frolic in our garden; Daisy. A Lab Dobe cross that has won over our hearts. Right now she's a rollie pollie puppy and has only been out to play in the snow twice so far!. 7 wks old. A sweet little baby at this point!

Happy New Year all Flickr, buddies and Friends!

2008-12-31T20:08:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year all Flickr, buddies and Friends!
Originally uploaded by Our Enchanted Garden

A Magical and Happy New Year to all my Blog Buddies Too! ;-)

Happy Thanks Giving

2008-11-23T20:17:00.004-05:00

Promoting the Giving of Happy Thanks! ;-)

Summer Daisies Inspire & Cheer

2008-08-31T14:54:00.000-04:00

A Daisy often gives me cause to smile so simple and delicate, fresh and lacey Light and sweet against the deep green grasses I adjusted to remove some of the colour in the shot, found I liked the look a daisy unique, as each truly are just like snowflakes Daisies love the sun their devotion is to follow the light sweet daisies

In The Deep Shadows

2008-08-20T23:33:00.001-04:00

In The Deep Shadows
Originally uploaded by Our Enchanted Garden

Discovered some lovely remains of an old mill tucked into a moist and forested area next to a small dam and fishing pond. I enjoyed shooting the rock walls, thinking some of them, with their interesting textures, would make nice page backgrounds.
This is one of those experiments.

Belated Happy Birthdays

2008-07-05T07:29:00.003-04:00

Happy Birthday Canada! Happy Birthday USA! Happy Birthday Quebec!

Wish You Could Scratch Your Back This Easily?

2008-05-23T23:01:00.001-04:00

Wish You Could Scratch Your Back This Easily?
Originally uploaded by Our Enchanted Garden

This American goldfinch, now sporting his fine spring colours preens himself in the birch tree in our front garden. the garden is planted to resemble a sub-alpine meadow and has a variety of specimens that produce seeds the finches love to eat, including the flowers on this birch tree!
They're a favourite in the garden, adding their bright yellow spashes to the gardenscape and the male's song this time of year is quite melodic and ever so pleasant to listen to! Maybe I'm a female goldfinch in another dimension giving me an affinity for them! he! he!

It sure would be fun to be as flexible and agile as these little birds!

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-11T20:32:00.002-04:00

100b5050MDnew copy Originally uploaded by Our Enchanted Garden

A pretty view in the garden for Mom!

Wishes for a Happy, Healthy Mother's Day to Moms everywhere! Good wishes to Mom's everywhere and a happy, healthy Mother's Day!

My Zazzle Gallery

2008-03-21T21:49:00.003-04:00

Showing off my gallery! Featuring Our Enchanted Garden photos and artwork; Zazzle.com/ourenchantedgarden*! I'll be building up a collection of items from some of my best photographs and whimsical work over the next several weeks! The flash player doesn't fit as nicely as I'd like here on this blogger layout and that may prompt me to make some adjustments to my blog, the player still works great and refreshes as I add new products to the gallery so I'll leave it in regardless. Check it out! What do you think? Eventually a full season of holiday and special occasion themes will be developed with something appealing to anyone! Also watch for products on topical current issues; the environment, peace, the changing seasons. *Please Note, currently these products are most easily available in the United States. Canadian purchases to be shipped to Canada would most likely be subject to customs & tariff charges which will increase your cost, sorry for the inconvenience! Updates and news on product availability in other countries will be posted here, as we discover and develop them!

Happy St Patrick's Day

2008-03-17T19:07:00.001-04:00

Happy St Patrick's Day
Originally uploaded by Our Enchanted Garden

Salutations of the Season are in order! ;-)

Happy St. Patrick's Day All!

(Using a textured photo for the page background and adding some graphics to create a little e-card greeting!)

Promoting my photographs

2008-03-15T13:07:00.002-04:00

Experimenting to see if this widget will work; make custom gifts at Zazzle To highlight some of my photographs made into products to share and enjoy through Zazzle.com!

Facebook Badge

2008-03-13T08:01:00.001-04:00

This may already be on my side bar.... hm m m m! Just experimenting folks!

Walk in the garden.blogspot.com

Halloween is Here!

Celebrating the Giving of Gifts

Celebrating Celebrations!

Celebrating Dream Time and Sleep

Celebrating Passion!

Celebrating the Gift of Forgiveness

Celebrating Science and Discovery

Celebrating the Colors of Creation!

Milestones to Celebrate - Beginning by Celebrating YOU!

Postcards with Autumn and Thanksgiving themes

Well worth their cost!

Go Forth in Excited Anticipation - that new ideas will bubble forth!

In Tension or Intentions; Through the 10-10-10 Gateway, Choose Your Focus

Event Schedule for Sacred Wisdom Centre - Guelph, Ontario, affordable experiences in the arts.

Check out our (experimental) survey

There's Magic and Mischief in the Garden these days!

Jack Russell in the Strawberries Greeting Cards from Zazzle.com

Notes from my Grand Cross Meditation Experience

Lightworkers! Are you Attuned and Ready to Shine in these times?

Gone To Seed - an unusual arrangement

Designs for Father's Day, my Dad's Know; series and more!

Holes of Despair in the Sidewalk of Life?

More shots of April Flowers #OEG Life returns in vibrant abundance!

#OEG Our Cherry Trees are blooming!

New Spring Gallery opening! #OEG

A safe enclosure - for our pups and our lawn! #OEG blog post

#OEG Spring Greens planted the first week of April!

Our Garden is Giving me the Blues! #OEG

Cern ... What will we learn? #OEG

Spring Reflections on the Eramosa River #OEG

Under The Bridge - men's lo-cut ProKeds shoe, urban style

Red White and a Rose - keds slip ons

*Early Spring and solar powered clothes drying!* #OEG

Cardinal singing, flight at end

Shots of the Cardinal and his song too!

Conscious Creation - It's just Natural!

Alley Cat in Cambridge?

Inspired With Snowy Perspectives

Phosphorus, Potassium, Oxygen & Water!

Choose to Breathe or you Choose to Leave!

Prayers For Haiti Join Us at 11:00 am EST

Urgent Appeal - Jack Russell Terrier Rescue of Ontario NEEDS HELP!!!

Shine Your Light - a revisted design!

If Jack Russell Terriers Had Wings...

Rememberance Day and Magical 11's!

Living in the Magic

As Ever; Finding the magic, honing our skills and trusting all is well

A trip into the city and a ride on the Go train!

Fall Colors, views are "Painting Perfect"

Billy, our latest foster boy; Here's his page on PetFinder

Billy

Jack Russell Terrier Rescue Ontario (JRTRO)

Warm & Sunny Thoughts Flower!

The Omo People

Synchronicity Slides In with Ease!

Sorting out feelings of anguish

A Slideshow Celebrating Autumn

Windows Marketplace - What Is Microsoft Thinking?

At the Heart of Peace: International Day of Peace movie

A Handsome Gentleman

Images of The Newest Arrivals

Lovely Lavender

Branding My Work

Delphiniums have returned to our garden!

The Wheat is coming off in Brant County!

Birdsongs in the garden!

Broadcasting Live from Our Enchanted Garden

Fostering really is the Natural Way

Back to the Jack!

Miller defends Toronto's cleanliness on CNN

Jack of Hearts!

Jack's Heart isn't on his sleeve!

Rescuing Jack

HA HA; Hope Always Helps, Actually!

A Pretty Magic Wand

Plants, creatures and colors grow so intense in Spring!

Merry Cherry Maker!

The Apples Begin Showing Off Their Adventures!

In The Garden These Days

Early Spring and solar powered clothes drying! #OEG