Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Who Doesn't Like Surpises?



The first thing I did when I woke up, was pull open the drapes... the sun was just breaking the horizon... I felt so lucky to have caught it again... Sometimes it rises with no fanfare and before you know it, the sun is high in the sky... but then there are mornings like this... I feel as surprised as if I was opening a gift...

You would think by now I wouldn't be surprised anymore... but I am...... I always am... no matter how many sunrises I see.... I am surprised every single time I see the next one...

If you click on the photo and look closely you will see a few tiny black dots out on the bay... the fisherman are already at work... Scallop season has begun... although only 4 can be seen here... in total with the naked eye, I saw ten calmly floating from my vantage point... but I would guess there were many more spread out over the Bay of Fundy.........

...that is the Isle of Haute out there on the horizon... uninhabited now... although a long time ago a lighthouse and a keeper and his family lived there... it is the remnant of volcanic activity from a long long time ago in its geologic history...
 ... and as a matter of fact, a tiny shrew was discovered there that lives no where else in the world.

22 comments:

flyinamber said...

how lucky you are living at the place with so wonderful sunrises!we have here beautiful sunsets sometimes but sunrises are mostly simple..but the beauty of sunrise is in the sounds of birds here..

the surprises from your friends are lovely!

wish you a nice day,Gwen!

Anonymous said...

Oh what a beautiful picture, Gwen,especially in full frame, the colours! So the view from your bedroom is quite something! You are so lucky to have such friends as well.

Ruth said...

I think the views you have from your place are pure wealth and luxury. I don't know how you get so much done, I would be staring out windows constantly.

The crafted gifts from Chris and Marie are lovely, thanks for sharing.

Anet said...

Ah Gwen, you deserve the lovely surprises, all of them!
I'm going to check out Marie's blog, I love embroidery!

Lovethiscottage.blogspot.com said...

So many talented people out there doing such talented things!Thanks for sharing the pics, they were both lovely works.

Shayla said...

Gwen, visiting here may get me to talk my spouse guy into living in the country. Ahh! Miss those sunrises and sunsets. Who knows? We may end up one of your Fundy neighbors ;)

That embroidery is masterful and the pendant is bold. Love those colors. What lovely surprises!

Shelley said...

Good afternoon my dear friend, I too woke to a splendor of color; although of course without your entrancing view.
I also popped over to Chris' Esty and found many beauties (love the Stained Glass Snowflakes).
We learn so much and explore so many things with you! We call the island 'disapprearing island' I knew it had been inhabited, but didn't realize it's origin.
'til next time my friend (hoping for not much snow so as we can take a roadtrip).

sandy said...

That sunrise is a beauty, and beautiful gifts you got there...

BLACK AND WHITE said...

Very nice surprices! Thank you for sharing! Amazing as always!

Gwen Buchanan said...

Oh I am waiting for the sounds of the birds Dada.. they are too busy shivering today to sing a single note...

Delphine, Before I go to bed too I take one last glance towards the sea.. just to see if it is glowing from the light of the moon...

Ruth If I lost my last penny I would feel rich just knowing that view was there...

Thank you Anet.. I felt really lucky..

Kathi yes so much ingenuity.. I love seeing the works of others hearts and hands!!

Shayla, Wouldn't that be great if we found you living out here...the population is quite low... but if you are looking for quiet space to commune with nature.. this is the right place.. most times on the beaches we never see a soul...

Shelley... the blizzard hit us with a vengeance late this morning... I decided it would be a great day to try making some sprouted wheat bread... turned out pretty good.. quite moist!

Seth said...

Such a gorgeous sunrise. And what a gift to find yourself still surprised by this over and over again.

Leanne Pizio said...

You live in such a wonderful beautiful place. Thank you for sharing your nature with us. The gifts are just beautiful and such well crafted items. I love the flying geese quilt pattern too.

Shelley said...

Good afternoon my friend,
Sprouted wheat bread? Hmm that sounds interesting. With lemon zest tea perhaps? Or some coffee.
Our plans of travel have been once again re-arranged and postphoned until next week same day.
Enjoy the sea for me, the 'bug' as me...I can't wait to return.

rivergardenstudio said...

Oh, Gwen I just tried to comment but seem to have lost it...I'll try again...
Yes, nature astounds me too...in February the Canada geese call from the river lands, waking me with their haunting call. It is so beautiful and makes me really love living by the river and the wetlands... beautiful post, Roxanne

pRiyA said...

Gwen, I have been late in commenting on this beautiful post simply because I got lost in the beauty of you Flickr photographs. I even went to Google maps to see where New Brunswick was and was rather amazed at how close it was to Greenland. And how green your surroundings are!
Renee has commented on my blog saying that artists are 'looked up to' in Canada. Is it true? If so then Canada is the place to be for artists.
How utterly lucky you are to win that exquisite piece of wall art. And as for the pendant, I first thought they were stones cut and placed inside until I enlarged the picture and saw that it was folded cloth. Beautiful!

pRiyA said...

ps: what is the 10,000 hours theory?

Gwen Buchanan said...

Hi Priya... the 10,000 hours theory or rule.. I love and makes such common sense.. I heard an interview by Malcolm Gladwell (author of "Outliers") a while back that made sense to me.. sort of in the lane of teaching yourself by experience.. it referred to spending enough time with a certain activity to basically learn it inside out..

... by just immersion and absorbing it and playing with the idea...even if self taught you are experienced in a medium just by spending time with it... no letters behind your name but lots of knowledge up in the old noggin!!!

Gwen Buchanan said...

Thanks Seth, Maybe it is my simple mind or maybe it is simply the splendor of the never-the-same-twice-morning sky...

Thank you Leanne, It is pretty quiet here now.. only about 350-400 people ( summer brings the pop. up quite a bit) .. but nature does seem to fill up all the empty spaces... yes didn't the girls do lovely work on their pieces!!!

Hi Shelley, oh lemon zest tea.. Yumm!.. I got in the mood for homemade baked beans so started them around 1:00 after lunch .. we will be eating late tonight.. but they should be good with the sprouted wheat brown bread...the aroma is floating up to the studio as I write this... I am going to be starving by the time they are done...

Roxanne.. so that is where our Canada Geese went!!!.. well actually we only see them twice a year here... when they fly past in the spring and when they leave in the fall as their flight path follows the Bay of Fundy all along the coast here... sometimes they stop for a rest in the next door meadow and then they are off again...
From the photographs you share you must live in a bird sanctuary.. You Lucky Girl!!!

Gwen Buchanan said...

Priya, I never thought of ourselves as living near Greenland before but from the perspective of India we are a lot closer.. and the last couple of winters we have received lots of snow...

you know I never thought about whether Artists were looked up to here in Canada either but I believe Renee is right... We are accepted as a viable profession..

on the whole Artists, Artisans and Craftspeople rarely make as much as Professional White Collar workers but enough to live on... and it sure lets you enjoy a life of greater freedom...... and I could not give that up!!

Gwen Buchanan said...

Thanks Black and White... the surprise for last night was a big snowstorm!!

rauf said...

Who wants paradise ? You have everything here Gwen. You can afford to insult God if you want to.

these are some exquisite things you have here. Except for my iPod i have nothing to boast about.

Gwen Buchanan said...

Rauf , I have never had an iPod ... as a matter of fact, I have never had a cell phone either...

But I do listen to podcasts