Swan

I just can't get over the beauty of this swan and just had to share the photos I took...

(and besides swans are kinda Christmasy aren't they, ha ha).

I think if ones ever doubting that magic and true beauty exists, all one has to do is find & watch a swan!

I've been working on opening a new online shop for my 'photography'

The details are still abit fuzzy but it's a coming and I am excited...

It may be a brand new shop, it may or may not be on Etsy,

The photos may just be available in my current Etsy shop...

I've not figured any of that out yet.

But I do have my prices set, a professional printer nearby ready to go,

and a new shipping area in my studio is almost complete and ready for lots of shipping action.

The response to my photos on this dear blog of mine is always quite strong

and I am so ready to branch out into this new direction.

...Well that's all for today...

May you bask in the glory of a magical swan as often as you can.

XO Mandy

Drayton Blues Festival

The way we came about going to an excellent blues fest a couple months ago was kinda neat.

Jonathan took lots of video at the Jazzfest we went to in Toronto just a few weeks before...

Where an excellent blues group named Braithwaite & Whiteley played. 

Well Diana Braithwaite and Chris Whiteley saw the video that Jonathan took and cut together

and they were so pleased with it they asked Jonathan if they can use his video
and if we would be their guests to 'The Underground Railroad Blues Festival'.

Well, I LOVE the Blues and we've never really had the chance to enjoy it live so we shouted a resounding

'YES...Yes we would love to come'

So we hopped in the car one early Saturday morning and drove out to Drayton, Ontario and
unfamiliar countryside for an amazing unforgettable day.

Let me share my favourite shots from the day & show you who we felt very lucky to see/hear...

Curly Bridges was up first...he does this cool buzzing sound with his mouth, ha ha...

(Check out some video of Curley Bridges right here).

Than was my favourite, the super talented Harrison Kennedy,

his voice is so soulful and deep, seeing him live was such a treat...

(Check out some video of Harrison right here).

Up next was the sassy 'Miss Angel' who sure can shake her booty, ha ha...

(Check out video of Miss Angel right here).

Chris Whiteley and his son Jessie, who rocked the keyboard, were so so good...

(Check Chris & Jesse out in my honey's video, right here).

Up next was the talented Donovan Locke....

(Check out his vocal stylings right here).

Then all the way from The Mississippi was 'The Prepare A Table Ministry Choir'...
and a preacher who was very charismatic and who completely tuned us in...

We were surprised to find ourselves really enjoying pastor Tim Bailey's powerful message,
it wasn't the usual preachy stuff but it was all about a humans basic right to freedom and dignity and
the importance of fighting for those things, not just for our ourselves but for everyone planet wide...

Up next was the Douglas Watson band...   

(Check him out here).

Than another of my favs was Canadian Folk singer & Juno and Gemini award winner Kevin Breit...

(There is something so honest and gentle and fun about his music, check him out here).

And last but not least, the lovely Diana Braithwaite...
or otherwise known as Braithewaite & Whiteley...

(Check out Diana's gospel set right here and here).

It was a wonderful day with a really friendly and quaint atmosphere.

(The only negative was that there were no food options for us vegetarians, besides watermelon, ha ha,
so we were quite ravenous by the end of the night!)

The day and program ran so smoothly, we only had to wait 5 or 10 minutes at most in between sets.

...

Besides enjoying some great blues talent, the day was all about paying homage to the underground railroad and the people who made it, worked it and used it...
and to celebrate the freedom we in this country possess and enjoy today.

We are hoping the festival will take place again next year and that we'll be able to attend.

Thanks for having a look everyone....

Now let's go off and enjoy our freedom full day.

XO Mandy

Biking Adventures On Center Island

Back in August, after a blues festival in Drayton, my honey & I made our way back
to Toronto and hopped on a ferry with our bikes

(after spending a crazy $25 for parking!!!)

and spent a whole day playing about and biking on Toronto's Center Island.

We fell in love with the place and were kicking ourselves that we never bothered to

explore it when we actually lived in the city!!!

(mind you, back then we were quite broke and a cup of coffee a week was sometimes a stretch, ha ha!)

The day was very hot, humid and quite gloomy but we had a complete ball anyways...

Here is abit of our day...

As you can probably tell, I was hogging the camera, hence my handsome guy being in most shots.

I have to say, Jonathan was super patient with me constantly hopping off my bike to take shots.

He was even more patient with my constant and sudden screeching out 'OHHHH LOOK' followed by my zooming off on him because I saw something in the distance that I just had to photograph.

I think he's used to me & my camera by now, bless him, ha ha...

We can not wait to go back.  What a brilliant and refreshing place to bike and picnic.

By the end of our day we were pooped

and I was slightly bruised and sore from a spill on my bike, ha ha! 

We had to call our day to and end by a certain time so as not to spend too many

hours driving the Northern highways in pitch dark! 

But our timing to leave was serendipitous because the skies grew quite threatening and

stormy and we were more than ready to head back to the bunnies.

Have any of you been to the Toronto islands?

Thanks for hopping by.

XO A Bijou whose missing the city

Crooked Brothers

A few weeks ago we went to the Piebird for another awesome concert.

It was an enchanted evening with 'The Crooked Brothers'.

Let me share some of my favourite shots from the evening...

 

The Manitoba brothers Jessie, Darwin and Matt were so so great...

The music was a cool mixture of tender country, funky blues with some soft light folk thrown in.

The night was one of a kind. 

It was an endearingly quiet concert played alongside crickets and a slowly sinking golden sun

whiles the crowd was surrounded by fresh green fields full of organic veggies, wild flowers

and towering sunflower stalks as goats played amongst the trees...

It was a concert played under twinkling star shine and enjoyed by flickering lantern & candle light...

a very special evening I'll never forget.

Jonathan put some video together.  There's a few songs per video, one video is in the light and

one video is in the pitch dark....see them here and here.

Matt is the one with the deep grumbly voice that makes my toes & tummy all warm and fuzzy, ha ha.

Wishing you all an amazing weekend...

hopefully under some star and moon shine with excellent music added in for good measure.

XO Mandy & The Bunnies