I awakened early this morning, - Caspar too. So we sallied forth together, down the lane, past the neighbour's pigs who were still asleep, but odoriferous nevertheless.

When we got back to the house Caspar slipped in to have another little nap (old guys do that) and I took the camera into the garden.

Here is what I saw....

Then I went in and made some coffee and thought in my solitude about what a very lovely place this is, and how very lucky we are to be here.....amen

Sky Watch Friday

Morning skies in the Similkameen

6:51 a.m.




6:52 a.m.



6:53 a.m.



6:58 a.m.



7:00 a.m.



And while the Eastern sky glowed with these fantastic golds and blues, in the West the reflection was a soft and rosy red.



The date was September 29th, 2004

Who wouldn't spring out of bed and wait patiently for such a glorious morning show...

ABC Wednesday

W ~ is for Wooden Rings



Wooden Rings, you query?

Oh yes, - they are very beautiful, light to wear, environmentally sustainable, and there is something so romantic about them too, when they are used as Wedding Rings, or Engagement Rings.

To read about the romance associated with them, go here

...and about the exotic and beautiful wood these rings are made from.

These are Rosewood with inlaid bands...



And here are some Eucalyptus with Blue Spruce and Maple...



And rings made from Purple Heart and Hawaiian Koa



But the ones I find most compelling are those made of Kauri Wood. This link will tell you the story of this amazing wood.



'This Touch Wood Ring is crafted from ancient kauri timber that is aged from 30,ooo to more than 50,ooo years old. Ancient Kauri wood comes from forests buried at the time of the last Ice Age, which are located on the Northern Island of New Zealand. It is called the World's Oldest workable timber. Read The Kauri Story on the Ancientwood website. These points are from their pamphlet.
The harvesting of Ancient Kauri is a very ecologically friendly practice.
No standing trees are cut
These incredible trees are excavated from underground and any disturbed land is carefully restored.
Every tree grew for more than 1200 years.
They stopped growing over 50,000 years ago.
This ancient Kauri wood is pretty spectacular stuff and it fills us with a sense of wonder to hold something so very very old.'
'

If you want to see more splendid examples of wooden rings here is a link to an amazing couple who share their artistry from a small off-the-grid ranch in the interior of British Columbia.

And for more interesting stories about the letter W off you go to ABC Wednesday and enjoy the postings, with thanks to Ms Denise Nesbitt, who hosts this site.