A Morning on the Lake (Lens-Artist Photo Challenge #56) & Cool Change song…

Posted on by Prior...

The lens-artist theme this week is Seascape or Lakeshore (here)

For my take, I bring you to Lake Erie (Ontario side). 

Let’s go for a mid-morning walk.

It is still early.

Quiet.

And the shadows are fun.

I made some art out of a piece of driftwood – put my sister’s family names on it – with some line design. 

For the driftwood art – I used the same Sharpie markers that were used for the Coach’s memorial revitalization (here). My sis liked the final driftwood artpiece put it on an armoire. 

Had no idea…

that driftwood was such an important part of the food web. 

Check this out from Smithsonian: 

“…Driftwood makes an enormous (under-appreciated) contribution to the food web connecting forests and the sea. From streams to estuaries to the deep ocean floor, driftwood shapes every environment it passes through.”

 “…Caddis flies and mayflies undergo their metamorphosis into adults while anchored to floating wood. When they emerge, they in turn become food for salmon fry, salamanders, bats, and birds. Larger logs control the very shape and flow of streams, creating pools and back eddies where returning salmon rest and spawn. These pools provide critical shelter for young salmon as they hatch, feed, and hide from predators before they make a break for the open sea…” (MORE here).

tree driftwood - Lake Erie 2019
 “A tree undergoes reincarnation when it lands in flowing water. Branches, bark, and heartwood—what appears to be nothing more than floating debris—become either home to or sustenance for a range of plants and animals.” ((Linked to Sunday Trees))

This lady said she walked the beach every morning – collecting glass – sometimes plastic – but she was a beachcomber and she showed us a huge piece of brown glass (bottom of a beer bottle maybe). Later at home, when I saw this photo of her – I realized I missed the chance to interview and get a bit more of her story. Kudos to her for the environmental outreach. She came up to us and started chatting and well – at the time – I did grab this photo, but I guess my mind was NOT in interviewing mode. Perhaps another time.

Now aren’t flip-flops perfect for the beach?

Check out these cool flip flops…

made from recycled yoga mats.

They are very comfortable — but they felt like regular flip flops. It made GOOD SENSE to recycle yoga mats and turn them into flip flops – eh?  So grabbed an extra pair for one of my favorite yoga teachers… ((Linked to One Word Sunday))

 

Song that comes to mind is Cool Change: 

Thanks for visiting today. 

It has been a while since I added some comics to a post… 

so…. here’s a few

P  R  I  O  R  H  O  U  S  E 

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61 thoughts on “A Morning on the Lake (Lens-Artist Photo Challenge #56) & Cool Change song…”

  1. What a peaceful walk. I love driftwood and I think I need yoga mat shoes! How cool is that? My friend Sherry’s daughter has a yoga studio I need to tell her about those.
    -janet

    Liked by 1 person

    1. hi – thanks for the visit and comment – and i wonder how they make the shoes from the mats – hm – but is a god idea

      Like

  2. You’ve excelled yourself with this post, Yvette. So much good cheer, and good things to think about. And who knew so much about driftwood? I’ve always been fascinated, but always thought of it of being ‘left over’, not part and parcel of the system. Just shows how you learn wonderfully new things every day. A BIG THANK YOU.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. your comment edified
      and i just tossed this post together before bed – almost quit – but i quit doing my direst food post on friday and that made me sad.
      so instead of abandoning he draft – i made a cup of tea and spent 15 minutes finishing it (i was tired so the 15 minute was labor of love) and i share that because reading this first thing in the morning made my day! reminded me that a little grit i’m not letting too many blog posts go is worth it because of the community we all
      share here!
      it also reminded me that success in blogging comes from when we share from our heart! when we whip together a post without trying to impress – well being “us” is what readers want and i hope all of us bloggers can find and keep our own groove (and do what we do for us too)
      so many ha is for being generous with your time and words

      Liked by 2 people

  3. Fab pictures, Yvette. I love the driftwood, and they’re very appropriate as we’ve been walking by the coast for a week! It is a rather special environment, indeed. I have to apologise that WordPress seems to have stopped informing me of your posts, so I’m trying to rectify that. I’m still finding my feet with all the foibles of the platform. Seems there are a few bugs in the system. Hope you’re well and still ‘biting the wax tadpole!’ 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. hi – thanks for the comment and i a
      enjoying some of the pics from the templeton exploring this week!
      and just my opinion – but don’t count on the reader for consistency !
      i do get some blogs in my feed – but i have learned that i just need to go and visit the bloggers i enjoy – and so i am not dependent on the “iffy” reader

      Liked by 1 person

  4. Never can resist a stroll, Yvette 😍 Amazing the things we take for granted. I never see driftwood as anything other than beach decoration. Have a great summer! ⛅🌻🚣💕

    Liked by 1 person

    1. thanks jo – wishing you a wonderful rest of summer too (seeing back to school stuff everywhere this week – sniff)
      and you are so right – so many things we take for granted – thanks for the comment

      Like

  5. A lovely post. I particularly like the shadows and the driftwood observations. Don’t like the flip flops though – I can’t get on with a post between my toes 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. well
      no flip flops for you – and the good news is they also have those “slides” which are more for friendly –
      and did you know they have toe spacers – my son does rock climbing and he got some
      to counter all the squishing the shoes do. the toe spacers look like retainers

      Liked by 1 person

  6. Great picture, Yvette! It’s been a long time since I’ve seen driftwood along the beach. It always ignites my imagination. I love comics! The snail one is adorable. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. hi jill! cheers to the comics – and that snail one has me rolling a bit (pun intended)
      also – i was a little taken back with all the driftwood that month – the
      beaches we normally go to in VA and FL usually only have shells and seaweed (with an occasional toilet seat from some boat)

      Liked by 1 person

    1. hi – i had no idea he driftwood was that integral but now ignore makes sense – and also as the flip flops were nicely priced –
      win win

      Liked by 1 person

  8. A very nice shadow of tree branches and the leaves made it looks like honeycomb pattern.
    You are right trees can have a new life when they fell into water. Things don’t go waste in nature hands.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. hi YC
      that is what i saw there too- the honey comb- and then i could not decide if
      i wanted to leave in the rectangle of the phone – i have a second photo without it –
      but i left it partly because it offered a different shape to those center
      do you think it would be better dropped out ?

      Like

      1. I noticed that too. IMHO, I would drop that out. It does not match the main story. I think it takes a way of the mood for presenting shadows of the tree branches with the object that is man made. It is just my opinion though.

        Liked by 1 person

    2. thanks for the feedback!! and i also
      already have the square phone in the other shadow
      and the reason i wanted to have at least one phone shadow is because
      i wondered if we will look back on these years and say “remember those rectangle”
      smart phones — and recently heard folks talking about the old flip phones –
      and so i did want to time stamp the post with a bit of “the phone i and with me that day”
      but i will
      fix the honey comb one
      😊👋

      Liked by 1 person

    1. thanks so much amy – and that song is special – one day in 1992 – i was driving home on one of my favorite drives in winter park florida – it is a road that has a beautiful section with trees –
      i was describing the song to my boyfriend at the time – and…. it then came on the radio! it was super cool –

      Liked by 1 person

    1. same here – and i might not have taken that piece and added sharpie marks to it had i known – thanks for reading (and dale carnegie book snippet coming tomorrow)

      Like

    1. yes – that is a shame to not see it more at the sea
      and by the way – i loved yoir snd amy’s “take some vitamin SEA” quote!
      i almost used it here but it did not happen –

      Like

  15. I was on the other side of Erie around the 4th… (Which you may have known from the photos I recently posted 😉 ). I grew up on Lake Erie, which is one reason I like large bodies of water. I’ll mention the interesting flop flops as everyone else has, and say I’m another one who loves sandals, but hates things between my toes. I know a lot of glass collectors. Nice photos.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. thanks T – and cheers to Lake Erie – i think people hear about (or
      see them on maps) the “Great Lakes” but might not realize how enormous they are in real
      life – and even though it was nice having the lake beaches – i much prefer the ocean to any lake —
      and thanks for sharing about the sandals – another “nothing between the toes” 😉
      i need to share a photo of the sandals my husband has been wearing this share! they are so minimal it makes people stare and do a double take –

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I wear Tevas and keep them very tight. I can run in them and do. You can’t run in flip flops and I can barely walk in them! The Great Lakes are huge. I agree 100% about the beaches. I also enjoy salt water now that I’m used to it. The plus with Lake Erie is that it no longer stinks as it did 30 years ago when piles of dead fish washed up ever day….

        Like

        1. Tevas – wow – I remember ordering my husband a pair of those – via phone -in 1998 and I splurged 85$ back then.
          They sure are a good shoe.
          I have some nice Merrill sandals that are water and terrain solid.
          Glad you can run in yours –
          I don’t recall dried up fish – but sometimes we would go to the beach and right down the road of one of them you could see Bethelhem Steel plant stretching for miles.
          and a few years ago – I read about certain liver flukes that live only int he great lakes – and can sometimes infect people – I need to find the article –

          Liked by 1 person

        2. When I say “run”, I am talking short distances at low speed, like playing with my dogs, not running 5 miles at a 7 minute mile or doing interval training 😉 These days Tevas are much less expensive, but also cheaper. It is hard to find a good pair.

          Liked by 1 person

  16. Love driftwood. Always sculptural and fun to play with. Morning shadows are such fun. The ideal selfie I reckon lol

    Like

  17. Hi, Yvette. What a fun post. Your love of the beach shines through here. The driftwood images are fascinating. I love going on treasure hunts at the beach too. Kudos to the woman who collects plastic too.

    Liked by 1 person

  20. Just loved everything in this post – your mind works in wonderful ways! Driftwood is so beautiful, and I must agree with many others here – I did not know much about it. Thank you for explaining! When I visited the Galapagos islands there was lots of driftwood – and I loved it. Thank you for a very interesting and beautiful post. Totally agree about what happens if a post comes from within…

    Like

    1. thanks so much leya and i know of your trip to Galapagos islands
      (from blog posts) – so many different types of coast line we get to see in this dear ol blogosphere…
      ☀️☀️☀️

      Liked by 1 person

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