Focus on Life Week 17 - Color

Three of my grandkids had this week off from school so we decided to take them to West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton, Alberta for two nights.  This is the largest shopping mall in North America and has many unique amenities including a huge waterpark, ice rink, amusement park and marine life.  We stayed at the Fantasyland Hotel which is attached to the mall.  Believe me there is enough to do there for a full week but my feet were so tired after two days that I was ready to leave.  It is virtually like a small city contained under one roof with hundreds of places to eat.  With spring arriving, color was abundant - in fashion stores, shoes, home decor and everywhere we turned there was an explosion of color.  

I talked my grand daughter into walking to the far side to visit a fine art store.  I always need more art supplies....right?  We walked in and saw this right before our eyes.  I knew it was the photo I wanted for this week.  

Have you ever seen rainbow stairs?

If you want to see more color, be sure to visit all the other participants over at The Studio Sublime

Thanks for stopping by and leaving such welcome and encouraging comments.

Focus on Life Week 16

The prompt this week was - Go For a Walk.  Spring is trying it's best to appear in these parts but there is more mud than anything else.  I know that because my dog's feet need to be washed after each walk.  It is wonderful to hear the happy sounds of nature when I am out and about.  This sighting made me stop and enjoy!

Snow melts

Ducks gather

They don't seem to want a visitor today

They're gone - but they will be back

If you want to find out more about Focusing on Life - 52 Photos go to The Studio Sublime to see what others have focused on this week.  Thank you for stopping by for a visit.   Just so you all know, my Boxer Rosie is doing very well after her surgery.  Thank you for all your kind comments and concern. 

Focus on Life - Up Close

This is week fourteen for the Focus on Life series of photo prompts.  I missed last week and I haven't left comments for everyone participating so I plan to get back at it again.  This week I did NOT take an amazing macro shot.  This is an analogy of my life up close......

I am feeling like the little stream I happened to drive by yesterday.  I stopped for a few minutes to gaze at it and take pictures and noticed it was almost overflowing it's banks.  Only a week or two ago, there was hardly any water in the bed and it was frozen and still.  Now it has melted and is flowing fast with dark murky water.   

Run off causes streams to swell and flow quickly

Such is life it seems.  Sometimes we have little happening and can slow down and enjoy our days.  At other times, the water rises and events make the waters dark and it is difficult to see our way.  I noticed that there was a big boulder in the middle of the stream and it caused the water to change course and come to a near stop before it rushed past on it's way.  Like that boulder, we need reminders to slow us down and enjoy what we have.  

Water is murky and dark

I nearly lost my new Boxer dog Rosie on Thursday.  I took her in to be spayed and because she has an irregular heart beat, surgery is considered to be quite dangerous especially when waking up.  They assured me there would be special monitoring during and after surgery so I felt at ease leaving her.  When I picked her up late in the afternoon, the vet told me that her heart problem would likely get worse because the heart enlarges and is harder to pump blood.  He said that typically they live to be 6-8 years.  She is now four.    

Another problem during surgery was that she did not stop bleeding so they had to take extra measures to stop it.  They applied a pressure bandage and held it in place with what looks like a diaper.  Not a simple spay procedure by any means. 

She seemed fine when I left the Vet Clinic, but as soon as she got in my vehicle, she started whimpering and whining and thrashing about which lasted the full half hour drive home.  I was a wreck by the time I got home.  Later, she would panic and jump off the couch (where we made a nice soft bed) and frantically pace around the house before nearly falling flat on the floor.  Her eyes were full of pain and she had a look of fright.  I wasn't sure she was going to make it through the night.

I made a special bed for her in the living room and slept with her all night and she finally settled down.  Today (Friday) she seems so much better and her pain is tolerable.   She does a lot of sleeping but at least she is alive!  I am so thankful.

In spite of having so many things I need to do - I spent most of the day sitting on the couch and snuggling with her.  We have only had her for 50 days but she has us totally smitten.  I can honestly say that I have never seen a more loving and friendly, good natured dog.  She has such a beautiful spirit and she has given us so much more than we could have ever imagined.

Not a macro shot but this is Rosie - Up Close 

This was a typical week of so many things happening but in the middle of it a boulder was placed.  It forced me to change course and stop for a moment and realize what is important.    

If you want to see what everyone else saw up close this week - go visitSally's Blog

As always, thank you so much for stopping and leaving your wonderful comments.