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Light Dusting

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Overnight there was a light dusting of snow that fell. The sudden drop in temperature and weather changes came as a bit of a surprise. Last week’s windstorm and torrential rainfall was already challenging. The snow and cold temperatures made me realize that I needed to wrap our palm tree in order to save it for next summer.

The brisk air and chilled sky made the city skyline in the distance a bit more visible. With a lovely mountain backdrop, it hardly seemed real. Especially to be able to see it from our backyard. I expect to see more snow on the mountains as the season gets colder.

Over the next few days it should be sunny, but cool. After I protect our palm tree, I’ll be putting up the outside Christmas lights before it gets really miserable outside. That way when December is upon us- I can enjoy the lights as darkness takes over most of the days as we approach the Winter Solstice.

Appreciating the season can be tough. Finding the moments that can bring you pleasure or working towards them is challenging. I like the end result and try my best to accept when I can’t control something- like the weather.

Seeing It From A Different Perspective

Posted on by Josef Havelka

I’m always sharing pictures of sunsets and views from our vantage point. I love the colours that nature produces and the way the sky is always vibrant and ever changing.

Today, we had a late dinner and sat inside instead of on our deck; like we usually do in the summer. When eating at the dining room table- normally I face the glass door that looks outside. Tonight I sat opposite of my normal chair. I was missing out on the sunset, but the world was shining into our home and brought with it similar hues.

As beautiful as the sun shining into our home was, my wife and I had a difference of opinion on what the colour actually was. I said it was orange, my wife said the colour shining in was purple. Our son said it was light brown. Now I’m leaving it up to my friends and readers- what colour do you see shining against our grey walls?

Honestly, I’m at a loss. I am adamant that it’s orange. But I could very well be wrong.

Another Beautiful Evening

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Last night my teenager and I had dinner together. We watched the clouds in the sky as the sun vanished behind them. I’m still mesmerized by the views we have from the back of our home. I was happy to share the moment with someone.

There’s just something magical about nature and how the universe works. I don’t know the answers to Life- but I will say, watching a sunset hanging out with someone you care about really fills my heart with joy.

Reflecting An Image

Posted on by Josef Havelka

The other day the sun was shining. And as usual I was enjoying the views and the feel of the vitamin D. But I noticed something unusual in our bedroom on the bookcase.

A magnifying glass was reflecting an image of the view from our window onto the back wall of the bookcase. It was neat to see it flipped and in full colour. It was like seeing the science of how old cameras worked with mirrors.

I stared for a bit just marveling at it. My brain knew how it all worked, yet not seeing this sort of thing in person kept me curious. Sometimes the simple magic of how the world works is worth stopping to view for a moment. I also realize that I better move the magnifying glass so as not to accidentally start a fire if it magnifies the sun. That would be dumb of me.

Do you ever have moments where you just stop and ponder what you see or experience?

Showing Where I See From

Posted on by Josef Havelka

I show a lot of photos of the skyline lately. I hope you are enjoying them as much as I do. As pretty as the sky is, it needs to be enjoyed from a great location that is comfortable as well. My favorite outdoor spot is on our balcony outside the kitchen.

I set up a couple of Muskoka chairs facing west. I love their location because of the fact that I can sit with my wife or one of the children and just stare off at the clouds or watch the sunset. This summer has had a few good convos on these chairs.

My inside favorite spot is laying in my bed. Sometimes I’ll just stare off into the horizon and daydream instead of sleep. Both are extremely relaxing.

These are my personal favorite spots around our home. The pool feels like a separate entity all together. That is our chillaxin’ fun times place. Well deserving of its own stories.

Where do you like to hang out in the summer evenings? Let me know in the comments. Or better yet- share a photo!

Fog and Sun

Posted on by Josef Havelka

I still can’t get over the fact that we have a view to enjoy from our new home. Usually I’m sharing photos of the backyard and stories of sunshine. Yesterday was the last day of my staycation. This morning I had to head into work in order to pay for this lifestyle.

Before leaving my oasis, I enjoyed a cup of coffee as I looked at the fog leading off into the horizon. The sun wasn’t out yet, so the colours of the world were subdued and cool. If there wasn’t the occasional tree and a hill in the far distance, I would’ve thought we were in the clouds.

Everyday I become more appreciative of what we have. It has been a long road leading to this. This home is now my sanctuary. Or if you wish- My Happy Place.

Hanging Out With A View

Posted on by Josef Havelka

After almost three weeks in our new house, we have been extremely active in setting it up. Unpacking, organizing, getting a cleaning routine going, that sort of thing. On an almost daily basis we have also been hanging out in the pool. All of it is great and keeping us busy.

This evening I took a page from my wife’s book. We stopped to enjoy the view from our living room. Sure, there’s more work to do and a dinner to make. But taking a breather to remember why we bought this house is important.

The skyline. Something we gave up in our last home. But the exchange in our last place was the beauty of living in a park like setting. Old growth trees offering natural shade and cooling of the home. To me, this exchange is equivalent, even though different in many ways.

Appreciating what we got and what we work towards is necessary. We love our new home and are working hard to create Kingdom Havelka as a magical place to live.