thanks for the nice comments, Janice. The patio is pretty. The interior of the house needs some attention :)

also meant to say, Alex, that we have had so much pleasure from that gazing ball. Never dreamed I'd find one in this area, had seen them in US magazines etc, but couldn't think how one would reach here safely in the mail. Anyway, we found this one "locally" quite reasonably priced, a few years back, and have loved it ever since. The mirror coating is sortof wearing thin in one area at the back, but its still pretty. They are only about $29 Cdn now, and come in various colours, silvery red, gold, silvery blue and variegated silvery blue, - love them all. The gold is my least favourite. We have a floating one in the birdbath out back, it's flatter and silvery blue.

I love that ball! You should try shooting with different lenses, to see what variations you can get. I would try a wide angle, but it would be difficult to do that without getting in the picture. This is certainly an interesting way to view the world.