Trip To The North

It was raining hard that day of August but everyone's excited. Veejay is on vacation and so the whole family decided to revisit San Fernando, La Union and Vigan, Ilocos Sur. It was a long-delayed wish-come-true for the family.





(Video created by Jojie)

Seagull - The Place for Stop Overs

During the 7 years of living in
Davao City, my husband travels
a lot to Bukidnon up to Cagayan
de Oro City. And during some of
his trips, when time permits
(my younger daughter was still
in the elementary grades then),
I tag along with him.

Somewhere after the
place called Buda, where it is almost
halfway to Bukidnon from Davao City,
there is this place that I really, really
love to have a stop over for a short break.
We stay for a cup of coffee, have some
sweet talks and enjoy the view of this
charming place.

I love the cool weather, the pine trees
and the beautiful flowers all around.
I enjoy the lovely and peaceful scenery
of the place, it is so serene, so green all
over.

This place that I miss to see and visit again
is the Seagull Mountain Resort.
A great place for stop overs.


(Photos by Len)

Cha-cha

I just thought of these wonderful ladies, my dear friends whom I had a fun time dancing Cha cha with for an activity in our church festival, more than five years ago. We danced to the music entitled "Smooth" by Santana. The video is a bit dim or dark but it's fun for me to watch and see how they too had fun dancing. Here it is...

Blue Skies

Irving Berlin

Blue skies smiling at me
Nothing but blue skies do I see
Bluebirds singing the song
Nothing but bluebirds all day long

I never saw the sun shining so bright
Never saw things going so right
Noticing the days hurrying by
When you're in love, my, how they fly

Blue days all of them gone
Nothing but blue skies from now on.

I first heard this song from my eldest daughter's song selections which she plays almost everyday at home during her summer break from college.
"Blue Skies" was composed by Irving Berlin in 1926.
Here's a link of this song "Blue Skies" by Frank Sinatra with Tommy Dorsey.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4S3gmZP7-L8

(Photos of Bukidnon's spectacular mountain ranges by Len Joson)

The Busy Bees

Female adult bees collect pollen from the lotus flower. Bee experts say that pollen are collected by females primarily to feed their larvae.

That bees are dependent on pollen as a protein source and on flower nectar or oils as an energy source.

Photos of these bees were taken in a pond inside the Royal Palace front yard garden in Phnom Pehn.

(photos by Veejay Joson)

Blue waters of Samal Island

We hopped in to our banca one summer day sometime in 2005 or 2006 and toured around the Talikud Island beside Samal Island in Davao. It was an enjoyable trip to the island which had some white beaches. In this photo is captured the beautiful blue waters below the blue skies while we hopped from island to island enjoying the serene sea aboard our banca. This reminds me of the song:








What A Wonderful World

I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself what a wonderful world.

I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself what a wonderful world.

The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do
They're really saying I love you.

I hear babies cry, I watch them grow
They'll learn much more than I'll never know
And I think to myself what a wonderful world
Yes I think to myself what a wonderful world.

(Photos taken by Len Joson)

Water Droplets On Pink Dendrobium Orchid

Dainty pink dendrobium orchid with water droplets after the nights rain, was beautifully captured in this photo by my husband. This lovely bloom was also from my small collection of orchids from my small garden in Davao City.

Dendrobium is a huge genus of orchids. It is said to have about 1,200 species today.

This particular species is easy to grow and blooms well, several times throughout the year. What more, the flowers are long-lasting.

(photo by Len Joson)

Bossa Nova In My Mind

Since I was in my elementary days, I've been fascinated by a voice and a particular music. I've been hearing this music every night on the radio. I had no idea then who the singer was and what kind of music it was called but I loved it a lot.

By the time I was in college, I happened to get hold of Astrud Gilberto's album. I was so happy because I loved her music too. Her voice was so sweet, smooth and calm, as if her voice was floating in the air. And from there, I learned that the voice and the kind of music that I heard then was that of her husband, Joao Gilberto and his music is called Bossa Nova.

Trivia: "Joao Gilberto is credited with having created the bossa nova beat and is known as the "Father of Bossa Nova." His seminal recordings, including many songs by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes, established the new musical genre in the late 1950s. He was Astrud Gilberto's husband."

Here is the link to Joao Gilberto's music video entitled "Desafinado" that is very familiar to me, which I've been hearing during my younger years: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6w3a2v_50U.

And here's a link to Astrud Gilberto's song entitled "The Girl From Ipanema", which is one of my first favorite songs of hers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJkxFhFRFDA.

Enjoyable trip to the market

My Christmas in 2007 was spent with my sister-in-law in Phnom Pehn, Cambodia. In one of her market days, she asked me to join her so I could get to see the wet market in that area.

Interestingly, the place was stuffed with an array of fresh vegetables and fruits and all kinds of foodstuff, mostly familiar stuff that you expect to find in the wet market and there are some unfamiliar ones too. It was no different with the wet market in my country actually.

Surprisingly, the market was fairly clean. I enjoyed looking around, checked at some displayed foodstuff that are new to me or am not familiar with. I was expecting to find at that time some of their exotic food that I was hoping I could taste but unfortunately not one was available. So, I ended up buying some 'dragon fruit' instead.

I'd say it was a fun and enjoyable trip to the market, thanks to my wonderful host sister-in-law for tagging me along to the market that day. ^^

Serene Landscape

A serene landscape, with sunshine filtering through the trees at Ardent Springs, Mambajao, Camiguin was captured in this photo by my eldest daughter's artistic eye.

This lovely and quiet view of a landscape gives me an awesome feeling and a tranquil mind.
(photo by Vangielyn)

Cool Digital Art

Here's a cool digital art done by my 15 year old daughter just a few days ago.

I'd say she has improved a lot in this field where she is very much into for over a couple of years now, day-in and day-out. :)

Here's her comment on this:

"Remember episode 1 of the Pokemon anime?
Yeah, kinda brings back memories doesn't it? How Ash met Pikachu and such.

Actually, this isn't the reason why I made this. The real reason why I made this is because I desperately need a new wallpaper, and I suck at making my own without disrupting the artwork.

So what do I do? Well, what else? Draw my own.

So yeah.

...at least it must give you guys that nostalgia moment or summat, right?
8D?

Also, I had fun playing around with the Water Color brush in SAI. And making raindrops are fun too, even though they can be a real pain. |D

E-enjoy.

Oh dear, please don't be mislead by the title... I know it has another meaning, but... come on! Seriously you guys are just... :|"

Check out this link for more of her works.

Handsome Hofner

Len's Hofner bass guitar. Now this bass guitar is owned by Bombet of Davao city, whom Len saw has a great love for music and can play bass guitar so well.

To know more about the story behind this handsome Hofner bass guitar, please click the link: http://tinyurl.com/lenbass
(photo by Christine Alinsub)

Beautiful Friendship

Beautiful friendship of these 2 lovely girls started since high school and continued up to now that they're already both professionals.

Qoutes from Proverbs about friendship:

"Friends always show their love. What are brothers for if not to share troubles?"- Proverbs 17:17

"An honest answer is the sign of true friendship."
- Proverbs 24:26

Gorgeous Waling-waling

Gorgeous Waling-waling, known for their exotic beauty.

This was the first bunch of waling-waling flowers that bloomed from my small garden in my home in Davao City.

It is said that this particular type of orchid is considered as "The Queen of the Philippine Orchids".
(Photo by Len Joson)

Admirable Audrey

Audrey Hepburn is one beautiful American Film actress that I truly admire, for her acting, in fashion , even as an artist and in humanitarian deeds.

And this qoute of hers is a favorite of mine:

For Attractive Lips, Speak Words Of Kindness. For Lovely Eyes, Seek Out The Good In People. For A Slim Figure, Share YOur Food With The Hungry..."

Sunset at Samal Island, Davao

Oft did I wonder why the setting sun Should look upon us with a blushing face: Is't not for shame of what he hath seen done, Whilst in our hemisphere he ran his race?
Author: Lyman Heath
Source: First Century--On the Setting Sun

Beautiful sunset. An awesome view of the setting sun at the Island Garden City of Samal. (Photo by Len Joson, taken Dec.26,2003)