No matter the language, my garden is my paradise. To watch the lovely birds that nest in the trees and bushes. The bees, butterflies are such a joy to see.
Another in a series of lovely sunny days, except today, the skies are clouding over .. perhaps we will have some much-needed rain!
DH and I are going away for a quick dash away to relax and just simply enjoy our time away from schedules and work. So Exciting.
So I’ve been busy, going shopping for some summer clothes. It’s been quite awhile since I’ve bought new clothes so I have been enjoying the journey.
And as I’ve been trying on clothes in those stark dressing rooms .. I’ve come to a realization that I need to ramp up my exercise regime!!! Nothing like a reality check to get that going!
ha ha ha
In January I’d started my daily exercise program, only to stop it when we had to focus on working on the yard of our rental, when our tenants moved out. We both worked so hard for 4 months, and my program fell to the wayside. Then I sort of started and stopped it.
Well, no more! I feel so very much better and promised myself to continue this simple little exercise and walking routines .. really very little effort involved and the results are so quick!
Yesterday I began (sigh) my callenetics (Callan Pinckney, she is wonderful) and restarted my lovely daily walks.
Feel oh so much better .. I’ve missed this so much. No quitting this time!!
Anyway, not to bore anyone about my non-gardening life .. I’ll share more lovely photos from my lovely daily life!
Sun and shadows … how lovely …
More sky art.
Oh my darling little JaneE …..
Music “In a Persian Garden” .. it was a day when I really was seeking positivity and beauty outside and when this song started playing on my little i-pod, I felt so happy ..
My pal D and I had gone exploring in Sooke a few months ago .. and we’d found some interesting wood formations, just small ones .. along the beach. Very artistic.
Are these Canterbury Bells? So very pretty. Growing randomly in my garden. Self seeding.
The hot sunny weather continues … these are the lovely long days of summer! Here’s a pic of my first attempts at braided garlic. As I went along, braiding rope after rope, I began to imagine how easy it would be to incorporate coloured ribbon, flowers, all sorts of things. That will be my goal for next year.
For now, I’m happy with the rustic look. These will be gifts to friends .. and for me, a reminder of the summer. A complete day given up to sorting this years garlic crop. Hours spent, trimming the roots, brushing away the surplus soil. Sorting into sizes and beginning my attempts at braiding! A very happy day. Oh .. and I must select the largest cloves for planting this fall!
All the garlic is now braided or bunched and hanging to continue the drying. I stood there amongst the garlic … savoring the tranquility and enjoying the feeling of accomplishment. Oh, and I also dreamed a bit. Of moving to a place with more land so I could grow more garlic. I’m also growing shallots, they are easy to grow .. so would like to plant more of that also. A gal has to have a dream, right?
One of the zillion busy bees in the garden. Industrious creatures are bees …
Shasta daisy .. a cheerful sight to behold in the front yard. Modest flowers, I don’t notice them growing away until they burst into flowers adding so much beauty . . asking for nothing in return, save a bit of water in order to grow.
The edible peas are growing into giants and I harvest some daily. Still magical, isn’t it .. one little seed produces so much food. And such beauty. These vines have grown quite tall, over 6 feet in height. I’ll be saving some seeds for next year, you can bet!
I love this sky .. reminds me of a giant bowl of clouds being stirred around ..
Now .. this is an impressive cloud …
I watched as it evolved quickly, growing and spreading … see the cavern in the center? There was rain hours later …
A happy view of the suns rays beaming down onto this developing formation …
My favourite channel to tune into .. the sky … every changing and breathtaking ..
The Pawnee coming in for a landing .. it is the tow plane for the sailplane (glider). Having released the happy pilot & passenger way up in the blue skies .. it will land in a few seconds. Lovely plane. Formerly used for crop dusting, now it has a happier life towing sailplanes! The only thing that should be spread on crops is compost tea!
Ohhhhh .. a baby, wispy cloud.. how ethereal …sky art.
Look Dick, see Jane and hey Spot .. here is the Pawnee …
Nothing cheers me up like the sky does. No matter what is happening down here .. there is always something beautiful to see up there. Not man-made .. just nature doing its thing!
Yesterday I spent some time bracing up my bean crop. Using cut lengths of bamboo .. I made a makeshift frame and began running strings from the horizontal bamboo to tie onto the beans and peas to give them something to hold onto as they began their upward growth.
I was wearing my gardening outfit, muddy as usual and kneeling on the ground, focusing on ensuring that the string was snug when suddenly there was a flapping of tiny wings and a young sparrow landed on a length of bamboo that was just inches away from me. I think it got caught in the strings and then decided to cling to the bamboo to get its bearings. I scarcely dared to breathe and didn’t make any movements as we locked eyes .. Me looking at this tiny little innocent bird as it, in turn, stared, wide-eyed back at me. Complete silence for a brief moment of time.
The little tiny feet couldn’t quite get a grip on the smooth surface of the bamboo and he twirled and swirled in graceful minute arcs, round and round. Quickly he flew away and I, just as quickly, added some yellow plastic ties to warn other winged creatures that the strings were there.
Later on I stood quietly watching birds in the cherry tree .. munching away .. and saw the same sparrow. It had to be the same one, as he continued to swing in circles around branches. A fledgling member of the Cirque du Soleil, perhaps?
There are always unexpected surprises in the garden. Whether these be unexpected flowers, playful encounters with my feathered friends .. or something like this:
Honest to Pete, I had tried my best EM treatment with this Mexican Orange tree. It was one that I had neglected and it was really nothing but a stick with a few branches, nothing green whatsoever. I applied a liberal dose of EM about a month ago, but nothing happened. I was going to chop it up for composting, but, just hadn’t gotten around to it.
Yesterday, moving things around in the back yard, I happened to see this strong new growth.
It was one of those magical gardening moments and I just felt again the impact of the forcefulness of nature, the resilience of plants (and the power of EM). This was awesome and in so many ways it was a sign of encouragement and of not giving up. Truly an inspirational moment and humbling at the same time.
A mini-miracle that gave me such joy. And affirmed once again the positive power that we all discover in the garden.
Busy times for everyone at this time of the year. Watering our gardens, ensuring that all of our veggie plants are growing well.
Me .. well .. I’ve harvested my garlic crop. I think that I dug them up a few weeks early, but that’s where the impatient side of my personality kicked in! The garlic cloves that I’d planted so carefully last October, in neat little rows had fun moving around during the fall, winter and spring. Sometimes there were 3 garlic bulbs growing together. There was a variety of sizes, from small to medium to huge .. so that was all right!
Well .. look here .. what is this strange object in the midst of my garlic beds??
Ok, I was having fun with the timer on our camera … hadn’t used it before and wanted to see what I looked like in my lovely garlic bed. Don’t ask how many times I had to reset the camera and run back and quickly look relaxed .. oh, it was fun.
Our Mr. Duncan is the epitome of cool and I recently watched him as he sauntered up the back stairs. .. note the flaring ears as I called to him .. hey, Mr. D ….
whaaaaat …… I’m busy .. lady.
I’m babysitting some plants for a friend and was quite upset a few weeks ago, when this lovely specimen was nearly a goner. You can’t tell by this photo .. but I’d not watered this plant for a while and was sickened to see that most of the leaves were brown and crinkly. I watered with a liberal dose of EM and look here .. magic!
My lovely garlic crop, nearly all dug up …
Garlic placed on makeshift work tables (2 work tables with framed lattice in between …resulting in a lot of space to work with. And I found an easy braiding recipe and will share those photos next time. They look rustic and I’m quite proud of them.
Random beauty . .a surprise flowering rocky rose
A surprise little beetle .. looks like a ladybug .. alights on a garlic ..
It was walking for miles on its tiny little legs .. quickly scurrying up garlic stems ..
I watched as it travelled endlessly … and finally it went to the ground. A huge universe open for adventures … one that is hidden from my eyes ..
And then … far far away …
I had set the sprinkler on at the back of the yard .. left it and later on heard the joyous chirps of the Bush-tits and Chickadees … quietly went over and tried to see what was going on, what were they doing? So difficult to see them in all this greenery.
Look .. the tiny little darlings were having a fantastic time .. showering in the tiny drops of water .. grooming themselves .. I was able to take a few photos …what a wonderful time they were having …made me smile and feel happy too!
Lovely little darlings, aren’t they …its moments like this that adds a big sparkle to the magic of gardening …
Well .. that is just a tiny bit of what has been going on in my life … and so I am donning my gardening costume, brewing another cup of tea and racing outside, to make some bamboo climbers for my Cannelloni beans to grow up against.
Life is just a busy fun place to be and sometimes I speed up when I really should slow down. And that is where friends come in!
I have been busy working on the little garden at the Dakota Cafe for the past 3 mornings. One day spent weeding and digging through the plants with my pal D to help me out. The next day was intensive weeding and planting. And this morning, a frenzied time of cutting back Rex Rosemary which had grown to be too high for the windows of the cafe .. it was getting difficult for customers to spot planes through the windows.. so a massive cutback was done (sob). I’ve taken most of the cuttings home and will try to propagate them. No photos really, but once the little flowers start blooming, I’ll be clicking away.
It sure felt good to work intensively for 3 hours or so at a time … and I was spoiled and given tea by lovely Jess .. so I happily drank my tea and gazed upwards at the blue skies. Lots of planes, eagles, turkey vultures and other birds. Sheer heaven.
Then time for a visit with D and her son … she gave me some great clay pots and I plan to make a crooked planting, arranging them on a section of rebar in the garden. Then she showed me a little ladybird dragon that was morphing into a ladybug on the nasturtium leaf… how very magical! Also, she has a Garry Oak growing in her hop plant ….I forgot to take a photo, but believe me .. it is there and very healthy. How exciting!!
Then D wanted me to go to see the amazing boulevards in the Haultain area and here is one that is just spectacular .. I think that the homeowners were advocating boulevard gardens years ago, they were very hardworking. And from the look of their boulevard gardens and their private gardens they haven’t slowed down a bit! Very impressive and inspirational.
And they have provided a lovely rustic area for passersby to relax …
Colourful nasturtium flower peeking out from the feverfew ..
Along another boulevard … labelling helps identify the plants, such as this one:
and here is the California Tree Poppy (listed above):
I love this “secret” front door …. well done!
Then it was time for refreshments … at a lovely little table outside the coffee shop … see the darling dog in the background? His doggy parents were making sure he was in the shade, had access to water and he was one happy little guy!
Yea .. coffee grounds for the garden .. happy to see ..
I’m betting that the coffee grounds/compost material doesn’t stay around for long, there are many gardeners in the area so I counted myself very fortunate to have this bag. Oh, see the red/white polka dot bag behind this? It’s my special surprise purchase from today.
There is so much to see and do here in Victoria .. here are some posters showing some of the activities, music, dance, drumming ….
Ok .. this is where my special unexpected purchase took place. As D and I walked down the street, past little shops, I noticed some clothing on a rack outside of a high-end hair dressing establishment. Couldn’t see anything in particular .. and as I know that normally clothes that are displayed outside these types of shops tend to be expensive, I wasn’t expecting to be interested in anything. However, something compelled me to move closer. This shopping bag is quite interesting, thousands of cut pieces of fabric knotted onto soft burlap. Nope, I wasn’t interested …
But then I fell in love with this very funky dress .. it is from Italy! The owners of the shop had taken a trip there and brought back some clothes to sell. Not sure if this photo does the dress justice, but this dress is me! It’s raggedy, swirling, colourful and I love the uneven hem. See the round circles on the front, showing the colourful fabric beneath . .these aren’t pockets, just design circles. This is my new sunshine dress and I plan to wear it a lot this summer! I’ve been looking for a nifty dress and so happy now I found it! This wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t gone for this walk with D!!! I can’t imagine not having this lovely fun item of clothing! See the pea flowers along the right of the dress … they match!
And here is my sparkly hat (gold threads woven through that just shine in the sun!): So now I am all set for the summer!
Then it was time to check out a lovely new little grocery shop and they have a machine that will grind up grains …. well done.
Back at home, there was just a little more garlic to harvest. Time passes so quickly, it just seems like yesterday when I was planting the cloves in October. Now we have gone full circle.
The garlic is now outside, curing in the sunshine .. and I plan to try to braid the soft necked garlic.
Well, it’s been a busy day. D and I parted ways .. I went shopping for groceries and beer .. promised myself a wee glass of wine when I got home!
And now I must go outside to see if the sage cuttings (from Dakota) are doing well and to put them in a bucket of water .. tomorrow I will taking cuttings of them, the Rex Rosemary and some Wormwood cuttings also.
Also, lately I’ve been buying more plants. I know, I promised months ago that I wouldn’t and I have not yet kept that promise. However, a few days ago, when D and I were returning from gardening at the Dakota Cafe .. the traffic was quite heavy on the highway. So she suggested that it might be a good time to turn left and go visit the Art Knapp garden centre at Mattick’s Farm.
What the hey, I thought, so my car dutifully turned left and .. drum roll … once again I did not keep my plant promise. Due to the heat .. there were a lot of plants for sale. I should mention that we’ve been undergoing a heat wave and plants are just going crazy.
Anyway, there were a lot of deals and I bought all sorts of veggies, 3 different squash plants, a tomato, and many others. Besides some interesting berries, a purple raspberry and I just can’t remember the others. Oh, red onion sets, white onions, a dill .. countless others. They have been soaking in EM and water since yesterday and tomorrow I can plant them in the areas now vacated by the garlic.
Speaking of which, I harvested the last of the garlic .. kind of a nostalgic moment .. and it was a very satisfying feeling to think back to last fall, culling the largest cloves for planting. Then the process of preparing the beds, planting them. Covering with the seaweed that D helped me collect last summer. And then I watered with EM at various times.
Well .. it’s been a day .. just really wanted to share my fantastic dress, really, I just love it!
Funny how the days speed along .. I quite lose track of the date and have to check with the paper or Outlook or the bottom right corner of my little Asus to see the numbered day of the week. Cool, being retired. In my previous life (since I began working during my summer jobs which began with my 15th birthday and continued till (ahem) a little over 2 years ago … the date and the time was paramount in my life.
Tied to the hands of a clock and a calendar, I sped through the weeks, months, years that carried me along as I struggled to keep up with all the things that life brought me. Work. Fun. Love. Gardening. And it’s the last 3 that carried over into my retirement phase.
Love of my darling and fun DH who makes my life such a wonderful experience.
Fun … yeah .. laughing and enjoying all that this most wonderful world has to offer.
Gardening. A universe that fills my life with it’s wondrous beauty, adventures,insight into the many sub stratas of insect, bird, plants, seeds .. oh how I love this part of my life.
Anyway.
Lately I’ve been very occupied with sorting out our yard .. the sides, the back and next, the front.
So much to do.
Quite enjoying the transformation and all that is entailed with that.
And part of my lovely life includes the most marvellous fun of flying .. high in the sky .. my DH at the controls and I at his side, the co-pilot who is able to snap pics and enjoy the beauty of being aloft and floating like a feather through the air.
This leads to the activity of sky-gazing and quite often I spend so much time when I “should” be gardening .. looking upwards at the ever-changing scenery of clouds, plane watching, bird sightings .. all those terrific things that happen in the air.
Now here is a sky-shot from yesterday.. how very magnificent and ever changing ..
and .. like .. wow ….open welcoming sky arms .. I embrace you ….
and then .. back to the garden .. some play time!
ok … earthward bound now. For just a little while I have no concerns about what to plant where. No worries about weeding. Where watering is needed. Sorting out plant pots to give away .. I do have quite a supply. I just simply played.
My pal D and I had wandered around the Sooke Harbour House (beautiful) gardens and saw many playful art sculptures in the garden. One that I particularly liked was the random placement of pots on a length of rebar. A few days ago I was perusing Pinterest and came upon the same design. So I thought .. well, I have the rebar, I have the pots, I have the time .. so a perfect opportunity to create some art in the garden!
I had a clear area in the garlic forest, where I had recently dug up some garlic .. and here is where the fun began. And I am so fired up about this type of gardening that I am really hooked!! So very, very simple.
Select a length of rebar, hammer into the gr0und (at least a foot into the soil, to better stabilize the column of pots). Place the largest pot over the rebar, settle on the ground and fill with soil. Add another pot. And so on. As each pot is filled, it’s a piece of cake to position the next pot at an angle. On my first column I realized later that I could have balanced the second pot on the edge of the first pot and would have had more planting area. sigh. Oh well.
D told me that people add designs, colour, text .. on the pots. Exciting … more worlds to explore.
And that reminds me .. I have a very large supply of sparkly beads, tiles, all kinds of wonderous things that I could decorate pots with … the possibilities, as they say – are endless!!!
Anyway. I planted 2 of these, sowed the seeds, labelled and now will await the results.
This is so fun, I just love this! … lots and lots of ideas about this type of gardening . … how very very energizing!
Time for morning munchies .. I love dates …
Oh, almost forgot .. I brought out my seed supplies and began sorting them out onto my newly purchased gardening table .. more on another day about that!!!
Sorted into suppliers. Interesting to lay out the packets and see what I had bought over the past few years. There were quite a few from Richters (I love Richters!!!) , local seed suppliers, quite interesting to see. Whatever doesn’t get planted this year …. will try to plant them next year. 99% are listed Organic! 🙂
I placed some bamboo lengths in the “Kentucky Wonder Beans” and overnight they began climbing!!! The magic of nature at work.
And .. look at the most beautiful Art Deco teacup and saucer that D just bought! It matches the Blue Poppy seed packet that I picked up at the Butchart Gardens! Very striking.
Well … time is marching on .. time to go about my day …just thought I would share some of my happy moments .. lots more to come .. I have been quite busy taking photos and love to share them!
I’ve been very busy lately .. both working hard in the garden, to finally try and plant everything (well, most of it anyway) and taking lots of wonderful photos.
Also I’ve started back on my exercise regime .. just 45 minutes of stretching and some Callanetics and a brisk long walk.
Then .. some housework, and outside.
Somehow the days just disappear.
I don’t even make time for reading the paper. Well .. this morning after exercising, walking, shopping, laundry and even .. hold the phone .. vacuuming!!! I decided to make a cup of tea and read yesterday’s Time Colonist paper.
And I am so very very glad that I did.
There was the most amazing article on page C1 of the business section about the most amazing group of entrepreneurs who are involved in locating plastics in the seas and oceans and repurposing them. And in the process, giving credits to those who bring them in. The credits can be used for a variety of things, education included. This is how the world changes in the most supportive and valuable way.
The article contained the web site: plasticbank.org .. you simply must go there to see what is happening.
The owner of the plastic tracking system is David Katz and I think he is just the most wonderfully amazing person ….
Imagine .. in the future … less and less plastic in the waters of the world …what a dream that will become a reality.
So I’m happy that I took the time to open the paper and learn of this most wonderful young man and the team of people who are working alongside of him.
Brilliant beam of hope for the future of the oceans!!
Lovely summer days, not sure if it is officially summer yet ..but we’ve had quite a few (more than 3!) days of warm sunny weather.
And, yeah, yesterday I began again my lovely long morning walks. I’d started the year out well, walking and exercising .. however, that had to be put on hold for a number of months while DH and I worked on the landscaping of our rental.
Now that is complete and my walking adventures continue!
Lovely border flourishing at the edge of the local allotment gardens!
And this garden area looked most welcoming .. very friendly and open.
Farther along .. I think this is Cottonwood fluff … looks a lot like snow!
Lovely cheerful sunlight lights up the leaves …
Can you see the tiny little dot to the left of the tree trunk? A spritely little Robin poses for a minute.
At very long last .. closer to Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary!!!! Feels like I”m going home for a visit .. it’s been awhile!
Aptly named, eh?
Not many people out as I walked along the pathways. Serious birders have most likely come and gone. I passed a few joggers and some teenagers .. but otherwise, it was a lovely quiet moment in time.
All is quite peaceful at Tuesday Pond .. I’ve missed the baby ducklings and goslings. Noticed this couple of Mallards, quickly snapped a photo and silently backed away .. to leave them undisturbed, although they knew I was there. This is their home, after all, and I am but a visitor there. Respect.
How splendid .. all growing things are fully leafed out …
I tiptoed along the little bridge spanning Tuesday Pond, not wanting to disturb the bathing ritual of the little Robin below.
One of the million or so wild roses blooming .. scenting the air with their most beautiful perfume ..
Dainty little wild flowers have been lovingly planted in spaces along the rock’s surface …
Next I notice the hawk perched high above .. overseeing the Sanctuary . . he knows I’m there and turns his heard around several times to stare at me as lift my little camera to take a photo. Decides I’m not going to cause any trouble … so that’s a good thing!
Time for a quick grooming …
A loose feather is plucked out .. and I watched as it tumbled … floating gently into the blackberry bushes below. I was so tempted to wade into the chest-high grasses to retrieve it, but decided to leave it. I even stepped a few feet into the grass, but realized that the odds of finding the feather in the thick growth of blackberries that surrounded the base of the tree were slim to none.
Leaving the Hawk to continue his search for breakfast .. I continued on my way.
Beautiful … beautiful .. beautiful …
No birds about .. must signify that the eagles are nearby …
The little observatory .. and I searched for the remains of the Marsh Wren’s nest, but couldn’t see any …
What a wonderful way to start the day! And then I spent the rest of this most marvellous day playing in the yard. Mulching the garlic beds with the seaweed that D & I collected last week. This garlic crop is stupendous. Some of the soft necks were growing out of the ground and they were huge! Also. although I’d planted the cloves some distance apart, somehow, during the winter, some of them had converged into groups of 2 and 3!!
Ah well .. time for another walking adventure and backyard gardening!
A brilliantly beautiful sunshiny day! Birds are chirping away (I replenished the feeders yesterday!) And I am facing a full day of playing away in the garden. Massive amounts of potting up with my many seedlings! This year I’ve putsquash plants in containers .. as I’ve used most of my veggie garden for garlic!!
And there is one section left in the sunny area for veggies. There I’ve planted some squash, shallots and there is still room for squash there.
This year I’d purchased Mason Bees with nesting trays … and I’d placed their little home on the trunk of an old apple tree. How exciting it has been to check throughout the spring to see the cocoons open up and know that nature is taking its course and the bees are out in the world. Although I wondered where they were .. I’d seen a variety of bees buzzing away in the yard but hadn’t noticed any of the little black bees. So yesterday I ventured to their home and saw that the two lower sections were sealed shut!
This led me to search for more information on these industrious creatures and I found this very informative site: http://www.crownbees.com/life-cycle-of-the-mason-bee/ and sure enough, as the site notes, the bottom 2 left openings are filled in. This site lists absolutely everything I need to know about raising my little winged family .. how exciting!
Lovely blue skies again … how cheerful and uplifting to have this overhead! My umbrella has the same scenery on the inside .. more incentive to go for long walks in the rain with a view like this!
One of the many other busy bees in the yard …. lots of pollinators for all growing plants and trees throughout the yard.
Found this broken egg shell when D and I were out walking at Sooke last week. We were in an area that normally was inaccessible unless we were ducks, however, the tides were way out. She has a good knack for finding things that are just not really evident .. perhaps this is a Heron’s egg? It is very large, bigger than any I’ve ever seen … so I took it home for a souvenir. I’ve placed it beside some squash shoots for a comparison.
Look .. I have Garry Oak growing in my garlic forest! Actually there are a number of them and I’ve potted up quite a few. When I harvest the garlic, I’ll pot up the oaks growing in the garlic .. don’t want to disturb them unnecessarily.
Well .. time to go for a walk in the sun and then, oh joy, to work in my garden!
Lovely lazy Sunday … slightly overcast and then the sun broke out of the clouds, yea!!!
Friday my pal D and I ventured out to Sooke to gather some seaweed for gardening. It was a most beautiful day.
First thing, though, had to check on my shallots .. hadn’t grown them before and had purchased some Dutch shallots from Richters Herbs… here is one of them .. shedding the papery husk of the original bulb .. I thought this was worthy of the “magic” of gardening so thus the photo. They are tenacious growers and I would like to plant more of them. Maybe I’ll get into a shallot growing frenzy as I have done with garlic!
Everything is always magical in the garden .. it just never gets old and always I am humbled at the miracle of a seed growing into a plant .. the inherent knowledge of the plant (non-GMO, of course) .. nature happening in it’s own way …
Here are some Valerian plants .. growing so tall .. I need to plant them soon …
Ok, so D and I arrive at one of the many beaches in Sooke .. what a magnificent day. And both of us are experiencing issues near our homes, where vast building projects are ongoing and we really need some natural beauty to offset the construction issues. This s a good start.
What amazing skies ..
The stones are placed so artistically along the shoreline … now this is real art .. the natural kind.
It was a lovely outing, escaping to nature. No cranes. No trucks. No hammering. Just the soothing sounds of the waves off in the distance .. a warm breeze swirling around us as we gathered seaweed. Now that was a lot of work and we quickly filled some bags which I loaded into my trusty little car. Then it was time to relax and go for a walk along the shoreline.
Such clear water on the firmly packed sand .. like a mini-pool
The tide was way out there ….
I could see tiny crabs and lightning fast little fishes darting in all directions below.
And D noticed this large piece of heavy industrial plastic .. it looked like a hatch cover. Would have liked to have removed it from the beach but it was very heavy, so we had to leave it there.
Such a relaxing sight to see the myriad of stones beneath the clear saltwater.
D noticed the seals … out sunning themselves on the rocks … their barking noises echoed over the water and sounded quite close to us
And I learned from D that this is sea-asparagus. Served in fine restaurants, imagine that. Most likely not cheap, either.
This ancient log resembles a whale, don’t you think?
More seals …enjoying their natural habitat ..
It was a fun relaxing day trip and finally it was time to leave . However, we did stop along the way and went for another walk in a small forested area along the highway … where the fronds of the ferns were now unfurled and the well-worn pathways were edged with fields of them.
Photos tomorrow .. now it is time to work outside .. to enjoy the one day of the week when the construction noises cease and I can pretend that today is like the normal days of years ago .. when quiet was normal. sigh.
A few weeks ago, when we were working away on our rental ….I heard the sounds of the local eagles who were out hunting for lunch.
Their cries were quite loud which meant that they were very close by.
Dropping my gardening tools, I ran into the street, joined by my neighbour. We could see the eagles swooping low, flying in tandem .. seeking their prey.
So we simply ran down the street towards the action, surprised that others in the neighbourhood simply ignored the activity.
The look says it all ….
Hmmmmmmm…..
Yep …. quarry is not visible any more ..
One more look ..
Undaunted, their luncheon fare gone for now .. off they flew to search for more ..
So very graceful
Bye for now ….
Such magnificent creatures these eagles are … we returned to our respective homes … still feeling a little of the wild energy emanating from this very brief closeness to the raw nature. Existing in the same area as humans, but, oh, so very much apart.
My Lovely Garden … Mon Joli Jardin 