My Lovely Garden … Mon Joli Jardin

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.

Category Archives: Positivity


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Either in the sky or on the ground – there is a lot of beauty to be found!

Graceful dancing skies .. swirling .. twirling .. dance of joy above us ..thursday-16

Mystical – ephemeral – can you see the two faces and the arms entwined  ….dancing .. flying …

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On a more practical day – these clouds are ready to fly you away … however, we took the plane instead.

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And soon we were up in the air .. .along with all those lovely clouds!

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This plane is so happy it is smiling .. see the big cheerful grin!     Liking this plane a lot.

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4 Nanchang’s flying formation .. a beautiful sight to see .. but even better would be to be sitting in the back seat!  DH & I were able to do that a number of years ago … simply Stupendous!!!!thursday-02

 

Back home .. in the garden ..here are all the Pyracantha berries that I clipped from the gigantic leaning Pyracantha shrub that I pruned a few days ago.   That is a lot of berries!

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And I’ve spread the berries over two large drying surfaces .. here is one:  Luckily we have had sun for a number of days so the berries have started the drying process but there is a long way to go yet.   Looking at the weather forecast, rain is predicted starting tomorrow sometime so I’ll have to move these inside the house to help them in the drying process.  Once dried .. I’ll save them for the winter months so the birds will have a treat!thursday-13

A  sweet Sword Fern .. oops .. I see ivy that needs to be pulled up.  It started off as a tiny little plant many years ago .. I remember planting it!  Now it is a monster that needs to be eradicated.  We have struggled with pulling this invasive plant out but obviously need to continue.

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Nature is delicate .. I love how this fine strand of a squash plant is seeking support in the most gentle way ….

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I wish that I could wire-wrap my jewellry crafts as uniformly and tidy as these strands!!

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Some Red Delicious apples .. so pretty to look at and so tasty to eat!   And drink when juiced!  And most likely scrumptious in pies!!

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Little baby girl, JaneE Kat … sleeping in the sun .. my garden cat!

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Some of these beans are just quirky.  this bean was growing in lots of space, unimpeded by other beans, yet it decided to twist things up, as it were.

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A number of weeks ago, I’d inadvertently knocked off the flower of this tiny little sunflower.  As magical as nature is .. the plant continued go grow and is sporting a tiny little flower again!!

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One of the joys of bountiful pole beans and sunny weather!

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Summer is still officially here (I think) and I can see the signs of the approaching Autumn … which is sending us little signals that it is heading our way.

The wild and crazy pear stock tree is starting to show colours in the leaves .. no longer a solid deep green, the oranges and burgundy colours are starting to appear and the leaves are beginning to drop.   The pear trellis disease is not showing up much now .. lots of good soil, EM (effective microorganisms) and llama manure have given strength to this tree.   So much so that it is dropping tiny little round pears!   Some are tasty and some are tart.    After  about 30 years, it is nice to see that this tree is getting healthy again.

A few of the Blue Lake bush beans and Spanish Musica beans are starting to show yellow.  Some of the squash leaves are showing the spots of mildew (I clipped and discarded these).  And I trimmed back the superfluous leaves of the self-planted tomato plants so that the energy could go to the tiny fruits.  Next year, I vow, I will actually start some tomato plants early!   ( I promise .. I will do that!)

Today, while the sun shone warmly and I gathered an enormous amount of beans (for juicing) and the occasional orange tomato (to ripen inside, in a basket) .. .I realized that the days are limited for summer enjoyment of the garden.  Soon the rains will start.  There will be the warm sunny days again ..but these special hot days .. will be, for the most part, just a memory.

Autumn will take over and along with that come the chores to tidy up the garden.  Finally sort the pots.   And to decide which plants need to be placed in slightly larger pots for the winter.   Time to remove the plant saucers so that the rains will just flow through the plants and not stockpile in the saucers.

Cooler days to trim  branches.  A time to sort garden items out .. some things to give away and some to keep.

Time for more mugs of Yorkshire Tea.

 

 


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Loving the creative energy that Music provides. And watching the acrobatic maneuvers of the beans in the bean forest.

The skies above .. a few days ago .. fluffy and looking like cotton candy ..

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Ever changing and cheerful summer skies

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And here sits Lady JaneE Kat .. waiting for her treats.  A very patient little gal and a determined one.  She sits there till I put some treats out for her.   Listening to the lovely Scottish fiddle of Adam Sutherland.

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I have some gifted bean plants.  This one is performing the death-defying acrobatic head stand on the other bean.  A tricky maneuver but successfully done in this instance.

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And I caught a neighbouring bean, warming up to perform the same technique.  Guess I surprised them, they didn’t see me standing there!  Tricky beans.  What else goes on in the bean forest when I’m not there?  The mind boggles.

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This is a sunflower that I accidentally mowed down .. so I placed it in amongst some support stakes and the birds were still able to feast on the seeds that were forming.  That gives me joy.

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Cherokee Trail of Tears flowers ready to burst open.  I’d planted these very late and I’ll still get some beans from the plants, I saw a few yesterday.  And it is nearly mid-September so there are still a number of weeks left for them to grow.  October will share a few more weeks of growing weather.  I’ve seen people tearing down their bean plants but I’m a more optimistic type of  gardener and will  let them all grow till the frosts dictate their removal.

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“my favourite bean” .. I’m leaving at least 10 or more of the pods to let go to seed for next year.  These are very similar to the Blue Lake Bush Bean, round, firm beans that are deliciously crunchy.

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A cheerful view to cherish in the winter and to enjoy now.  Even if I don’t get a lot of squash fruit, I’m happy knowing that the bees are getting lots of nectar – as there are many squash plants flowering away luxuriously in the sunshine.  More joy.

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Same story for the Scarlet Red Runner Beans.  Many hundreds of flowers for the bees – such a lovely sight ..

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More bees .. there are many types that visit the yard ..

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Oops .. getting a bit crowded, time to leave ..

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Changing direction after departure, more flowers are sighted over there!!

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I’m being stalked by my Gardening Kat!  Sometimes she follows me around, wanting to know where I am, what I am doing.  Perhaps hinting for more treats?

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More sky-art above …

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There have been times in my life when I’ve been bored .. and when I think  of those times, I’m just amazed that I actually experienced that state.  “if I knew then what I know now”

Where does boredom come from?  I cannot even imagine ever being bored in my life, but I know that I have been.

I think that the times when I was bored – that there weren’t the possibilities that now exist.  I grew up in the era without computers .. cell phones .. digital cameras.   It wasn’t a time of self-expression as exists now.    I really like now.

And, like all kids, I dreamed of becoming a world-famous clothing designer, a ballerina, a world-traveller, brave and unafraid of visiting many countries as a way of life.  A writer and an independent thinker.  I dreamt of these things.

So now when there are the opportunities to explore new (to me ) worlds I have grabbed the opportunities as they arise.

The music, the clogging, the drumming, among other creative expressions.

Music .. is such a powerful energy, full of creative promise and dreams.  Music goads me on to work in the garden, the magical universe where miracles happen.    And Music guides me to imaginary worlds of creativity with my beads and writing and all things.  Music energizes me when walking on the busy paved streets, away from my beloved garden.

Music is a language from the heavens and speaks to us in many ways.

Gotta love music.

More thoughts on the joy of being in the garden are popping up but the morning has started and I must go and throw myself into this day of possibilities and magic.

🙂

 

 


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The thing about learning the violin is that you can never get worse!!!

Many years ago, I took violin lessons.   Like my other interests, this one fell to the wayside over the years.  I still had my violin … just couldn’t part with it.  A friend had found this one and thought that I would enjoy learning how to play .. so I bought it and found 3 instructors, one after the other.   Each one had a technique which I struggled to understand.  Finally I decided to stop as I wasn’t just understanding what it was I had to learn – the language of music was too muddled for me to comprehend.   So my violin was placed atop a cupboard and stayed there for many years.

Sometime during the summer, my dh suggested that I take up the violin again.  I was becoming obsessed with my beads and things and he thought that some of this energy might be better served with something that brought me joy.

So .. .I fetched my violin case down from the cupboard and felt kind of sad at all the dust that covered it.   See my fingerprints where I carefully brought it down.

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The first thing that I did was to fetch a cloth and dust it off.  That made me feel much better!

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Then I opened it up and there was a piece of music from long ago inside!  My violin itself wasn’t dusty.   And did I hear a sigh of relief when I opened up the case?   I think so, but perhaps I imagined it?   Was my little violin happy to be out of the darkness finally?

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A few months later, my violin has a new set of strings, (the new strings turned my attention to old strings and how to make jewelry out of them, that is how my mind works!  more later), a new tailpiece.  And I also have learned to supply a fabric padding so that my violin won’t rattle about in the case when I carry it around.   I used one of my beautiful scarves for this purpose.   I also have my lovely little tribute to my Muscovy Drake “Huggers”  .. a friend had created this on some green felt.   It is perfect for dusting the surplus rosin from my strings and it is a sweet reminder of my little duck.

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I bought a whiteboard to mark things I need to learn and can change it about as I learn more.    Some things are falling into place.  (and oops .. first 4 notes of a minor scale .. must correct that whiteboard!)  🙂

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I have my new and old music to learn and practice from and am so happy that I kept the old stuff!

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Old and new – a delight and a challenge!

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I’m learning the basics, which include so many things and it really is like juggling plates on sticks, rubbing my head and tummy while learning where to place my feet.   Almost a bit overwhelming, learning how to stand, place the violin, the left hand (without the death grip and letting the thumb just relax) and how to move the right hand and then move the bow in a straight line.

All at the same time … and then .. try to remember the tune to play.

Sometimes, when I practice, I can imagine that I can hear the tune that I’m learning, despite all the scratchings of the strings.   And for those brief seconds I am happy.

I will strive to learn and will do my best and sometimes, when I’m practicing, there is an overwhelming feeling of joy and satisfaction as I focus, one at a time .. at the many things that I am learning.

Have been following some blogs on beginner violin players and do get a chuckle at the similarities that we share!  And when I read how experienced violinists do have their qualms, this gives me a feeling that we are all in this together.  Some have devoted their lives to learning and playing this music.   I have only just begun and their thoughts give me solace.

I guess I could talk on and on about this but the time is running late.

Oh .. one more thing (among others!) .. I’ve begun my clogging again!!!  After an absence of about 10 years, I have found my instructor and have begun my beginner classes.

Funny how some of the steps, learned long ago, are still there …I love the rhythm and steps of the clogging .. so energizing and lively!!

Tonight was my first session and as I listened to the fiddle playing of one piece of music used for certain steps, I knew I was making the right decision to revisit the clogging as it ties in with the fiddle music I will be learning!  And there will be forays to the states for clogging workshops where, no doubt, there will be fiddle playing.

And I will be so happy!

So much fun …….so much joy …

🙂


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Seeking Positivity in a garden space – it is there – you just have to look.

In today’s world, it seems that quite often, due to massive construction in quiet little neighbourhoods .. that privacy and quiet becomes like a long lost dream.  It’s happened in our little area and speaking with visitors from Sweden a few years ago .. it happens over there also.   What to do?  And why does this happen?  ($$$) And how to deal with this?

Where once we had a view of mountains in the distance – there is now a multi-story care facility.   There went the skyline, I thought.  Cringing from the mountain of cement that now loomed, 7 stories high.

Then in the same time frame – another multi story set of condos went in down the street.

During the past number of years, we have had to endure the mess, noise and infringement that all this construction brought in.  It was not a happy time.    It was a struggle to even want to be outside in the garden.    And so I didn’t continue with a number of projects that I’d started and my yard was no longer my creative haven.  I went outside with a heck of a positive attitude and creative energy – only to be driven back inside, frustrated with the ugly sounds of all the construction activity that just couldn’t be avoided.  Even with my sump pump water fountain and my IPod at its loudest volume.

I sought solace elsewhere, going for walks, joining an exercise group – just to experience some peace and quiet.  Frustrated that I had to leave home to find it as it wasn’t available anymore in our yard.  My heaven.

Now the noise is nearly over – hopefully will soon disappear.   And I can again seek joy and solitude in my garden.

Myself .. I’m thankful that I let our fruit trees and bamboo grow to their heart’s content and that affords us a lot of privacy.  I can almost pretend that my garden is my paradise.

For now, after 3 years of horrific noise I can now find the energy to continue with garden projects long neglected.  Noise has such negative energy that my creative soul went away for a holiday and I’ve been inviting it back.   It’s been returning in little bits.  I’m imploring it to stay awhile.

I do this by focusing on the beauty and positivity that exists in little pockets in the yard.

Here is a tiny little beneficial  hover fly in a bird-planted flower.

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friday-03This hardy rose continues to flower and will continue till the fall.  Lovely scented roses.  It demands absolutely nothing – I don’t water it and don’t add fertilizer and it flowers away madly!friday-05An actual photo of the squash, steadily growing away.  I quite liked the play of shadow on the surface ..very art nouveau, I thought.

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Here is one little area.   Years ago there was just grass here.  I  had gradually planted some cedars, Nandia bamboo, Crocsomia, Southernwood .. and mulched it quite heavily.  Yesterday I returned to this long-neglected area (one of many in the yard) and tidied it up a bit, forming a temporary little brick wall and when it was all done, I stood back to admire it.  And quite like the friendly look of this little corner.  There is a section of oak tree in there that I keep moving around the yard.  Eventually I’ll use it in a small hugulkultur – but for now am trying to grow moss in the openings.   And I’ll pour a glass of white wine and set myself down at the little bistro table to relax a bit, one of these evenings.   Or, just a mug of Yorkshire Tea .. if I decide to relax during a sunny afternoon.  Whatever.  A place to relax – hidden by the branches of the old apple tree and tall bamboo at the side.friday-10Flowers of the Nandia bamboo – diminutive little flowers that grace this section of the yard with their beauty and elegance.friday-12Nearby is a sturdy little Southernwood … love the perfume from the feathery leaves.friday-12-2

My dear Lady JaneE .. sitting on the little bench ..majestically awaiting her treats.

friday-18Although I have bought pricier treats for her .. she insists on Temptations.  At nearly 21 years of age – who am I to argue.   A Cat always rules the house and yard.  We mere humans bend to their rules!   She is a happy little girl.Friday 19.JPGThe Bush-Tits swirl into the yard … I think that I’ve been seen .. but they ignore me and nibble daintily at the suet.   I place small amounts of the suet in feeders throughout the yard as little treats for my feathered friends.

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Then one of these little darlings perches on a section of nearby bamboo – looking for the rest of the flock:

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He travels to the nearby “first Christmas tree”for a few seconds and then flies away to join his family.friday-08

 

Serene blue skies above ..friday-04

A hollyhock flower catches my eye … another bird planted beauty?  It grows quite tall and if I hadn’t been looking at the Bush-tits, I wouldn’t have noticed this at all!

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Growing  higher than I can reach, even standing on a step ladder – are my “favourite beans” which I will let dry and save them for seed.  Some for me, some for friends and family.  Sharing is what gardening is all about.

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One of two Pyracanthus bushes in the yard, this one is huge.   The full 8 foot height is bent over due to the heavily laden branches which are covered with the orange berries.  I’ve tried various methods of staking this plant and tired of being attacked by the sharp thorns had decided to prune it back.  But first, I checked with Ann Nightingale (a Birding Expert in British Columbia and far beyond!)   When I am stymied with a bird question, I send her an e-mail inquiry and she always responds with the answer!   Yesterday I was trying to find out if the Pyracanthus berries are favourites for birds.  Not finding an answer to my question online, I e-mailed Ann.    And her swift response helped me make the decision to prune!  I can then either dry or freeze the berries for the winter time.  And then I can add these berries to the feeders when the cold weather arrives.  As our freezer is full to bursting with fruits and veggies from the garden, I’ve decided to dry them.   So I’ll clip the branches and leave them hanging over a tarp and when they are dry .. I will shake the berries off.  http://vibigyear.ca/

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Towering pole beans – like this Scarlet Red Runner Beans – add pockets of privacy throughout the yard.  I have more growing in the yard!!

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So I do feel a bit of my creative energy coming back in my garden.    And I dream of our next place which will definitely have more yard than house.   An opportunity to create another paradise where no buildings will be seen and I’ll have the space to create lovely outdoor rooms for dreaming in.

🙂

 

 

 


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Oh joy .. green beans can be juiced!!

We  have had a fair bit of sun and rain this year.  Long hot spells finally cooled down lately and for that I am grateful!   The days are getting shorter  .. no longer does the sun shine till 9 pm but starts setting around 7:45 … what we’ve taken for granted as long hot summer days are slowly preparing us for fall weather.  But.  It is still officially summer until Autumn comes knocking at the door.  So I will continue to revel at the sight of the most cheerful of all flowers … the sunny Sunflower!

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For a change of pace .. here is a b/w of yet another sunchoke!  I’ve read that you cannot gert rid of this plant and I believe it.  Over the past few years I’ve dug up the knobby root and listed it for free with lots of happy people who love this.   This plant resembles a sunflower but is much taller, with smaller flowers.   Argh.  Not that I dislike this plant but I would rather have more sunflowers.  (and in some part of Victoria, someone is thinking the exact opposite!)tuesday-2

This is the largest of my squash that is actually fruiting.   It is a close up photo and the squash is actually only about 3″ in diameter.    Frosts are in the distant future and there is still about 7 weeks of growing.    Exciting to wait and see what will happen.tuesday-3And alongside this plant .. there are a few other hopefuls growing away.  I added some lovely llama manure to all the plants yesterday so hopefully this will give them a boost.tuesday-4And the beans grow steadily onwards.  These are some Scarlett Red Runner beans … growing from the apple tree branches.  The flowers are so pretty and the bees and Annas love them.tuesday-5A quick glance at these two plants and it appeared as if the squash flower was devouring the bean leaf.tuesday-6I’ve been trying to train this squash plant around the garden screen ..sort of a success .. it will be interesting when the squash start growing .. to see if they will hang properly from the frame.  Yet more beans in the background .. growing along the stakes in the ground.  More Scarlet Red Runners to the left. They are everywhere.   If you want instant privacy in the yard, grow pole beans!!tuesday-8I had placed a variety of (saved) squash seeds throughout the yard and they all grew .. along with any seeds that were in the compost.  Even if I don’t get any squash from these plants, the flowers add so much beauty and nectar for the bees.tuesday-7And yet more beans (Cherokee Trail of Tears, Spanish Musica, Blue Lake Bush beans, Annie Jackson Pole Beans) this morning I picked a basket of beans .. went inside and thought .. omg .. the freezer and fridge freezer are both full.  I cannot cram another  batch of apples or beans…. what can I do!

Then .. I wondered .. can green beans be juiced?   Yes .. the internet resounded loudly.  Not only can they be juiced .. they are full of vitamins and minerals.  So good for you.

I almost broke down and cried I was so happy!!   A bountiful year for beans and now I can juice them!!!   So I did just that!   And the nice thing was that there was very little pulp left in the juicer!

Not being someone who follows a recipe, I threw in some carrots, celery, lots of beans, a few apples .. and soon DH & I were sipping on the delicious juice!  Forgot the ginger, but will add that tomorrow.

So happy!  JaneE Kat wanted to go back outside a few hours later.  She, being a cat, envisioned more treats and so that was her motivation to meow at me to get on outside.  So I did.  After giving her about 3 to 4 sets of treats, I set about picking more beans so I could juice them tomorrow.

Despite having meticulously picked through all the plants for beans this morning, I still found even more this afternoon.  Oh I am so very happy that I won’t have to freeze them any more .. but will just enjoy them in a juice format!   DH is very happy also as I won’t be overstocking the freezer.

Despite the perfect storm for growing food this year (hot weather, lots of rain) … I know that it is the combination of the lovely Llama manure (no medicines used!) and the EM (effective microorganism mixture that I mix up) that create such happy healthy soil for everything to grow in.    Also, seaweed that I have gathered.  If I run out of seaweed, I just use liquid seaweed.  Same stuff without the bother.  🙂  Over 60 minerals adding richness to the soil.

There is nothing like the magic of a garden to focus in on the beauty of life.

🙂


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Sky Art! We flew to Comox Airport – and we met some very interesting people!

Another sunny Sunday .. and so we took the day for play and went flying up in the sky.  Such amazing clouds everywhere.   While DH navigated our flight, I just relaxed and enjoyed the scenery, madly clicking away to capture some of this beauty.  Love being a co-pilot 🙂0009

Honestly, the clouds were so dense in areas that they seemed to be just like cotton candy that one could just nibble on.  A firm surface that could be ventured on for exploring the mysterious caverns and pathways that seemed to exist there.

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Towering cumulus clouds everywhere .. this was a close-up of a much bigger area.0004

 

 

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Sometimes I did look down and noticed this fish hatchery.  At first glance I thought it was an irrigation method for watering crops, but DH did a bit of research and found out what it really is.

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Continuing along .. lost in the mystery of the clouds again …

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We went to the Courtenay Airpark .. such a place of beauty and friendly people.   Plus I had a lovely kindred spirit conversation about creativity and art with a young lady who works at the Cafe there.  I love those energizing types of idea sharing along the artistic wave length.

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Such beautiful surroundings … many people walk, run or bike by themselves, with friends, family, dogs (love them!) along the pathway that surrounds the marsh … so very relaxing.

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And we were fortunate enough to meet some highly interesting people!   http://www.daleerhart.com/     A fellow pilot was just telling us about Dale Erhart when himself arrived a few minutes later (in this plane that he built).  No sooner had he jumped out of the plane (the opening is not that large, so one has to be fit to enter and exit!)  .. then he was on his phone, calling his wife … That is sweet!!!

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I noticed his enthusiasm and energizing, positive manner, so when I went searching online for more information (from his business card) .. I really wasn’t surprised that he is a motivational speaker.      Here he is .. living the dream, with a highly diverse background of flying and now  still flying, building aircraft, travelling and sharing his passion of flight.  Inspiring people.  http://www.challenger.ca/gallery_crankin’n’bankin.html

He, along with 3 other pilots – one of whom lives nearby and was an instructor at Cold Lake, Alberta, where one of his students was Chris Hadfield (yes, that Chris Hadfield!). .. will be taking their planes to France next spring,  “that will fly a formation of 6 replica WWI fighters over Vimy Ridge in tribute to two anniversaries of nationhood: the Centennial Battle of Vimy Ridge and the Commemoration of 150 years since Confederation” (from their FB page).  For more information you can visit their FB page:  vimyflight.ca

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And shortly after this, he departed, to join up with the other members of the group of 4.

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DH & I then left the airpark to return back home …

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And soon were in the “land of clouds”once again .. flying amongst the sky art that I normally see from the ground ..

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Back home .. loving the sweet Robin and Sparrow who rest atop our first Christmas tree .. over 30 years ago DH planted this tree in front of our house.   It provides privacy and a haven for many birds to live in.   Provides me with joy and happiness because of that.

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Beside this tree is a cedar that I also planted .. perhaps a bit too close, but what did I now way back then?  All the trees live well together.

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A lovely ending to a wonderful day.

Now on with this day .. lots to do!!

🙂

 


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Some rambles from the spring – willows, sheep, birds and all that sort of thing ..

Some days I just like to get in my little car and wander around … visiting farms, discovering new “eye candy” in nature and things along that vein.   Just me and my car.  Or just me and walking .. whatever.  Just me.P1230926So in the spring I went to visit the Fickle Fig farm .. an organic farm full to bursting with lots of crops, and farm animals.  Here are some of the goats.   As I walked across the muddy fields, a small group of them started to follow me .. not being a really incredibly brave person, I called to my friend “help .. they are all following me” .. how impressive is that.  To be unnerved by these little goats.  Nonetheless,  he swiftly sent them off in another direction.  whew!!  Still they do look very handsome (from a distance and on the other side of the fence, lol)6661aSome Canada Geese taking a rest in a nearby field.6673Then I made my way to the Wood Willow farm .. where I am the #1 customer!  Here are some of the cuttings that I brought home with me and planted.6670Here is  a handwoven willow basket .. how beautiful ..6667Some local landscapers were creating a habitat for the French Lop-ear rabbits (rescue rabbits).

6664I forget the type of willow used in this project, it is supposed to be a type that the rabbits do not like to nibble on.  However, this little guy chose to try it anyway.  He chewed away a bit and then left .. guess it works!6666A round opening is made so that the rabbits can enter at will.6665The project progressed ..6683Carefully allowing space for the trees to flourish ..6684Proper coppicing of the willow ..6680The cuttings are carefully tied  together.6681Inside Rosemary’s kitchen .. she kindly gives me a bouquet of the heritage daffodils, they are beautifully scented.    And I choose which cuttings I would like as she displays a variety for me.6686And I came away with some gigantic goose eggs .. have never had these before .. they were delicious and quite rich!6678And also some Swedish Blue duck eggs!6676

6677Back home and time to admire my feathered visitors .. here are the darling little Bush-tits.  I know they must be nesting somewhere in the yard and the location of their nest is a mystery.  That’s ok with me.  they need their privacy .. don’t we all.6669The Juncos are frequent visitors in the fall/winter/spring and fly elsewhere for the summer.   They love flax seed so I bought a huge bag of it for them!6672And where there are birds, there are hawks .. this is in one of the fruit trees in the back yard.6674Dear little Nuthatches .. nesting somewhere nearby .. I’ve been lucky to see some of the babies in the spring ..this is an adult.6660Female Downy Woodpecker .. this is my favourite suet holder ..and the birds sure like it.6668And the arc-en-ciel was a beautiful scene to see  ..6671

As I haven’t been blogging for such a long time – and I have not stopped taking photos .. I will start to upload them here!  Creating good memories for me to look at during the winter months!


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It rained .. yea!!!

Yesterday morning . I opened the curtains in the kitchen to see …. rain!!  Yea … I can go and play in my craft room today!  But .. as usual .. the rains stopped .. I went outside with JaneE Kat and spent some time wandering around the yard.   Graceful droplets of rain on the sunflowers ..

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Not sure if there will be any squash from these plants, today is the first of September, but in the garden, you just never know.  This strong flower promises sturdy squash ..

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Annie Jackson Pole Beans … the first of many .. .. growing in clumps of 3 beans ..

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… and groups of 2 beans ..

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Dainty flower of the Annie J beans ..

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Scarlet Red Runner flowers ..

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And the S R R beans growing away .. this one is a little out of focus ..and I had only noticed this one and now I see a few others in the background.  Surprise beans .. the best kind.

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A little bit of sunshine created this subtle bit of leaf art ..light and shadow .. both are powerful and necessary for contrast.  Can’t have one without the other (as the song goes)

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This Buddleia is a cutting from an original plant.  It struggled to grow in a shaded yard, reaching up to the sun, flowering at the top.   I took a cutting and planted it in the sun and oh my .. did it grow!  This plant towered in the back corner, it grew so big and flowered so much that the main stem couldn’t bear the weight so it broke in half.  I pruned it to the ground in the spring and just a few months later .. it grew to 5 feet tall, thrived and burst into flower.  Nectar for the butterflies and Annas.  I will definitely prune this soon, so it won’t become too invasive for the other plants in this spot.

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Another Buddleia … the Swallowtail butterflies just love this one and that is why I hadn’t pruned it in the spring.  As a result, it crowded out all the other plants with negative results so I really had to prune it quite extensively.  There were still many flowers for the butterflies though and I see that the one stem that remained had also burst into flowers.  I know that the Buddleias are considered invasive in some areas but aren’t a problem in my yard.

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Tomatillo plants growing in a few areas of the yard … from plants grown years ago.  I know that I won’t get the fruit this year but can’t bear to just pull up the plants.  Much nicer to let them grow as long as they want to.   The flowers are so pretty.

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The leafcutter bees have been industrious as usual.   I actually saw one a few years ago.  Buzz .. buzz and then it was gone.  I’ve had Mason Bees for a few years and quite enjoyed the process of caring for them.  Unfortunately, my last batch of them weren’t strong enough to break through their cocoons so only a few males hatched.  I purchased more from a garden store, but same thing happened.  So I decided to just go with Ma Nature and it turns out there are many bees in the yard.  The Leafcutters in particular are very hard workers.

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Love the flowers of my favourite bean .. 2 colours .. do the flowers start out yellow and end up white or are there 2 different colours??   The allure and mystery of the bean world.

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A tiny patch of Cherokee Trail of Tears beans.  There is still a month of warm weather and I have every confidence that there will be a heavy crop of these beans plus a few pods for seeds for next summer!   Dainty little flowers.

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And yet again, the daily crop of Spanish Musica beans ..

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Such a variety of sunflowers throughout the sunny areas of the yard .. always cheerful and inspirational …

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Darling little JaneE kat .. taking a break from her sump-pump showers and demands for her treats!

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Finally .. after weeks of hot sunny weather .. a day that started out with rain.  This meant I could run to my crafts room and play with my beads and wire.   As any crafter is well aware .. what starts out as a tidy work area soon becomes a muddled (creative) mess of beads as I try out one idea after another.  Lately I haven’t had much time to organize so yesterday I took advantage of the rain to do just that thing.

I have talked with other creative souls and this is the norm.  Plus it is kind of meditational to re-organize things like wire, findings, beads, etc., into a sense of order.  Labelling containers, rearranging the pegboard.   All the time .. ideas are swirling away in the subconscious which will manifest themselves at a later time.

Time spent also leafing through my old violin books .. re-reading yet again how to hold the left hand without a stranglehold grip.  Playing the fingering movements .. remembering that it takes time and lots of practice and remembering that again and again.

A busy day and a fun one .. always!

🙂

 


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It was the first time that I’d seen a warning sign for corn …

Yesterday, driving around town on errands, I decided it was time to go the the Silver Rill Farm to buy some corn!

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They grow quite a variety and I buy corn from them every year.  Yesterday, mid-morning, was a quiet day there so I was able to take some photos.   I usually buy Peaches & Cream corn, but yesterday I noticed the signage for these two types of sweet corn, in bins.  They each had a sign listing that the corn was sweet and crunchy.  The sign on the right, though, had the wording “warning, extremely crunchy”.  After discussing this with a fellow shopper, I sought out a knowledgeable employee for an explanation.  Luckily I was able to find the guy who grew the corn!  He explained that the corn was his favourite and suggested I take a few home!  And so I did.  Cooked some up for DH & myself and it was delicious.  Another shopper at the farm, who used to farm for most of his life, also recommended this corn and commented that Peaches & Cream do not even come close to tasting as delicious as this corn!  People, he snorted, just like the name because it sounds pretty.  Yup.   That is pretty well why I would buy the P & C corn.   It’s all in a name, isn’t it.  But now I know better!  A bit of education on corn doesn’t go amiss.

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I spent a few minutes, taking advantage of the temporary lull in customers, to take a few photos.  Loving the antiques that were displayed on the walls.  Items that had been in daily use years ago .. now proudly placed so all could see them.  Sharing.  Nice.

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On the weekends, you could not get near these displays, there are so many customers.  Great to see locally grown produce, reasonably priced.

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Love the variety and rustic look of these venerable objects, now resting after many years of use on the farm.  Metal watering cans, buckets .. all types of things.

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Funky art .. well done .. I wonder if these creative paintings were done by a family member?  They certainly add to the fun atmosphere of the farm!   Wouldn’t it be fun to be this creative and paint some rooms in your house like this?  I think it would be.

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More corn .. here is the Peaches & Cream.   Lots of it … I expect it will be gone in a day or so.  The nice thing is that corn will be available until Thanksgiving .. yippeeeeeeeeeee!

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In front of the shop.. I think this tractor still has years of life left in it!

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And the goats, peacefully resting in their play area, calmly gaze at all the activity in front of them, enjoying the sunny morning.

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Finished with taking photos, I picked up my fully laden shopping bag of corn and veggies and left the farm.

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Back home, out to the back  yard and spending some relaxing time in my bean forest.  The rain is pouring down right now so I expect there will be more beans to pick tomorrow!

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More bounty yesterday, a mix of Spanish Musica and Blue Lake Bush beans.  Honestly I am just amazed at the quantity of beans available.  I look through the vines so carefully, but a lot of the beans just hide away till they are so big!   All chopped, bagged and in the freezer!  I wonder if it is the good energy of the music that encourages the growth of my plants.  It is proven that plants grow better with music.  The best is Indian music (the tone) and I play lots of that, including “music for plants to grow”, lots of classical, a ton of world music.  And lately, I just cannot get enough of Adam Sutherland’s “Squall” .. such beautiful, loving music ..

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My favourite bean .. already tiny beans are appearing … these are very similar to the shape and texture of the Blue Lake Bush Bean.  Yum.

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Little JaneE Kat finding her kitty crunchies .. before wandering over to the sump-pump water fountain .. to have another outside shower.  What a cat.

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Off to enjoy this lovely rainy day ..and time to  practice my violin.   So happy I’ve begun to learn properly and excited to rediscover my pile of beginner violin books .. within which is a treasure trove of fingering exercises, happy little tunes to play with.

And a time also to play with my wire and beads and create some funky Kumihimo bracelets.   It’s been days since I’ve been able to enter my creative world of beading and I’m looking forward to this good energy!

🙂


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Something new to think about and what to do with all those apples???

Our Red Delicious apple tree has never had such a crop before, the branches are bending nearly to the ground with fruit.  I seem to remember that there is a bumper crop every few years and don’t expect this to happen next year.  It must tire the tree a lot to produce so much.

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I’ve begun harvesting the apples, ripe or not just to try and lighten the load of the branches.  Have been thinking of juicing them and putting the juice in the freezer for later.  Organic, no pesticides (never).   Have been looking at various budget-wise juicing machines to do this.   Where the apples are exposed to the sun, they are nice and red.  And delicious.

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Yesterday I spent some time hunting in my little bean forest.   Noticed the disparity of size in these beans, all on the same stem.  Two tiny little beans growing beyond the two mature beans.    Spanish Musica.  There will be a lot of seeds for next year .. I’ll share these with friends, as always.

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And again, with the tiny beans growing beyond the mature pods.  And see .. blue skies above!

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Growing happily in the bean forest .. I see a squash and think (hope) it is a spaghetti squash (love them).3337

Here again is the Clematis that I’d pruned back a few weeks ago …it grows at least several inches every night .. soon it will be climbing like crazy over the little arbour!  I can see the plant tag still there .. easy to see now that the majority of growth has been removed.

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Don’t be shy little sunflower .. it’s growing in the bean forest and knows where the sun is!  A helpful garden spider is taking a little rest on the leaves.  What adventures must be happening in this place all during the day and the night when I’m not out there to see.

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Loving the difference the sunshine makes and the leaves are soaking up the energy to help the plants grow.  3340

I have a very tall Bay tree in the back yard.  This lovely tree provides privacy, shade and flavouring for food.   Yesterday I just stopped to admire how the sunlight created  a tiny thread of light around the leaves.3341

Sun and shadow create poignant works of art .. fleeting and beautiful .. happy I was standing there at that particular moment of time to see this.

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Oh .. silly little bean .. trying to be art deco or something like that!  Definitely heritage seeds .. I guess there is one in every crowd, eh?  It was delicious, thank you bean!

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After a relaxing chunk of time hunting and picking at all the bean plants around the yard, I came into the house with a fine harvest.  All rinsed, dried, chopped and in the freezer.  Ready for some quick meals.  And I discovered later, as I was doing this preparation, that some of the beans are definitely meant to be saved for drying.  The beans in some of the pods were becoming quite firm.   I’ll pay more attention to my garden labels next time I pick the beans.  I definitely like the Blue Lake Bush Beans and will save some seed for next year.    These beans have long, round pods, quite crunchy and delicious.  Prolific also.

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Sweet and cheerful.  Planted by the birds.  Enjoyed by all.

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How lovely ….gentle skies above ..3346

The birds are spreading this diminutive flower everywhere .. plus it self seeds like crazy.   The insects love it so I’ll let it flower and then pull them out before they start seeding again.  There are many in the yard.  They started appearing a few years ago (those birds!)

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I’ve been looking at a marvellous dance site:  https://balletespressivo.com/    I was entranced with their dancing as it looks very strong and very creative.   They welcome adults, including adults who do not have ballet experience (that would be me!!!)   This type of (to me) folk-dance/ballet attracts me and if I were 3,000 miles closer, I would be very tempted to register with them.

Yesterday, they posted a fb entry which included the term “embodied cognition”.  This seemed quite interesting .. so I had to do some research and love what I found out.

There are quite a number of informative sites with information on this subject and here is a simple explanation that I found on one of them:  “Embodied Cognition is a growing research program in cognitive science that emphasizes the formative role the environment plays in the development of cognitive processes.”

Here is the excerpt from the Ballet Espressivo fb posting:  ”

From Canadian Living, August 2016: “Retrain Your Brain” by Lesley Young

” The Bad Habit – “I slouch.” …psychologists have proven there is a direct link between how tall and proud we stand and how relaxed and in control we are on the inside. It’s called embodied cognition, and it indicates how at peace we are.”

We can help you!

http://www.balletespressivo.com

and here is the link to the Canadian Living magazine article: .. http://contentsmagazine.com/articles/creating-for-the-brain-in-the-body/

 

I found this to be terribly fascinating .

Well .. on with this most marvellous sunny day!

🙂