My Garden – Mon Jardin – Mi Jardin – Mein Garten – Daily Adventures & Thoughts

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.

Tag Archives: Beaufort Mountain Range


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A Saunter through Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary and temporary bling on my fiddle .. oh, it was beautiful for awhile ..

Such lovely skies above .. more sky art which I love …

July 26 03

I love the “wear two different colour shoe day” theme .. so a few days ago I did that theme again, only this time I wore the lavender on the left and the green on the right!July 26 10

I walked over to a restaurant to meet with long-standing friends of the Coronation Street variety.  And I succumbed to the sweet pleasure of going through the beautiful Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary.  Haven’t visited there for awhile and when I first retired, I practically lived there!  A most beautiful and tranquil place to be.July 26 14

Turns out this was a good time to be there … the walkers, groups, birders had come and gone, leaving only blissful solitude for awhile …July 26 13

Little birdies everywhere …..July 26 15

Oh I would love to have a yard like this .. no buildings to mar the view, no vehicles to crowd the roads …July 26 16

.This is where my little Hummingbird nest was recovered, after terrific storms had whipped the branches, causing it to tumble to the ground.  I used to love seeing the little mama zip into her nest, to settle on the tiniest of little eggs.July 26 12

The path meanders and I follow it .. so very happy to be there once again … so calming, so peaceful.July 26 11

Love the shadows on the boardwalk .. painting a temporary design on the wooden walkway, ever changing – ever beautiful.July 26 09

Seems that not so long ago, spring had just arrived, bringing with it the start of life on the trees and bushes ….which is rampant now, so lush and green.July 26 04

Having reached this boardwalk section .. I know that the exit is just ahead and I’ll continue on my merry way on the asphalt covered section of the Goose.July 26 08

Love this rock, unexpected and adds such a strong dignity and calmness, I feel.July 26 07

Feels marvellous to be here …July 26 06

Tranquility ..July 26 05

A few weeks ago .. I just had to embellish my lovely new violin with sparklies ..July 26 19

I just had to have bling on my fiddle so I covered the surface and the sides.  Even my bow didn’t escape this madness .. knowing it was best, I removed the bling and thought I would take a quick pic as a reminder.  There must be another way to add sparkle without damaging the finish and I will figure that one out at a later date.   It did feel great for awhile though.July 26 18

My special place .. where I practise my singing sessions, with the help of my tablet …July 26 02

Tiny little red dragonflies zipping about .. haven’t seen these lovelies before ..July 26 01

Ta da .. the skies seem to say …July 20, 03

Love the Beauforts from the ground and even more spectacular from up above .. when my DH takes me flying and we soar above the earth below.July 20, 02

Such marvellous decadently beautiful sky art …July 20, 01

Another beautiful day has arrived and I’m excited to go outside to see if I configured my  water timers correctly and the yard has been watered in four areas!  Fingers, eyes and toes crossed that it worked.

On with this most awesome and spectacular day!!

🙂

 


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Life is so wonderful .. soaring the blue skies, practising the fiddle and discovering that there is a National Two Different Coloured Shoes Day!!! Yippee

Magnificent skies up at Port Alberni last weekend  …on Sunday, the day started off like this .. clouds obscured the Beauforts and then they started to clear away ..July 20, 20

and the clouds lifted .. and lifted … to reveal the mountain range ..I love this happening …

July 20, 21

So, DH says, want to go for a flight?  He knows that he doesn’t have to ask me twice, so I quickly (and oh so carefully) scramble into the back of the PWU-6, being uber careful to only put my feet where there are supposed to go.  I settle in while my harness is connected and soon we are up in the skies where I love to be.July 20, 23

So much fun to be up in the sky .. closer to the clouds as they are slowly rising up from the mountains.  I am one lucky gal, I know!July 20, 22

sigh … I am so HAPPY …July 20, 25

Entering the final glide to the landing strip .. wah .. I want to stay up there, but no thermals up there, save for the tantalizing resident thermal that always pops up on the final glide .. oh you are such a tease, you are!July 20, 24

Flight over and DH continues with his aviation life and I settle in to pursue my loves .. one of which is the fiddle, relaxing here with some of my favourite hats!

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Besides my incredible learning lessons with my fiddle teacher, I have also purchased these books to further my knowledge ..

July 20, 07

I’ve also begun teaching myself the harmonica .. and my pal D has generously given me the “Chromonica” German made harmonica that was her dad’s!!!  So that is part of my musical education that I pursue.  A week ago, the #1 Blues Harmonica player was in Port, but alas I wasn’t able to go to the show.  What are the odds, though, that there would be such an entertainer up there.  Bittersweet that I wasn’t able to go but there will be other times I know.  Love the Blues.

Someone was practicing their chainsaw technique and wouldn’t this look fantastic in a garden!!!!!

July 20, 05Another one .. beautiful!!   I did  take some little wedge sections for my garden .. couldn’t resist doing that.July 20, 04On the way home, little baby girl was so sleepy .. and worn out from pacing back and forth in the car, she finally succumbed to dreamland.  Love her so much.July 20, 09

Back home .. admiring this most delicately flowered plant that I bought, it’s an Australian plant and I need to look up the name .. tiniest little flowers so very pretty.July 20, 13And the great scape escape.  I had a feeling, while I was hanging bunches of garlic to dry beneath the sundeck, that I may have missed a scape or two.  Proof here that I did!!   I could plant the seeds and in a number of years of replanting, I might receive a regular garlic.  Might just do that for the fun of it … but will need to clearly label the container!!July 20, 11

I now know that Clematis vines are not delicate little things.  Discovered this last year when I had to cut back this very vine, as it was getting mildew.  After a hard cutting, it flourished and quickly grew back, the daily growth progress was amazing.  Here the flowers are opening up and tumbling to the ground.  Nature’s beauty is the best.I July 20, 12

I normally do not spend a lot of money on shoes or clothing, preferring to buy plants and gardening things.  However, a few days ago, while out shopping, I stopped in to visit SoftMoc at the Hillside shopping centre.  The staff there are always so positive and friendly and I soon found myself trying on some Converse shoes.  And I fell in love with them.  The lovely clerk who was helping me out was wearing a lovely pair of naturally weathered black Converse shoes and I immediately loved the faded look.  They seemed to be shoes that were well made and worn with love.  I look forward to my shoes becoming weathered little walking shoes.   Anyway, after enquiring if anyone had ever worn two different coloured shoes and no, that hadn’t been done, I decided (with the encouragement of the clerks and a few customers) to wear a green and a lavender.   Confidentally I walked out of the store and everytime I looked at my feet, I felt energized, daring and creative.  This is what it is like to be different and I like that feeling!  I sent a photo to the Canadian arm of the company and I wonder how long it will take for others to wear odd coloured shoes (of the same type, mind you!) together?

July 20, 10

Well, I just did a bit of research, and as creative as this is, it isn’t new!  However, I am over the moon to know that I am not alone in this!!!      two different coloured shoes

ha ha .. .well … on with this day .. things to do and places to go .. at the end of my running around, I plan to play in the garden!  And tomorrow .. I will spend the whole complete day in the garden and not go anywhere else.  Sheer Bliss!!

And lots of Yorkshire Tea!!

🙂


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The Darling Little Bewick Wrens are setting up house again ….

The amazing Beaufort mountain range just outside of Port Alberni …We were up there recently and I took a lot of photos and decided this one was the fluffiest for posting!   So beautiful!

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Back at home, wandering around the yard with some sunflower seeds and suet for the birdfeeders (I only put out a little at each feeder) .. I noticed that there appeared to be a little nest being constructed in the old hang glider bag.  Some Bewick Wrens had built a nest there a few years ago, but abandoned it in favour of another location.   So here they go again.  I don’t know if these are the same pair or whether the young ones have found mates and are starting a little family.

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I’d noticed two of them perching in the dwarf weeping willow a few days ago  here is one and the other wasn’t far away.

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They are so very tiny and they were intently looking at something.  I found out today what had caught their attention!

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Our cat, JaneE, insisted on going outside ..when all I wanted to do was practice my fiddle for today’s lesson!   Guess who won out .. cause ya can’t argue with a cat.  In particular, a deaf, 22 year old princess who rules our household.   I noticed what looked like a straw bowl, resting bottom up on the lawn … curious .. I turned it over and see what I found!  A Bewick Wren nest .. and notice the yellow flowers from the dwarf weeping willow!!!

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All that very fine weaving in the construction of the nest!  I noticed a small piece of plastic film at the bottom of the nest … funny .. there was also a thin piece of plastic in the nest that I found a few years ago.  I wonder how long it took them to build this nest?  I carefully replaced it into the hangglider bag, tucking it in firmly, unsure as to whether they will return to this next or perhaps build another one?    This is so very precious, I feel honoured to hold something so fine, true nature.

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And this is from a few days ago, perhaps the little Bewick was continuing to search for fine items to build the nest!

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In another corner of the yard, the Downy Woodpecker is looking for food in the bark of the old apple tree.  Hard to believe that the tree can be termed old, when it just seems a few years ago that I planted it .. but it was over 30 years ago.

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Here is our little princess .. the ruler of our household!   Little JaneE Kat!! 🙂

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And little Squirrely came by.. searching for peanuts .. I threw a handfull of them around the yard.  And I chased them out of 2 of the bird feeders!!  The yin and the yang of it all.  Glad to see that this one is eating the peanut and not hiding them!

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A few days ago I went for a walk that lasted for at least two hours, it included a visit to Lifestyles Market where I filled two bags with healthy groceries .. they seemed to get a bit heavier as I walked along!   Anyway, I’d never paid attention to this street sign before and it would have been perfect for March 17!!

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It is now officially Spring!    And typical weather in Victoria is:  Sun, followed by rain, followed by sun … etc.,   Personally I adore the rainy days and find them to be comfy and relaxing.

There is a tremendous amount of tidying up to be done in the yard … I had the flue a few times and lost months of being able to do anything .. so now is the time to start at point A and work my way around the yard.  Accompanied with JaneE Kat, a few mugs of strong Yorkshire Tea and my music!   I love world music especially when in the yard .. and have lots of Nae Plans, with  Hamish Napier and Adam Sutherland to listen to .. over and over and over .. and also some new (to me) music by Kiran Ahluwalia …..

I look forward to spending a lot of time outside and have decided that I need to get up early so I can practice my fiddle for an hour at a time and then outside and then inside and then outside!  Whew, am getting tired already.

Well .. it’s Friday night and time to relax a little bit so that is what I will do!

🙂


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Happy photos taken during the sunny spring …..great memories and more to come! Yippee …

I was going through some photos that I’d taken during the year and the sweet memories started popping up .. my visual diary of happy days and things seen during my daily life!

Saw this sign posted at a garden shop and it pretty well sums up my gardening life when I’m out in the world, away from my garden!    I’m a magnet for perennial plant sales.

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From last spring .. beauty in all things ..frid-05

Cannors Nursery at the Sears Mall .. loving the decadence of their whimsical decorations.  Course I would never ever do that to my violin!!  🙂  This one looks like it has had a lot of adventures, wonder where it was played, by whom and what lovely music has been made when it was being used for its true purpose?  Did it go travelling or just stay in town?  Did the owners love it to death and practice every day?  So many questions.  Still, I like that it is a focus of the garden area.

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Last spring, Gold Crown Sparrow resting near a blue Camus flower – at Fort Rodd Hill.

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Miners Lettuce at Fort Rodd … lush and beautiful.  Great for snacking on .. .or make a salad .. lots of natural nutrition ..frid-03

Darling JaneE Kat .. sitting on the back stairs, her favourite catnip plant right beside her, ready for nibbling on ..frid-06

Salmonberry blooming away .. these plants are easy to propagate, grow quite tall and are very resilient.  The orange berries are tasteless and I think the birds love them as I rarely find any to munch on when I go searching.  That’s all right by me!   More food for them.   I do love the flowers though.frid-07

Sweet little baby Bewick Wren .. elusive little bird and happy to be able to get a quick photo.  They are nesting somewhere in the yard.frid-08

A few seconds later, he was perching on a branch of the apple tree .. listening to his parents calling and soon flew away.  Love these precious moments in the garden.frid-09

Delicate Rock Rose flowers …frid-10

Diminutive little flower growing along the ground ..frid-12

.. and a tiny little winged creature is dining out on an early Saturday morning in the sun ..frid-13

Magnificent Beaufort Mountain Range  and the stately clouds adorn it like a crown, how very fitting!frid-11

And so DH sweeps us away up to the clouds in the dear blue skies above … flying in the PW6-U …frid-23

Woo Hoo .. this is living …. miss this and looking forward to the spring when we can go flying up there again .. and again .. and again …frid-20

Travelling in the air is so magical .. it is truly another world and I am so very happy that DH takes me away to this special place .. Let’s see .. garden .. sky .. garden .. sky .. oh I have the best of both mystical and magical worlds I am so lucky!frid-20-2

Here is a great explanatory interview of the  PW6-U   The Pawnee is the tow plane, they were used for crop dusting years ago.

And this is truly .. truly .. so beautiful … enjoy this beautiful flying video, it captures the essence of ..sailplane flight up in Port Alberni … my most favourite video ever ..so perhaps you can see how magical this flying is and why I love it so much.

Anyone can go on a Scenic flight and have a taste of what it is like to glide high in the skies at the Beaufort Mountains ..

Sigh …

The fall winds have started and the leaves have started to rain down to the ground.  A change in scenery, wild and free.

I’m looking forward to going outside to see how the bean forest is doing .. and today will start leaving out a little bit more seed and suet for the birds who visit.  Yesterday I saw my first Junco so I’ll start leaving out the flax seed that they love.

The baby birds hatched this past spring will soon be experiencing their first winter.  I know that they are wild birds and will survive.  However, I can’t resist a little picture in my mind, of knitting them the tiniest of little scarves and sweaters from silky spider webs to keep them warm!

They will survive.  And I will support them by ensuring that I keep their feeders clean, give them good seed mixes and make sure there is a steady supply of water, even when the temperature goes down.

Well … time to go and start this day!!!

🙂


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What does a turtle on the runway, spider webs, tree frogs and sky art have in Common? They are just some of the many things I love!

Today is a rainy, overcast day.  The sun came out for a nano-second and the skies are grayed over.  Perfect time to look through some photos from September, 2013!

This is a morning picture of a web that a spider had worked industriously on during the night.  Such delicate strands, pattern by Nature, instinctive in the spider.  How could a human being create such beauty and delicacy?  Only with much study and hard work and certainly not in the time that it took the spider to create this.  Humbling? You bet.  Impressive.
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As I went to move our lounge chairs into the sun .. I noticed a tiny little tree frog had taken up residence.  So sweet and so confident, not afraid of my presence. Calmly resting on “his” chair.  I left him there to relax.

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We noticed this turtle wandering all over the runway and I tried to guide him on a straight path so he would reach the other side. Really, why was I worried, as he must have made this trip many times.  Travelling from a trickling stream nearby to the forest on the other side of the runway.  Let me mention (and this is important) .. the runway was not active at this time.

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However, I did breathe a sigh of relief when he was at the other side.

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And then the excitement was over, he’d reached the field and made his way to a destination that only he knew. Back to the wife and kids?  Out for lunch?

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Later on I spent some time watching some industrious bees foraging for nectar.  These plants are growing in very hot countryside and they are very tiny.  Nevertheless, there is sufficient nectar to attract the bees.

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Morning skies are filled with low clouds at Mt. Arrowsmith.   Later that summer, I flew up there as a passenger  in the front seat of the PW-U6 and we flew so close, I clicked away like mad and have lots of photos from up there.  I’ll post them at a later date.  I was filled with awe at the proximity of this most magnificent mountain.  And I felt truly grateful at having the opportunity to be up there.

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Later in the morning, the clouds begin to lift and the Beaufort Mountain Range is becoming more visible.  What a view.

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See what a difference a few hours make.  I’m enamoured of skies and clouds and have many hundreds of photos to look at.  This one is another spectacular sight.

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These photos don’t need words.  These priceless works of sky art are beyond words.  Their beauty is infinite.

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2006

2006

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While stopped in traffic, I noticed this licence plate .. a reminder of my lovely Muscovy Drake, Huggers, Hugs for short.  He was a great little duck.   I used to keep a silver tray at the kitchen window.  On it I had a little bowl of water, some grapes or strawberries.  He liked to sit at the window outside.  When I opened the window, he would eat and drink as if he was at a fast-food restaurant.  He was a character.  He grew up with our 2 dogs and he really thought he was one.   Anyway, this reminded me of him.

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Beauty is everywhere .. we are surrounded by it .. if we only look.  Here I like the shadow of nearby cedar boughs, outlined by the sun onto the dash of my car.

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And, while looking through my photos .. I found some terrific views of my squash plants growing away.  Awesome .. from a small seed we obtain this delicious food.  Miracles happening all the time.  In particular, non-GMO, no pesticides …. ever!

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I was outside, every single day, looking at my treasures, so proud!

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And this is a lovely sight!  A little pricey, but you get what you pay for and non-GMO is worth it.219I am so glad that I am able to take so many photos of things that I love .. for days like this, I can look through them and relive the joy of every day.  And they are also incentive for the next year of growing, watching sky art and finding beauty in everything I see!