Tuesday, January 21, 2014

This brand new year is just speeding along!   Here it is the 21st day of the new year and I sometimes just have to stop and think about what is going on in my life … really .. not much!  And then my days started to fill up with activities and I suddenly felt like –  hold the phone already .. I just want these long lazy days to go on and on.  At first I fought against the lethargic laziness … it wasn’t just right to not be inspired to do things.  I found myself visiting so many creative sites for inspiration.  Many hours spent there!  I did feel the tiniest bit guilty, searching for innovative ways to garden and lovely crafty sites.  This wasn’t something I normally indulged in.

And then I just gave myself up to the sheer luxuriousness of this unaccustomed state of non-doing.  And then I remembered that a few years ago I went through the same thing.    And I know that this laziness, morphing into energized activity is a normal start to the year.  Soon enough .. I will be spending my days outside, lamenting the sunset and eager to rise with the sun the next day.  So time to enjoy this brief interlude of low activity.

Anyway, a few days ago, DH & I made the trek to the Mainland.  This involved driving to the ferry terminal, boarding the Swartz Bay to Vancouver ferry, disembarking and driving for an hour or so to our destination.   It is kind of fun to do this once in a while and I’m so glad that it is not a trip we often have to undertake.

Getting around on the newly built expressways “over there” admiring the new bridges and overpasses .. I really felt like the little country mouse visiting the big city.  It’s interesting and energizing . .however .. I prefer the slower pace of life.  Anyway  .. here is one of the new bridges .. it was a foggy morning and I just loved this dreamy effect:

and from the middle of this span:

The highlight of our trip was visiting with old friends.  Old .. meaning .. .friends for a very long time!!!  It is such a joy to reminisce with such good friends.  And every time we visit I fall in love again with the beautiful items from the Netherlands.   I took many photos a few years ago of their fancifully painted dishes .. and so I couldn’t help doing so again.  These cheerful cups are so very sweet.

And this cup is designed by a famous artist in the Netherlands (sorry, I didn’t write down the name.  Such beauty makes the tea taste so delicious.

Their backyard entertains quite a variety of birds .. and I learned a bit more about the behaviour of the Stellar Jay!  Peanuts were carefully left out for these birds to munch on.  These birds are crafty!   They will quickly push food out of the feeders onto the ground just so the other Jays won’t know .. and then they go back to retrieve the food.  Here is a Jay who has just selected a peanut that was put on the roof for him … he’s thinking “where can I hide this”??

Back home  …. it was time for me to check out the feathered friends in our yard.  This bird intrigued me.  He flew in a rather ungainly fashion … clumsily latching on to a branch, awkward flight patterns.  He was a bit larger than other sparrow types and his head seemed to be a bit large .. I was perplexed and watched him for quite some time as he made his ungainly way around the yard, from feeder to feeder.
A little Chestnut-backed Chickadee stopping by for a sip of water.

My garlic is growing oh, so very well!!!  Loving the sunshine.

R’s cat .. looking outside, thinking .. well, I would love to come outside and play with you .. except .. I’m nice and warm inside.    Nice fluffy cushions .. lots of food, many places to curl up on for a comfy snooze or two.    The merits of staying in far outweigh any adventures that I might find out there.  Sorry, Charlie.

Yes .. staying inside was a good decision.

Look at this most lovely lemon tree!!  R has carefully wrapped Christmas lights around the tree and has covered it with an overlay of fabric to retain the heat during the winter.    This very happy tree is covered with many flowers and tiny lemons.

And many large lemons also!  How very exciting this would be .. to go outside and pluck a lemon from a tree!  I think I want one!!!

Blue afternoon skies .. how joyful this was!   I found myself outside in the afternoon … clipping branches, watching birds, admiring the garlic growing away.  Making plans for the spring.  Dreaming of garden transformations.
All those things that gardeners think about.  Dreams.  Plans.

sigh.

🙂