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.
Today the weather was sunny and a bit of overcast ..but last Sunday, there was snow! My garlic is all covered … but it is very resilient.
My winter sown summer seeds are safe in their individual greenhouses
Monday .. more snow and some rain .. here is my wonderful garden cart … I really should have put it away from the elements .. but it is a tough little cart.
My little crop of lettuce, spinach and Mizuna and other greens were doing well, during the snow/thaw/snow/thaw routine. And a few days ago I removed all of these containers from the old hot tub cover and took down below to my potting area. There was lots of cilantro .. I potted some of that up .. will show later.
These stair photos are from last Friday .. here is a view at the top looking down (and thank goodness we only made one trip down and one trip up!)
This is the view from the bottom (at the beach part) .. lots of stairs..
Last Wednesday, as we walked briskly along .. I happened to notice this beautiful formal pond and statuary down below .. can you imagine having such a garden? So peaceful.
We continued on to the most wonderful Finnerty Gardens at UVic
Ok, this was a bit funny to me .. this is obviously an oak stump .. talk about excess signage .. still, rather sweet..
I believe this is a deer tongue fern ..
And in the city of Rhodo’s .. here is yet another …There is another park, Playfair, in Victoria, which has a forest of rhodo’s .. the park is also a doggy park and I spent many many hours there with my lovely dogs.
Back at home, I noticed many daffodils, snowdrops, tulips and other bulbs that were preparing to show their flowery wonderfulness .. here are some daffs …
Our neighbourhood squirrel was trying to get a drink of water out of this bucket .. however, I had emptied it .. so she was a little surprised. There are lots of water sources in the yard for the birds and squirrels.
Here she is, attempting to hide her cache of peanuts .. oops .. she sees me ..
Yesterday’s glorious skies …
Lovely …. sky art ..So, some snow, some rain, some sun, some rain. Typical Victoria weather .. aren’t we lucky!
And today I went to get some lovely Llama manure .. more about that tomorrow. Today also I attacked my triple compost bins .. emptying, sifting, mixing, spring is definitely on its way!
🙂
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.
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.
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 lovely rainy day here in Victoria, B.C. Good for the gardens and wow my garden is growing great! I’ve been harvesting the scapes even before they are curling around .. so impatient, I know, but the scape keeps on growing, doing its thing .. so I have more to harvest.
My pal D and I went to the big anti-Monsanto march last Saturday .. it was quite important for us to join in this event. As you can see .. the skies were beautiful ..
Many interesting signs ..
Ok .. this was me .. I was working at our rental and these are my gardening clothes and didn’t have time to change . .although I don’t normally wear a sign! It was a tiny sign as I drew it up in my car with materials at hand. It reads: Grief and More to come, with little drawings of a sunflower, crying and a little bumblee … saying “help me”
Of course .. lots of darling little dogs attended the event.
Shades of Avatar …
We marched along … all together .. a peaceable group …
.. along the Inner Harbour, past the Empress ..
Interesting that it was a “no news” event .. yet see here .. lots of people
True .. it’s not nice …
And back at the Parliament Buildings
There were many people there .. hopefully many more people will learn about the evil of genetically modified seeds.. the harm that is done to the environment, the crops, the people …..
Well, I was all excited and was writing away when suddenly I somehow hit a combination of keys and lost my train of thought! choo choo train.
Anyway, I was rhapsodizing on the end of the 4 month session of yard transformation that my DH have been working on since February.
Days, weeks, months of fixing up our rental .. the house was fine but the yard was a jungle. So we rolled up our sleeves, began the daunting task of transformation. And now the hard work has paid off and honestly, the yard looks like House and Garden. Grass is growing, tall perennials (cedars, myrtles, Pyracantha’s, plus a myriad of other plants).
DH has constructed a lovely sidewalk, a retaining wall, edged with white fencing and cement stairs that lead to the grassy area. It’s a paradise of relaxation. I’ll post some pics.
But as everyone who has ever done this sort of thing knows full well, it doesn’t happen easily. Lots of hard physical work, we fetched trailer after trailer of sand, navvy jack, cement, wood, you name it. Every day we were working hard, digging, shovelling, painting.
And as of today … just a few more things to do .. and we are done, fini …
So I will have the time now to work in our own garden (oh, wow, there is so much garlic, you wouldn’t believe!) and I can post pics of potatoes that I’m growing in sacks.
So much to share and I’m looking forward to the extreme pleasure of sitting at my computer and just “talking” away! I’ll even bring my laptop outside. This year I purchased a new one, by golly! So my $85 HP can take a little rest.
I have magnificent photos of skies … to share.
Anyway, must go .. finishing details and all that .. and tomorrow I’ll start blogging.
Oh, one more thing .. my pal D and I were in the May 25, Victoria, BC March against Monsanto!!! I took a few hours away from the work at our rental to participate in this momentous activity. Lots of people there .. and the Blue Man from Avatar was there also ..took some pics of him.
Chilly days, some frost happening, sometimes blue skies … and still I continue my lovely daily walks. Many years ago I used to walk and walk everywhere .. for I hadn’t a car! Fast forward and I’m back to daily walks again. And loving it.
So many places to go. Things look so different compared to driving, I’m discovering streets and neighbourhoods that I hadn’t known existed. And learning names of streets.
Decided that I’ll strive to continue my daily walks to the Swan Lake Sanctuary .. there are a variety of entrances/exits that I can take that will add variety to my walks so they don’t ever get to feel boring.
So yesterday at Swan there were still flooded paths, frozen sections. Signage up to show everyone how to take alternate routes.
Found myself near a huge old oak with the female eagle perched atop. Looking for lunch. Looking down at a nearby duck-filled marsh.
Decided to walk across the grassy meadow in order to get a closer look.
and so I decided to get a closer look
What the hey … perhaps I can get closer yet .. ok .. I think this is close enough. She is giving me the “eye” and I read body language enough to understand that she doesn’t like me standing beneath the tree .. so close. Bye bye ..
This is part of the Sanctuary, where she was seeking a good tasty morsel for lunch … and below there was a marshy area full of Mallards .. swimming and just having a good time. Hopefully they were ignored.
Some lovely colour ..
Ice edged the shoreline of Tuesday Pond
I’d successfully walked through the deep puddles, I was heading to the little bridge at Tuesday Pond .. a little water wasn’t going to stop me!
Nor was a patch of ice going to deter me.
However, I have my limits and then I turned around ..
Tossed some flatted oats on the icy sections for the Mallards to feed on.
The mysteriously banded Mallard is still here .. no one I’ve spoken to at the Sanctuary knows where she came from, last year.
Party time ..
The eagle wasn’t out at this time .. and I couldn’t see the hawks .. so all the ducks were out, enjoying the water.
Some icy covered rocks along the way
Brrrrr
The sun tried to shine through ..
And the Robins chirped merrily along.
Ok .. now I can talk about other things. I’m still in the process of decluttering. And discovering that hindsight is great. I had a number of Anne Perry books which I hadn’t read, so bundled them all up for donation to the Blue Box (reading program). Kept one book …and tried to read it. Historical novels have never held my interest. So, although I’d collected Anne’s books, I’d not made the effort to actually read one.
Oh, well …. what can I say. One page read, started the next and the next and a few pages in, I’m totally hooked. Her characters are rich and she shows such a wealth of human understanding that I am hooked. I’ll definitely be looking for more of her books at the next library book sale. Never say never .. that saying is true.
While in the process of choosing which books to keep and which to give away .. I had to flip open the books and scan the first page .. to see if I’d read it before. If I had (and they weren’t written by Maeve Binchy – which I keep for re and re and re-reading, they are so very wonderful) then away they go into the box.
Now for my gardening books. I’d already given away quite a few of them. Now that I’m “enlightened” in my gardening ways, I’d decided to give away all of those that don’t fit my new way of gardening. Still .. I have many, two bookcases full. So I’ll need to go through the books again and just be firmer with myself.
As I’ve looked through some of the really old Organic Gardening books (the small format) .. I’ve read articles on soil and what lifeforms live in the soil. Before I took my Organic Master Gardening course, I’d just skimmed over these articles The same information is also (I am finding) written about in great detail in quite a number of my gardening books. Ok … so the information was there all along … and I’d ignored it. I only paid attention when I paid good money and took the course . … which I’m glad I did .. otherwise ….
And sometimes, I just wish that I wouldn’t look through books before I decided to discard them.
Case in point the 2011 Farmer’s Almanac. Leafing through the book, saw an article on page 91 “Hungry Trees” and read that on Washington’s Vashon Island, there was a tree which grew around a bicycle. The bike had been left leaning against the tree, decades ago. Now the tree has grown around it and the bike is 7 feet off the ground. Incredulous, I searched for any verification .. and sure enough, it’s true.
A few days ago I decided to renew my walks to Swan Lake .. so off I went .. it was an overcast day and just a very light mist of rain from time to time.
Felt so great to be walking the trails once again .. I was determined to keep walking around the Sanctuary and tried to minimize my stops Challenging to do as I really wanted to stop and savour the peace and quiet.
This is one of my favourite sections … where the path travels at the end of the of the side ponds. Edged with luscious moss-covered boulders, islands of ferns and gentle silhouettes of Oak branches. Slightly mystical feel to this area.
Did stop for a few minutes to look up at one of the local eagles .. have been watching them in this tree for quite a number of years now. At one time I thought they nested here, but think most likely this is one of their favourite perching areas. They can see quite clearly for miles from this tree.
The Marsh Wrens were communicating to each other … lovely sounds.
Only saw this lone female Mallard over at the short observatory … she swam swiftly over when I brought out the flatted oats. She daintily pecked away at those I tossed into the water. Before leaving this place, I scattered a generous handful onto the surface of the marsh grasses nearby.
The Staff and Volunteers of Swan Lake have been quite busy, pulling invasive plants and planting trees for the future. An impressive amount of work has been done and the changes are quite evident.
I took a photo of the project’s sign …..
The restoration work was started last year One area of this side pond had been cleared of invasive plants, the ground had been heavily mulched and this year I notice that this pond is quite large .. or maybe it just appears that way, since more land is viewable. More room for the birds to feed, nest.
A natural fence made of branches, serves to act as a barrier to keep joggers, walkers out of the area, to allow the natural process of growth to take place. I like it.
Farther along, I viewed a Great Blue Heron in a tree .. grooming time ..
Time to relax away from the crowds.
At Tuesday Pond I stopped on the little bridge and fed the Mallards some of the flatted oats .. they cautiously came over to where I was standing, way above them.
Soon there were a few of them gathered around ….
Now I was at the long walkway and saw a little group of Mallards ahead of me. It was early in the day and the crowds weren’t yet here .. quiet time ..
Stood for a while to see if there was any great bird activity .. no Geese or Hawks or Eagles .. and no seagulls! Hmmm .. no seagulls equals an Eagle nearby. Oh, that’s right .. one of them was over at the huge Oak tree on Saanich Road ..
Saw a little feather floating on the surface of the water …a gentle gray blended with white …
Noticed some nests tucked away .. waiting for spring …
And another one
Piles of clipped blackberry branches .. wonder if these will be used as mulch?
Another nest tucked away …
More information on invasive plants and what will be planted instead ..
It was a lovely walk and wonderful to re-visit the nature sanctuary. Funny when I first retired I went there nearly every day .. now I find myself “too busy” hm……. maybe I should just make the time as the rewards are so great.
Also, at one point the ducks seemed to recognize me (cause I was feeding them a lot) and this time .. we seem like strangers. It is a Sanctuary after all and the birds (all of them) can easily find their own food. I only leave the flatted oats (much of which I purchase from the Swan Lake House) and feed them at the public observatory places … this is expected and allowed, which is a good thing.
I’ve found the last two years to have been a kind of whirlwind for me. Having worked hard all my life and at times having to work two jobs just to pay the rent … it was very overwhelming to have my life schedule unmarked by “having” to go somewhere every day.
At first I just walked and walked and walked. Then I started my little gardening business while at the same time I took ground-school over again (for aviation) … once the course has been paid for initially, one an retake it over again, which is great .. learning the newest regulations. Then my DH arranged for me to have dual instruction. So I’d go out to do my gardening work, race home and then out to the airport. All was in a whirl.
Not wanting to pause in my whirlwind of learning, I enrolled in the Organic Master Gardening Course (Gaia College) at Royal Roads. Oh, wow. My life changed. All my time was spent in trying to get my head around this new way of understanding the living soil, new terminology, methods . .this was a very intensive course. And I’m still studying my notes.
Started back at making soap .. I’d begun in 1986 and then took a break .. so happy to be going back to that.
Ok, I had a few minutes to spare so I enrolled for the Ecological Landscaping course …. oh … my. Twice a week, intensive planning, measuring, studying .. really … I feel that I’ve learned so much and more incentive to get out my books and draw and plan some more.
However … I have decided not to continue on with the course. Part of me feels so overwhelmed and really I need the $$ to pay down some debt .. so I feel bit “underwhelmed” right now.
This decision allows me much more free time … no more 3 hour classes twice a week with the additional days of planning and study.
I can use these blocks of time quite well, thank you very much. Decluttering continues .. bags of books to take to the blue boxes by Thrifty’s .. these are donations to reading programs. Plus, I need to make more shelf space for the upcoming end of January “Friends of the Library” book sale!
Time to plan my soap making for the new year.
Work in the garden (or really “play” in the garden).
Spend some time sewing .. time to dust of my sergers .. I have two .. a 3-thread and a 5 threader. Love making things. Maybe I’ll spend some time finally making a purse that I really love. Have kept a particular pattern for years, vowing that some day … well, the day has arrived (this year). It’s a funky little purse, round in shape. Straps are part and parcel of the purse. Wide straps, one is longer than the other and it just slips through the short one and voila, it’s closed.
I will post a pic when I make one. Creative ideas have been bouncing around my head for years on this purse. Time to make it a reality.
Oh, the sewing projects I have! And this year for sure … I will take my sewing machine outside to work. I actually did this one year .. made drapes outside. And felt much more creative working in the sun.
Wednesday (like today!) … lots of sun and blue skies overhead, yea!!
Spent some time playing with my newest garden treasure .. my yard cart .. it is so very useful, how did I manage without it! It holds so much material and also handy for easily moving tools around the yard. I really feel like a spoiled gardener!
This looks like a low flying helicopter, but no worries, I’d just zoomed in. Looks kind of cool, seen through the branches of the wild and crazy tree (aka, pear rootstock)
During some quiet times I simply stood motionless and watched the Anna’s fly to the hummingbird feeder …
And watched the Bushtit hop over to the feeder … to check out this interesting feeder … the perch is just the right size for his little claws to cling to.
He seems a bit puzzled now … where is the food ..
Ahem .. the little Anna seems to say … pardon me ..but this is not for you …
See .. it’s built just right for me ..
The Bushtit wasn’t convinced .. so he just had to study the feeder more closely
Perhaps you are right .. this one is perfect for me!
Sigh ….
Soon, all was right with the world as the Anna returned to the feeder .. no other birds visited here again .. they’ll stick with the suet
I saw 3 Downy woodpeckers in the yard .. wondered, are some of them the babies from last year? They visited all of the suet blocks in the yard. I’ve placed 5 of them throughout … and this one is the special, made in BC item that D noticed on the side of the road, a few weeks ago. It’s once again fulfilling its purpose .. to hold food to feed the birds!
And .. I did not see this rainbow till I downloaded the photos …. how perfect is this …is this positive energy from the feeder … happy again, feeding the birds ???
And those roses .. are still blooming .. how very pretty they are
2 years ago … I couldn’t see many robins in the yard at all. Yet this year there are quite a few. And they are all robust. This one is pecking away at a fallen apple.
The little Fox sparrow .. patiently waiting, again!
Hi Mr. Robin …..
Jet overhead … someone going somewhere exotic? I like to think so.
Sweet-pea seed pod ….I’ve left some on the plants .. maybe they will sprout and grow more beautiful flowers.
Still can’t bear to pull the sweet-peas up .. I’ll let them go on their own time.
Sweet little Bushtits …. chirping away .. happy sounds in the yard
Beauty ..
Like a visual poem in the skies above…
Surprise treasures in the yard! I’d just finished planting some garlic cloves (found a good head of garlic from Salt Spring Island and wanted to grow some of that type). When, surprise, I found these bulbs had rooted in a pot. No soil. Well, bulbs are hardy, that is for sure. So I carefully separated them and covered them with some mulch, ready for planting today. There are also some other bulbs with them, I think they might be tulips. Will plant them in a pot and wait for Spring to see if I am right!
So .. time to put on my lovely gardening outfit .. my trusty Carhart bibs .. how very elegant! 🙂 and outside to plant these lovely garlic cloves .. there is still time for them to grow. In the spring (not far away) I will commence with the application of EM .. on everything!!! Magic.
Twas a great day and I expect more of the same today!
Haven’t spent much time out in the yard and today was just a totally luxuriantly lazy day .. so I thought I would share some of my favourite things!
First on the list is this most wonderful yard cart that DH gave to me on Christmas Day. Not sure what I love more .. the fact that he gave me something that is such a labour-saving device in the garden .. or the fact that he spent so much time on Christmas Day assembling it for me. I think the two facts are part and parcel … really, a gift of love, priceless!
Next on my list is the amazingly beautiful vista overhead .. the ever-changing sky landscape. I must admit that I really don’t get a lot of gardening done on beautiful days like this! Spend a lot of time looking up at the sky! Really, can you blame me, though?
This was a soft … gentle sky … wispy clouds
And these were all taken on the same day, can you believe it!
Moody .. in a happy way …
Lovely cumulus clouds .. they resembled a stack of fluffy pancakes ..
Ok .. these really struck a chord in me .. so beautiful ..
and my other favourite things ( on a very long list ) are .. birds. Here is a little Chestnut-Backed Chickadee at one of the suet holders.
Mustn’t forget my latest plant purchase .. for our next home … there is one more at the store .. and .. I … must … resist … purchasing … that one!
Sweet little Bushtits … they are so very darling ..
They are also very polite .. waiting patiently for their turn at the suet block
Ok .. I like them a lot …
and .. look how easy this is . .no more shovelling the contents of the cart .. just pull on the tipping handle and all the contents are on the garden bed .. saves me so much shovelling. (this is after)
and this is during … such ease .. I am feeling quite pampered now!
At first I thought that the cart wouldn’t hold much material .. but as I continued shoveling the fine mulch into the cart .. I was really amazed .. it holds a lot!
Well .. there you have it .. a pictorial display of (some) favourite things .. there are many others, of which I am quite grateful.
Sigh.
And for the New Year .. .I’m not one for making resolutions, “but” I will continue on my decluttering activities. Since I’ve already started that this year … guess I’ll just continue on.
About procrastination .. I’ve been working on that this year and actually making some headway .. yea to me. However, I’ve recently found that the phrase “I’ll start that in the New Year” quite appropriate and have been using that mantra during the past few days. As I look at areas that I fully intend to organize/recycle/finish!!! Just as I start to feel that I “should” get started, but really don’t feel like doing …right now!
As soon as I say the magic words “next year” I feel as if a tremendous weight has been lifted from my shoulders.
It’s a fait accompli, or something like that.
So .. if I am not inspired to blog tomorrow .. although I think that I will .. for right now – I’ll hoist a glass of dry white and wish everyone a very very Happy New Year .. 2013 .. wow! All the best and all that! (sip … sip ..) ha ha
So, some snow, some rain, some sun, some rain. Typical Victoria weather .. aren’t we lucky!
My Garden – Mon Jardin – Mi Jardin – Mein Garten - Daily Adventures & Thoughts 