We had some beautiful days in March this year. I wouldn’t have remembered that if I hadn’t been wandering outside with my camera – enjoying those lovely days. Gentle skies above .. so free.
This was rather artistic and kind of sparkly, if clouds can use that adjective and in this case – I think it is appropriate!
On one of these days, I was outside, potting up some pea seeds and in flew a newly born honey bee! A neighbour keeps a hive. I rather enjoyed watching this little bee as he slowly acclimatized to his new world. Sweet! A sign of hope for the flowers and the trees. No chemicals or artificial anything in my yard!!! Safe place for bees.
Yum yum .. thought the bee .. here is a flower just for me!!
Back in March, the garlic was growing happily away. Today they are much taller and robust. I’ve been collecting the scapes and have made the most delicious garlic scape pesto! Some for me and some for my friends to enjoy. This is one of my favourite spring activities to do, making the pesto. The next is gathering peas, and when the beans become rampant ..that is fun to collect them. And ..when the potatoes are ready .. a few will be scrubbed, boiled, mashed and enjoyed — with lots of butter and water buffalo yogurt. Life is fun in the yard!!! Wait .. there will be tons of raspberries to look forward to also! And the digging up of the garlic! And tomatoes! My gardening neighbour has given me at least 40 or more plants!! And I’ve created a wavy, brick-lined temporary bed for most of them. Lots of seaweed spread around them. When the plants are bigger, I’ll take some photos!!
My dwarf weeping willow had many fluffy catkins, which the Bewick Wrens gathered for their nest .. which is tucked away on a bush in the yard!
Doves have moved into the neighbourhood … 3 years ago. I think they have nested nearby. They were in the yard quite a bit but I haven’t seen them lately. My gardening neighbour was over one day, visiting, we had just been talking about the presence of these doves, when one flew overhead, landed on a branch and just looked down at us. This photo was taken on another day. Their soft crooning is very peaceful and calming.
One of my visits to the beach along Dallas Road .. love the designs in the stone ..
It is so relaxing to walk along the beach and breathe in the ocean air. We are so lucky.
Such a wonderful life .. so many things to do and discover!
Must dash, time to practice my vocals for my upcoming fantastic singing lesson!!
Another one .. beautiful!! I did take some little wedge sections for my garden .. couldn’t resist doing that.
On 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.
And 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!!
Everything has been carefully planted and watered – the water was obtained from Eagle Lake and brought up to the planting site, bucketful by bucketful. I simply had to encircle the plants with rocks. This, hopefully, would allow passersby to understand that these plants were intentionally placed there.
Important information for people to see and learn more about the turtles.
I also learned that one can have one’s property noted as a Habitat Steward! The information is on their web site. This is wonderful.
There are about 5 or 6 logs near the edges of the lake. These were placed there by HAT, so that turtles could bask in the sun!
Some aquatic plants floated in the water, a gentle breeze created some graceful arcs around them .. in a very artistic manner.
There is a cob house in the area and the owners take people on guided tours to show them how the house was built. I think that the same people built this cob building for the park. It certainly suited the surroundings. At any moment, I half expected Snow White to saunter out of a little doorway in the building, basket in hand, all set to harvest greens and mushrooms for supper. Really, that is how my mind works and I like my imagination a lot. We spend a lot of time together, and this is how it should be, for a creative person, n’est-ce pas??? 🙂
So my pal, D, whom I had visited just before driving out here, packed me a little picnic treat. She’d made a delicious apple crisp (made with the dehydrated apples I had prepared from our tree!) and insisted on giving me a portion to take with me, complete with a fork to eat it with! She also gave me the Red Green bathroom book .. he is such a funny guy! And there is my watch, ready to let me know when to leave for my lesson!
Back home, I kind of wandered around the yard with my camera .. and saw the Iris flowers blooming away. Beautiful, floppy, gentle, calming and graceful.
From the backyard .. more pretty flowers ( and yes, cannot remember the name).
Salal growing like mad at the front of the house .. and more evidence that the Leafcutter bees have been active!
Darling, lovely Bewick Wren .. perched atop our First Christmas Tree … so precious. I love them. This photo was taken from the back yard, about 30-40 feet from this 50 foot tree (or maybe higher than 50 ft., it’s hard to tell, but it is tall!)
I hadn’t noticed that my garlic was growing scapes, my pal D pointed them out to me!
This is the first year that I had planted all my garlic in containers. They are doing well.
Bizzy Bee …
On one of my (too) many trip to Michael’s Craft stores, I happened to notice this Guide Dog vehicle. I have the highest respect for what they do and this was the first time that I’d seen a car with the signage on it, so I just had to snap a photo.
Life has been pretty busy, now that the rains have stopped and the sun has begun shining.
Sipping my mug of Yorkshire tea, I wander around the yard a bit .. this also is a ritual that I follow. To see all the changes that Spring has brought to the garden. And enjoy the sweet little songbirds. Here is a little 
Walking along one section of the gravelly beach areas, more logs have been tossed into a pile. Magnificent to see the waves splashing up and over any barriers in their way. Can’t stop the power of a wave.
There are a number of stairways leading to the beach areas. The wooden steps were a tad slippery, so it was good to have sturdy rails to hang onto, to catch one’s step. 
After a cloudy start to the morning, the skies soon cleared and there was beautiful sky art overhead to brighten up our little world. Seagulls happily flying overhead. Watching their side-slips and swift turns made me long for the summer and high flights in the glider. Just a few more months and then that will happen, oh great joy! 
Yummy .. yummy … kelp! Good for forming baskets (keep them out of the rain, haha) or chopping up for the garden. My pal D and I will go seeking seaweed in the new year. Lovely for the garden!! Adding zillions of minerals to the soil. 
A couple of seagulls taking a bit of a rest between flights. Checking out the weather conditions and where is Charlie anyway? He promised to join us here! Lots of logs making their way to the beach area.
Another set of stairs, the wood looking lovely and weathered by the salty air.
Well, that is it for photos.
Seeds of Diversity .. a seed bank.
She still plays like a kitten! I bought her a small knitted catnip mouse recently. It was knitted by a 90 year’s “young” lady from Sidney, BC and these are sold to raise money for protecting cats. I bought it at Elements Compounding Pharmacy, located nearby. Anyway, JaneE was batting that little knitted mouse around and we were happy to see her behaving in such a fun, joyful manner! So .. she still has this playful manner, as you can see in this photo. I have an airplane windshield to act as a little greenhouse. Lots of sedums propagated here. JaneE saw the little opening and within seconds, she was inside, exploring. What a Cat!
My Garden – Mon Jardin – Mi Jardin – Mein Garten - Daily Adventures & Thoughts 