An Evening Walk

An evening walk. 7:30 and the sky is blue. There's still plenty of pink in the trees, but more and more it's being replaced by varying shades of green.

Fluffy pink against the blue.

In the naturalized lawn along my path the grape hyacinths are nearly finished and now Henderson's Shooting Stars (Dodecatheon Hendersonii) cluster in bunches. 

My path takes me along suburban streets, but also through wooded parks and trails where fawn lilies continue to bloom profusely.

The bluebells are beginning to bloom. Along the streets each garden has something in bloom - daffodils, tulips, clematis, rhododendrons, azaleas, and more. Colour bursts out on every corner.

A steady patter of bird calls fills the air with sound as the birds hide in the trees and sing themselves to sleep. Can you find the lone robin sitting on a branch in this photo?

Home again and the light is fading quickly.

An easy dinner this week used up the last of the ham (other than the bone). Frittata with broccoli, mushrooms, ham, eggs, and a bit of cheese.

It's been a long week, in spite of the Monday holiday. Report cards are done, whew, and we're paddling down the rapids of the last term. One more day of classes and then the weekend. Dinner with friends is on the calendar, and other than that there will be gardening, housekeeping, and relaxation.

Sidney Spit

  

Spit: a narrow coastal land formation that is tied to the coast at one end...Spits, which may be completely formed of shingle or sand, are formed by the longshore movement of sediment. They are often completed curved, with a characteristic recurved head (hook). 

After our wonderful Easter dinner with family last night, followed by a joyous church service this morning, Tim and I packed up some dinner leftovers and launched the boat for the first time this year. 

Our destination wasn't far - Sidney Island, clearly visible from our own, much larger island, just a couple of kilometres away. Scenic Mount Baker showed her pretty white head across the water. 

I've wanted to walk the length of the sand spit on the north side of the island for a long time. The spit is mostly covered by water during high tide. Today, though, a very low tide happened mid-afternoon, enabling us to walk the full length (2 kilometres) of the spit and back with ease. 

We did not dawdle on our walk, for although the sun shone most of the time, the wind whistled about our ears and had me pulling up my hoodie for warmth. 

The east side of the spit is sandy beach that rises up to a narrow top and then falls away on the other side to mud, rocks and intertidal pools where birds like to congregate. Today we saw Great Blue Herons, Gulls, Eagles, and migratory Brant Geese en route to their northern nesting grounds in the Arctic. 

At the south end of the spit, one-third of Sidney Island comprises a national park, and the other two-thirds is privately owned. In the early 20th century, a group of Victoria business men purchased the island to use as a hunting preserve. They introduced guinea fowl and peacocks, as well as fallow deer that are now considered invasive. 

A view from the trail lookout, slightly above the beach, shows the meandering shoreline of the spit. 

After returning to our boat (via the dinghy), we tried relaxing and reading for awhile, but the rocking waves soon had us firing up the engine and heading back to shore. All in all, it was a successful first run for the season, and we hope to do some longer trips in the near future. 

Linking with Mosaic Monday, hosted by Maggie of Normandy Life. 

Easter Preparations

An Easter photo from long ago. This photo is taken in front of a motel, so we were traveling. Probably to Abbotsford to visit family, hordes of family. Boisterous cousins, aunties by the dozen, groaning tables, and green foliage everywhere, a striking sight after the brown that signaled spring in the interior. 

My mother created those darling outfits for my sister and me, often sewing late into the evening. I'm the one in blue. Skirt, blouses, jackets. She's very talented. Don't we look prim and proper in our black patent shoes, little hats, and white gloves? And our brother in his miniature blazer? Just what we wore in the mid-60s for dressing up. The hippie movement hadn't caught us yet.

Easter Sunday. We attended services at my grandparents' church at East Aldergrove. I remember it as chilly, and a bit damp. The front of the church had a curved ceiling, painted pale mint green. The choir sang. The highlight of the service, for me, was when we all stood and sang, "Up from the grave He arose," the sound welling up as the notes climbed higher, joy filling hearts and space as the triumph of the Resurrection was celebrated. 

Tomorrow we will attend church and that song will likely not be sung. But I sing it to myself every year. Today, Saturday, preparations are made. Our family will gather this evening. The table is set. A vintage tablecloth from my mother-in-law sets the mood for spring. I iron it and think of her, and pray for her. 

Sometimes the little ones sit with us, sometimes they like their own table. I know they'll like the eggs on each napkin. 

Although this is the day between, the day when Jesus lay in darkness, a quiet day, we know the end of this chapter and so, in the spirit of hope, I say to you, Happy Easter! He is Risen!

How Digital are You?

I read about people checking their weather app for the temperature. Really? What's wrong with an old-fashioned thermometer? We have one mounted outside the kitchen window, and it gets checked throughout the day. 



How do I know if I've had a good night's sleep? I feel energized, ready to greet the day. And these days, the mirror tells me if I'm rested or not, and it does.not.lie. Ever. 

E-reader or paper? I'm all for paper, as the overflowing bookshelves in our house might tell you. On a long trip (such as last summer's) I read on my tablet/computer. It was okay, but let me turn paper pages when I can.

Recipes? I'm ambivalent. The tried and true ones in my books and recipe box are often referred to, however, if I'm browsing for something different, I'll use my computer as often as a cookbook or magazine. 

Phone numbers? I confess that whereas I used to know a lot of numbers by memory, I now know about three. That bothers me occasionally.

Library books? I love using the on-line catalogue to search for books, place a hold, and then go and pick them up. 

Photography? I'm all for digital. I never worry about how much film I might be wasting with lousy photos. Editing is fun. Aren't these fawn lilies, seen during a weekend walk in the woods, ever so pretty? I'll enjoy nature in its natural state rather than watch a program on television. 

How digital am I? No idea, but probably somewhere between a complete Luddite and a techno-geek. How about you?

Mosaic Monday - Easter Week

Although the temperature remains chilly, and the drizzle falls, there's enough sunshine and warmth to make the garden pop. I went out and collected blooms and greenery for a table bouquet - forsythia, daffodils, grape hyacinth, blue and pink hyacinth, lemon balm, lamb's ears, and feverfew made their way into my basket. 

The flowers brighten up the dining room table. Walking past, the lovely sweet scent of hyacinth wafts upwards. 

Easter decor is very simple. Some bunnies, a lamb and a pretty bookmark that says, "Believe." 

The first bleeding hearts of the season dangle from slender stems.

Spring is here, all in a rush of blooms. Part of me wants to say, "hurry, hurry - warm up", and another part wants to say, "slow down - let's enjoy each bloom to the full before moving on to the next". Is spring lagging behind or rushing ahead in your area?

These are taken with the I-phone. Although I know my camera is in safe hands, it's not here yet. Perhaps this week, or next. Meanwhile, the phone does an acceptable job. 

Linking with Mosaic Monday, hosted by Maggie of Normandy Life. 

Saturday Doings

Seen from the breakfast table and the kitchen window, these flowers make my day bright from the start. This collection was one of those pre-planted pots I purchased one spring and had on the porch until the flowers faded away. I wondered how they would do planted in the garden, but I figured I had nothing to lose. And now I see I had much to gain. This morning, in the rain, this sight filled me with happiness.

These "book" titles, seen in Winners, made me giggle. 
Letter Writing: the new texting, 
Have My People Call Your People: How to get others to do your work, and 
The Day the Wifi Died and Other Short Horror Stories

Best sellers, all, don't you think?

In spite of the drizzle, I couldn't resist going out into the garden and puttering a little this morning. The peonies are growing tall and I see they've escaped their cage. Time for some re-jigging there. 

I potted up a few stray herbs/weeds and put them on the table on the front porch. They look a little muddy, but will soon be cleaned off with the rain. The Snow-on-the-mountain in the right front pot is such a pretty plant, I think, but oh, so pushy. I sowed it plentifully quite a few years ago and have regretted it ever since. Now it's confined to one pot in the garden, and when I see a bit of it emerge elsewhere, I am ruthless. 

I'm not particulary short, nor am I tall. 5'4" and a bit. But I find most furniture is too deep and I have to stash a pillow behind my back or my feet don't touch the floor. The other day in Winners (the same day I found those catchy book titles), I saw this chair. I sat in it, went home and thought, went back to the store and sat in it for a longer time, thought some more, and on Thursday night brought it home. Of course it meant some re-jigging of the furniture arrangement, but I'll show you that another time. I'm quite pleased with my new chair and am sitting in it now, as I write this post. 

Soup's on the stove, the dishwasher is ready to be unloaded, and the dryer has sung its melody telling me it's finished, too. So I'll sign off here and get back to housekeeping. 

Over the Mountains and Home Again

Last week the two of us boarded a plane and flew over the mountains to Alberta. What a difference 90 minutes can make. This was the view. Brown fields, cloudy skies, and the snowy Rockies in the distance. 

One morning I looked out the window and saw fog. Chilly, it was. I took a walk around the still-ice-covered ponds. No green anywhere.

We had a good time with family at a wedding, a wedding shower, family dinner, and more. Unfortunately, I left my camera (sob) behind, on a table at the reception. I was quite upset with myself when I realized it. It was too far to return that night, and I knew that the cleanup crew would find it. It's taken awhile to track it down, but a family member has it and will return it to me. Whew! 

So all of these photos are from my phone. It took awhile for me to figure out how to download them to my computer - in fact, I couldn't figure it out, so I used my Surface Pro 3, and that worked well. 

The contrast from Alberta to our green BC island was nothing short of astounding. In the short 5 days we were gone, the cherry trees burst into bloom. I stepped out into the street in front of our house to snap the above photo. 

Then I went into the garden. These hyacinths were curled tightly, barely poking above ground. Such an explosion of colour!

School began on Monday and it's a whirlwind. The break was needed and we're all energized for the final push to June. Is there anything prettier in Spring than blooming trees tossing in the wind?

Time for Tea

The first week of Spring Break is over. It was a mixture of mostly pleasant and a bit of unpleasant, the latter including a dental appointment. How I dread even a cleaning appointment. All those sharp instruments. The feeling of helpless vulnerability. It's over for another six months and I'm relieved.

I haven't had as much time to relax as I thought I would. Several appointments, and fun time with family filled the days. Finding balance can be a challenge. There's so much possibility, but limited energy and time. 

Our visit to Butterfly World (previous post) and a tea party on Friday were the highlights of the week. 

Three adults watched three little ones enjoy their tea. The girls dressed up; one with a crown and her Easter dress, the other with a sparkly dress complete with a jewel. The sole male at the event wore the cutest blue jean overalls. 

What fun to have tea, just a little, with lots of milk added, and sugar lumps! Stir, stir, stir. Sip, sip, sip.  

Scones with jam and whipped cream, simple savories including cheese and crackers and peanut butter banana sandwiches, deviled eggs, and a few vegetables meant that there was something to please everyone.

This week flew by and there was little time for blogging. Next week will be the same. Finding balance. 

Linking with Mosaic Monday, hosted by Maggie of Normandy Life.

There and Back Again in No Time

The double set of glass doors closes behind me and I am met by a rush of warm humid air. A long dormant recess in my brain leaps to attention. Neurons begin firing and in a millisecond I am transported in time and space to Chupientsa, a tiny village in the Ecuadorian jungle.

Tim and I, with our young daughter, along with Tim's brother and his wife, are staying with friends, an older couple from our mission. I am 6 months pregnant. 

Our friends tell us about a beautiful waterfall and we make plans to visit. They look at my protruding belly and say, "The trail is not long, but it's steep." 

Forewarned, I decide to accompany the group. 

The trail downwards is almost hidden, covered by dense green growth. A thick strong rope, tied securely to a tree, marks the beginning of the descent. I rely on the rope to keep me from slipping on the damp leaves and skidding to the invisible bottom. Tim precedes me, ready to stop any fall. 

We reach the floor of the small canyon. Far above, only the smallest bits of blue sky appear through the lacy ceiling of foliage. At one end, a waterfall, maybe 50 feet tall, splashes into a round pool and fills the air with cool mist. 

Ralph picks his way along the side of the pool and we follow, balancing from rock to rock until we arrive on a narrow ledge that continues behind the waterfall. We stand listening to the steady thunder of falling water. Our view is a watery blur of colour and light.

Returning back along the ledge to the open space that seems like a large emerald room, each of us explores individually, calling occasionally across the din of water. We peer into pools of water, examine flowers, and marvel at the wonder of the Amazon jungle.

I find a smooth flat rock, remove my shoes, and dangle my feet in the water, content to sit and absorb the scene. A flicker of blue catches my eye. A Blue Morpho flutters by. When open, its iridescent wings are a striking contrast in this green world. I watch, transfixed, as it floats around the canyon, flashing blue. 

Then, once again, time whirls and I am a grandmother accompanying my three grandchildren, one a daughter of the tiny girl who flew into that jungle setting (but didn't go down into the canyon), and the other two, children of the babe I carried in my womb, to Butterfly World, just 15 minutes away from my home on Vancouver Island.  

 Blue Morphos fluttered around Butterfly World, but they are notoriously difficult to photograph. When I felt, ever so lightly, a butterfly alight on the top of my head, my granddaughter told me it was a Blue Morpho. I felt blessed. Memory is a powerful thing.

There were many other butterflies willing to have their photos taken yesterday, along with turtles, tortoises, a macaw, a parrot, flamingos and other creatures, including poison dart frogs from, you guessed it, the Ecuadorian jungle. I'm glad I didn't see any of those that day so long ago! 

We had a fun time, my daughter and I, with the three little ones. The world is full of marvelous things to explore. It's spring break this week and next, and I'm thoroughly enjoying time to relax and visit. 

A Walk Followed by Cake

Pink is coming! Such a welcome colour, and late to the party this year.

Saturday afternoon was the day set for an early celebration of Tim's birthday. The Vancouver couple were over for the weekend, but one of the local families was out with the Norwalk virus and they declined spreading it to the rest of us. We missed them, but were happy to miss the virus.

The sun shone in between clouds. A chilly wind bent the grasses and crawled along our necks. But once we got going, we warmed up. 

Auntie and Uncle are a big hit with the littles. In the bottom corner, a three-generation photo with Mister F's short legs stretching as far as possible to keep up with Daddy and Grandpa. 

Bird life on the Bog. Mallards, geese, coots, and more.

There's not a lot of green yet, but the colours and shadows caught my eye and I took this photo. When I looked at it on the computer, I noticed, for the first time, the blue heron against the rushes. Can you spot him?

Zoomed in a little closer. He certainly blends into the background. 

Tim's birthday isn't until the end of the month, but this date worked best (or we thought it would) and so we celebrated this wonderful man is dearly loved. 

Home again for Chinese food, followed by a massive cake. Since I wasn't cooking the main meal, I thought I'd put a little more effort into the cake. An Ultimate Sampler cake, inspired by Sprinkle Bakes. After making her cherry cake and the humming bird cake layers, I switched to my own recipes. The top layer is Chocolate Mousse, which is frozen ahead in order to assemble the cake. The baking all went well, the assembling, not so well. A disaster with the frosting had me racing to the store for ingredients and changing to my own recipe again. 

It was a fun experiment, but I'm not that impressed with the results. I think one or two flavours in a cake are plenty, no need for more. And it's massive. We didn't even eat 1/4 of the cake. I've frozen it in chunks (after scraping the mousse off) and we'll be eating it for a long time. Cake, anyone?

Linking with Mosaic Monday, hosted by Maggie of Normandy Life.