Typical Morning Commute

I love mornings. I have always been a morning person, and this time of year I really enjoy heading out the door at 6am for the ferry to work. As much as the deer make me crazy coming out of the woodwork so to speak, it is really nice to be able to relax and enjoy watching them every now and then. This morning, while parked and waiting in the ferry line, this young buck just hung out and enjoyed his breakfast greens among all the commuter cars. Sometimes life is really simple.

Bee Buzz

I didn't realize how much I liked bees until my friend Joanne shared her interest in bees with me. Right from the beginning I have tried to plant a garden that attracted bees, hummingbirds and butterflies. It is sooooo working out for me. Today when I went out the back door I could hear the buzz. This time, I found nothing but mason bees all over my California Lilac! Where are these Mason Bees coming from??.... I love them!! These bees are amazing... they are solitary bees and have no hive and no queen. The females work hard to collect pollen and nectar to fill their egg chambers. The males, well, they inadvertently pollenize when they feed, which is when they are not mating. These bees are so cool and non aggressive. BUT... right next to my California Lilac is my blue CatMint. And the Catmint is just a buzzing with "Honey Bees". The amazing thing is the honey bees and the mason bees are living side by side, and yet not crossing into each others food source. There must be a lesson learned here, but not sure what it is.

Morning with the Kitties

This morning we woke to sunshine! I love the morning sun and a coffee up at the pond. The kitties love it too, and it is just that time of day when everything is fresh. I headed to the pond with Smoke plodding along for the morning ritual.. he is the dog-like cat of the two of them, just loves walks. Gypsy followed behind, she always lets her brother take the lead. If it is just Gyps and I, then she is usually leading me. We stopped at the picnic table and they had their morning kisses; always a nice touch to the beginning of their day, but not usally how it ends. Then as usual, Smoke decides to play bully... his is much bigger and heavier than Gypsy, and usually ruins the moment. You can see she is not amused with him. I managed to break it up and they joined me back at the picnic table.

New Mudroom

 

Chris is really amazing when it comes to renovating. He took an open carport pad, and just like magic he turned it into a lovely mudroom. Putting the sofa bed into the room also gives us extra guest space and another room. Just love it!

Springtime At The Pond

I have not had a chance to get to the pond much this spring, so what a surprise this evening when I wandered up to take a look. Everything has sprung up and filled in. When I think back to 3 summers ago, well, who would have thought there would be anything but a mud hole. Of course it helps that we had so much rain in April and May; everything is green and bushy and the water in the pond is still high. Gosh I love spring! These are evening shots so will wait till a sunny day to get a better shot.

I Love Lupins

What can I say about Lupins other than they are simply perfect flowers, and the bees just love them, as you can see. Lupine is the Latin word for wolflike. Since I love wolves as well, I did some research. In ancient times, Europeans noticed that lupines grew on poor soil where no other plants ventured. The fact is, they can live in such places because the bacteria in their roots remove nitrogen from the air, fix it inside the plant and supply nitrogen fertilizer that the soil lacks. But the early observers only knew that these plants lived in otherwise barren spots. They assumed they had taken some nutrient from the soil that other plants needed. Thinking the plant was like a wolf robbing the fold, they called it "wolflike." I would love to have a whole field of lupins. Purple and pink ones

No Three Car Garage For Us

But we do have a 3 umbrella patio!

Another Lazy Day in the Garden

My cats just love days like today. In this first shot, Smoke is just hanging out below the Allium. Gypsy likes to sleep by the Rubeckia, or just curly up on the chair in Chris's vegetable garden.

The Gift of Today

I always like to think of special days as a gift, and this was one of them. While visiting a new friend here on Bowen, I was introduced to a wonderful lofty bluff overlooking the Sunshine Coast, Keats Island and some of the Whistler corridor. The Arbutus trees were amazing, but then they have always been my favorite. However, the real gift was the pair of eagles right in front of us. These birds have always been a favorite fascination with me. I zoomed in on one, as you can see below.. and shortly thereafter they both took to flight. I captured 2 shots of the flight... but how special to be so high up, and so close to two of natures most majestic birds of prey.

Glass Sunlight Art

My sister gave me this lovely stained glass water lily and it has finally found a home. I just love the colors and the size and the shape, and of course, the flower!!! It gets sun from morning till mid afternoon and looks great.

Jake has a Girl Friend!!

Well it has been 6 years, but Jake has finally got a "real"" girlfriend. "Unaltered"!! Cologne is her name and she is, well, really into him!! Jake, being the gentleman that he is, doesn't quite know what he should do about it. This is their 2nd play date.... there is only one more, and that is in a few days. We hope that Jake knows what he is supposed to do.

Is it Spring Yet?

Spring has been a long time coming this year. It has been never ending rain and gloom and doom My garden is suffering because of it, and this is simply because of the rain and not being able to get out and work the gardens. With the exception of Chris's veggi garden which is amazing, the property is looking like it needs help. The rain has done magic things for many plants (and weeds) especially the plants around the pond.... BUT I need a chance to get right in there. I bought a great scottish yellow rain hat last weekend so I should be invincible now. There is no stopping me - have hat will travel!!! That said, they are saying the weather should be good this weekend so I should be able to apply myself 100%. This is a picture today of one of my many Alium friends who are poking up in the rain.