Butchart Gardens April 26, 2009

I know we were there just a few days ago but the gardens are becoming spectacular now and we had a perfect spring morning. The photo below shows a new path area that is being worked on.

Down in the sunken garden.

The fritillaria imperialis (I think) looks as if it wasn't sure which way to grow.

If you check the pictures from April 15th you'll see that the bed below was full of hyacinths then.

More tulips.

This figure sits in the trees at the top of the Japanese Gardens.

Bread - never a pair of loaves the same size

There is no reason for this picture. I just like looking at my little creations :-) and our place smells wonderful. This time I kneaded the dough for 8 minutes. And, the same as last time, let it rise 3 times.

Life is grand (without pain)

... I was in the hospital having my operation(s). A heartfelt THANK YOU to those who donate blood.

Butchart Gardens April 23, 2009

A year ago this week there was snow on the ground.

But that was then, and this is now. More tulips!

And now, a tour to see some other things.

These unusual daffodils remind me of egg yolks and whites.

What is this - a double trillium?

Cruise ship season

April 23, 2009
Victoria's cruise ship season begins with the arrival of Holland America's Amsterdam.

Seven things

Thank you Rene for giving me a Kreativ Blogger Award!

This award requires that I list 7 things I love and pass it along to 7 bloggers I like. However, I don't know 7 bloggers and the few I do know already have awards. But I will carry on with the list as instructed.

7 THINGS I LOVE

(It goes without saying that I love my dear husband most of all.)

1. Movement (which probably has something to do with my love of horses and airplanes).
2. Travelling, to just about anywhere... except maybe a certain place in Montana.
3. A great view, especially a distant one, with big skies.
4. Fresh-from-the-garden herbs, vegetables and fruit. And flowers, of course! (I'm cheating by adding more than one thing.)
5. Discovering that I like something I was sure I wouldn't. Hawaii and Mexico come to mind.
6. 'Autumn smell' - burning leaves, etc.
7. Sunlight, and tropical or desert heat.

No surprises here!

Things I don't 'get'

Pipers Lagoon

Last Thursday we visited Pipers Lagoon in Nanaimo. We'd never heard of this place until 'R' in England told us about it. It's supposed to be a good place for viewing sunrises and sunsets. Unfortunately, we happened to be there midday on a mostly cloudy, cold and very windy day.

The 'island' across the lagoon is actually attached by a narrow causeway out of view on the right.

The rocky shore was strewn with whole and broken shells. Shack Island can be probably be reached on foot at low tide. We don't know the history of the boarded up shacks and whether or not they are ever used.

Views below, along and of the causeway. One side is open to the strait where gulls and seabirds were making a great ruckus. It was hard holding the camera steady in the blasting wind.

We'll have to go back on a nicer day.

Butchart Gardens April 15, 2009

Hooray, tulip time is firing up at Butchart's.

There were lots of hyacinths too.

We went near suppertime and it turned out to be a good time to visit because hardly anyone was there. It reminded me of the flukey afternoon in July when we had the place nearly to ourselves.

For a while we saw no people but these dogs were waiting for someone.

I don't know what these furry purple flowers are but I think they're quite photogenic. Update: I'm told this is the pasque flower, provincial flower of Manitoba and state flower of South Dakota.

If the white lily is a White Fawn, it stands to reason that this is a Pink Fawn Lily. These were in the Japanese Garden.

We have only a few days left on our yearly passes.

Blossoms

Here is the interesting pattern I was talking about on the inside of the White Fawn Lily.

How nice to see the trees in blossom. Some are

finishing already.