A little bit of this and that

Wednesday? Well a day early, because I made a scheduling error, oops.

Today I have a an assortment of pictures, some from the park and some from gardens in my neighborhood.

First here is a Great Blue Heron fishing. I watched it for a while and I think it caught a couple of small fish, I was not quick enough to "capture" that with my camera. They are amazing to watch, still for so long and then a blur of movement, so quick if you look away for a moment you will miss it.

 

"Blue skies smile at me, nothing but blue skies do I see."

Irving Berlin

 

It is so green and lush in the woods, I think some of the pathways may vanish under the vegetation. 

 

 

 

But there are also lots of berries, these early salmonberries, and lots of flowers on the blackberries promise a good crop of berries mid summer.

 

The Strawberries are ready early this year too, a favorite around our house.

 

This little fella was "just hopping down the bunny trail" and stopped briefly to see if I had a treat for him.

 

 

Another bunny, and there are lots of baby rabbits too.

 

 

 

 

These Redwing Blackbirds seemed to appreciate the handouts.

 

 

Reminds me of this tune: "Feed the Birds"

 

 

The park is full of wild roses and daisies.

 

Anyone remember making daisy chains as a kid?

 

This beautiful Dogwood, Dogwood is the Floral Emblem of British Columbia.

 

 

I haven't seen many white Foxglove flowers, I share this one with you.

 

 

Honeysuckle, also early to bloom this year.

 

 

 

This is a picture of one of my Honeysuckle plants, a favorite of the hummingbirds.

 

 

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I have an Art Show at Image West, and have been busy framing, labelling and hanging pictures.

 

Follow this link to see the images and location

 

 

I have started a few things this week but only finished one, and it is another food painting titled "Squashed":

 

 

Here is how it looks framed:

 

 

 

 It is the latest of my Food cards, which include a recipe card using the pictured ingredient. What is the recipe for this card, take a look:

 

View at:http://www.pswhimsy.com/food-cards-series-22.html

 

or all the food cards at: http://www.pswhimsy.com/food.html

 

Here are some other cards I have recently added to the site:

 

To see all recent additions and names and details follow this link:

 

 

http://www.pswhimsy.com/new-additions.html

 

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Until next time...

Thank you for all your kind comments on my last post.

 

Thanks for stopping by,

 

happy Whimsy Wednesday

 

 

 



Adrift with little-uns

There is always something to watch at the park this time of year, I saw 3 different broods of ducklings. This little ball of fluff caught my attention. 

 

This mother duck had her "wings" or "feathers" full with 8 little ducklings. 



 

 

A closer look at one.

 

 

 

"Be like a duck. Calm on the surface, but always paddling like the dickens underneath."

Michael Caine

 

She was "herding" them around the pond.

 

 

 "If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, we have at least to consider the possibility that we have a small aquatic bird of the family anatidea on our hands."

 

Douglas Adams

 

 

There are small drifts of "white stuff" along the edges of the trails in the park and in the woods, in some places about 4 inches, not snow but the fluff blowing off the trees (cottonwoods I believe).

It is at times like this that I am very thankful that I am not sensitive to pollen.

 

 

This duckling is a lot older, notice the colour in those cute little wings.

 

"That is my gift. I let that negativity roll off me like water off a duck's back. If its not positive, I didn't hear it. If you can overcome that, fights are easy."

 

George Foreman

 

 

I only saw three goslings so far this year and the parents were being very protective; at one point they even chased away a duckling.

 

 

 

Pretty cute!

 

As I watched one seemed to fall asleep on its feet; it sank to the ground burying its beak in the grass, a short nap until woken by the adult.

"Being born in a duck yard does not matter, if only you are hatched from a swans egg".

 

Hans Christian Andersen 

 

Here is the last of the duck families. I noticed that not one of the three duck families had the drake in attendance, in that respect the geese seemed to be more conscientious parents.

 

 

"If you keep your feathers well oiled the water of criticism will run off as from a duck's back."

 

Ellen Swallow Richards

 

I also saw some newly fledged Redwing Blackbirds. The male RW Blackbird was chasing the Crows away and in one case I saw it actually peck at the crow.

 

The crows must be quite a threat to the newly fledged birds.

 

and just one more thought:

 

"Just when he thought the world was ending, the caterpillar turned into a butterfly."

 

Proverb

 

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This week I finished this painting, an ink and watercolour, of an artichoke which I called "Arty-choke":

 

 

 

Love the purple versions but as with purple beans they end up green when cooked.

 

 It is the latest of my Food cards, which include a recipe card using the pictured ingredient. What is the recipe for this card, take a look:

 

View at:http://www.pswhimsy.com/food-cards-series-22.html

 

or all the food cards at: http://www.pswhimsy.com/food.html

 

In addition to the above card I have made several other card additions to the PS Whimsy site, view these at:

 

http://www.pswhimsy.com/new-additions.html

 

 

Until next time...

Thank you for all your kind comments on my last post.

 

Thanks for stopping by,

 

happy Whimsy Wednesday

 

 

 

 





It's open

The park at Jericho Beach has been behind construction fences for many months, but it finally opened just a few days ago. The bunny above seems to be inspecting the new area.

For months this has been the view:

The park was closed while the old pier was removed then opened temporarily only to be closed again after a storm washed out the new beach.

Here are some views of the newly opened area of the park:

The established trees have been surrounded by native plantings and the beach has been restored.

These "perches" have been installed for the birds to view the park and the beach.

I saw an eagle in one of the trees too but I did not have my camera with me.

The wood sculpture looks good in its new surroundings. This is a sculpture dating from the Habitat Forum on this site in 1976:

Some of the blackberry bushes, which the rabbits retreat to for safety, have been removed but the rabbits still seem to be thriving.

and on the beach life goes on.

At the pond a short walk away, the redwing blackbirds are back and staking out their territories.

The ducks seem to be enjoying the milder weather and a bit of sunshine.

It was bath time as I walked past

even the crows were getting in on the act.

  Signs of fall and winter still dominate

But the geese and ducks are pairing up 

 and there are buds on many trees

the snowdrops are up too and crocuses not far behind

and with the viburnum flowers adding their delicate scent  

can spring be far away?

I am finally finishing a project that was started a long time ago too. I have finally framed a series of paintings featuring teddies (stuffed animals) and tigers (also stuffed).

Here are the first two in the series, first "Something in the Air":

A watercolour of teddies and tiger, imagine that the small stuffed toy in the centre has just farted and the other stuffed animals are reacting.

The second is "The Games' Afoot":

Here Sherlock Holmes and Watson (in the waistcoat at the back) are investigating ...............

All these paintings are watercolours,

the other two in this series next week ............

Thank you for dropping by, happy whimsy Wednesday, until next week ....................................