April -- No Fooling

This weeks post is brought to you by the letter "S" and the colour "Green".

Spring has definitely arrived in this part of the world.

"April, April, laugh thy girlish laughter, then a moment after, weep thy girlish tears."

 

Sir William Watson

 

This is a painting I did last year for the Brock House Society calendar, it is called "The Best Seat in the Park" and is a typical spring day in Jericho Park with someone enjoying my favorite bench.

This painting is for sale, all funds go to Brock House Society, let me know if you are interested in buying it.

 

SPRING, SPRING, SPRING!

 

The new spring growth is a very special bright startling green and is Springing up everywhere!

 

 

 

Green, green, green!

 

 

I love the patterns in this root.

 

 

 

 

Flower God, God Of The Spring

 

FLOWER god, god of the spring, beautiful, bountiful,

Cold-dyed shield in the sky, lover of versicles,

Here I wander in April

Cold, grey-headed; and still to my

Heart, Spring comes with a bound, Spring the deliverer,

Spring, song-leader in woods, chorally resonant;

Spring, flower-planter in meadows,

Child-conductor in willowy

Fields deep dotted with bloom, daisies and crocuses:

Here that child from his heart drinks of eternity:

O child, happy are children!

She still smiles on their innocence,

She, dear mother in God, fostering violets,

Fills earth full of her scents, voices and violins:

Thus one cunning in music

Wakes old chords in the memory:

Thus fair earth in the Spring leads her performances.

One more touch of the bow, smell of the virginal

Green - one more, and my bosom

Feels new life with an ecstasy.  

 

Robert Louis Stevenson    

 

  

The birds are busy too, pairing up, a spring in their step.

 

These Widgeons in step.       

 

  

 

 

Golden crowned sparrows I think.

 

 

 

And a lone Great Blue Heron fishing in the shallow water.

 

 

Spring Song

by Robert Louis Stevenson

THE air was full of sun and birds,
The fresh air sparkled clearly.
Remembrance wakened in my heart
And I knew I loved her dearly.

The fallows and the leafless trees
And all my spirit tingled.
My earliest thought of love, and Spring's
First puff of perfume mingled.

In my still heart the thoughts awoke,
Came lone by lone together -
Say, birds and Sun and Spring, is Love
A mere affair of weather?

---------------------

And with Easter just around the corner I thought some rabbits would be appreciated.

There were dark chocolate, milk chocolate and even white chocolate rabbits at the park.

 

 

These rabbits were stretched out, relaxing.

 

 Some were eating.

 

 

This one looked exhausted.

 

 

She seemed to be watching over this little brood of babies:

 

 

Please forgive me for including so many, these bunnies were small and so cute. My favorite is the grey one with the black nose. There were at least six of the little ones.

A few more plants, from my garden, beautiful greens, beautiful spring. 

  

Lots of paint being splashed around here this week. First of all I took a better picture of this one from last week so her is "Ready and Waiting: again:

 

Here are two new ones. First "Donkey Trio":

 

 

and second "High and Dry":

 

All are watercolours. The "Donkey Trio" is inspired by a photograph I took in southern France a few years ago. The "High and Dry" is from a photograph that I took when I was on Gabriola Island a couple of years ago.

That's my first post for April, no fooling.


Until next time...

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

 

Thanks for stopping by,

 

happy Whimsy Wednesday,

 

 

Gillian.

 

Sometimes I wonder!

Today I was on my way back from visiting my mother, a one hour trip in rush hour, when I saw something unbelievable. I was on the highway travelling north west after just coming over the Alex Fraser Bridge and was heading into Richmond; I only give the details in case anyone else witnessed the same event. At that point there are 4 lanes of traffic in each direction (highway speed), I noticed people swerving ahead, and to my amazement there is a mother duck and at least 6 ducklings half way across the four lanes of traffic. There is a small median and then four more lanes going the other direction. You just know this can't end well. They were not yet in my lane but I hope I would not have endangered other motorists lives had they been.

I have heard of the Darwin Awards for behavior of people not conducive to the continuation of human lineage, but I thought animals had more sense!

From the Darwin Awards site: "Named in honor of Charles Darwin, the father of evolution, the Darwin Awards commemorate those who improve our gene pool by removing themselves from it."

Here is a 2014 Darwin Awards story about traffic.

Anyway I got home in one piece, thank goodness, and I don't want to know what happened.

Here are a few pictures I took a couple of weeks ago, first a few more Great Blue Herons taken at the heronry in Stanley Park.

 

Herons are magnificent in flight.

 

Then pictures from a walk around the Stanley Park seawall to Siwash Rock, beautiful skies but there was a cold wind.

 

A view out over English bay with the ever present freighters.

 

 

Love the whimsy of this:

 

 

I thought it was just a bit cold for this, but each to his own. On a cool day with the water even colder a good sense of balance is essential for this kind of activity.

 

 

Siwash Rock seen from the south first and then after passing it looking west. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Canada Geese here seem to have found some exclusive waterfront property!

 

 

A Mallard and ... 

 

 

 

Wood Ducks enjoying the afternoon sunshine.

 

I end with these beautiful Magnolia buds.

 

 

I guess I must be dreaming of warmer weather because this was what I painted this week.

It is a watercolour and I called it "Ready for Action":

 

 

Until next time...

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

 

Thanks for stopping by,

 

happy Whimsy Wednesday,

 

 

Gillian.