Shells and Surf

I feel drawn to the seashore, and to walk along the sand at the waters edge.

So with camera in hand I tried to capture the waves as they lapped at the shore and tried to kiss my toes.

 

“Sit in reverie, and watch the changing colour of the waves the break upon

the seashore of the mind"

 

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

 

"Every time I have some moment on a seashore, or on the mountains, or sometimes in a quiet forest, I think this is why the environment has to be preserved."

 

Bill Bradley

 

 

" I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only a boy playing on a seashore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me."

 

Isaac Newton

"I could never stay long enough on the shore; the tang of the untainted, fresh, and free sea air was like a cool, quieting thought."
 

Helen Keller



 

"At the beach, life is different. Time doesn’t move hour to hour but mood to moment. We live by the currents, plan by the tides, and follow the sun."

 

Sandy Gringas

 

 

"I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky, And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by, And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking, And a gray mist on the sea's face, and a gray dawn breaking.
  I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied; And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying, And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.
I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life, To the gull's way and the whale's way, where the wind's like a whetted knife; And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover, And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over."

 

John Masefield 

 

I love this shell below, what a face!

 

I hope you have enjoyed my/our trip to the seashore.

 

 

I started this painting a couple of weeks ago and it sat idle for quite a few days before I got around to finishing it off. It is a watercolour that I call "Chinese Lanterns". 

 

 

 

And another food painting called "Winter Bouquet" showing Brussels Sprouts still on the stem:

 

 

 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-2.html

 

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

 

Also this new watercolour and doodle art card

 

 at: http://www.pswhimsy.com/seasonal--other.html

 

 

Until next time...

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

 

Thanks for stopping by,

 

happy Whimsy Wednesday,

 

 

 



Mostly Colourful Birds

On a beautiful day I am enjoying the local birds.

These RED-winged Blackbirds, male first and then female.

 

 

A Great BLUE Heron,



 

I don't think that house is big enough, besides the swallows have already signed the rental agreement for the season.

 

GOLDEN Crowned Sparrows are quite well camouflaged, in the shade and amongst the sticks,

but much easier to spot in the grass and in a ray of sunshine. 

 

 

 

"The reason birds can fly and we can't is simply because they have perfect faith, for to have faith is to have wings.”

― J M Barrie, The Little White Bird

 

 

I get an intense stare from this BLACK Crow.

 

 

I loved this picture of a single Seagull chasing an Eagle, obviously the Eagle has done something to really annoy the Gull.

 

 

 

 

A couple pictures of just the Eagle, a magnificent bird.

 

 

 

“That the birds of worry and care fly over you head, this you cannot change, but that they build nests in your hair, this you can prevent."

 

- Chinese Proverb

 

 

 

A one legged Canada Goose, or maybe the other leg is just neatly tucked away.

 



 

“The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.”
― Willie Nelson
 

 

No birds in this picture but I love these little stepping stones.

 

 

 

One painting this week, and another food painting, for my food card series.

It is called "Fig Heart" and shows the wonderful colour of a ripe "Dessert King" Fig:

 

 

 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-2.html

 

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

 

 





Until next time...

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

 

Thanks for stopping by,

 

happy Whimsy Wednesday,

 

 

Gillian

 

What to do on a windy day?

First, Happy Birthday wishes to my sister Marg.


Spring time and a windy day, what to do, well fly a kite of course.

The expression "go fly a kite" is a not terribly polite way of telling someone to buzz off. Odd expression, to me, because flying a kite is a very pleasant way to spend way to spend an afternoon.

This little guy seemed to be having a great time!

Another kite, further along the beach, on a very long tether so couldn't get kite and kite-flyer in same picture without needing a magnifying glass to view it.

 

 

"The pessimist complains about the wind;

 the optimist expects it to change;

 the realist adjusts the sails."

 

William Aurthur Ward

 

 

 

 

 

A different way to fly a kite, this is kite surfing or kite boarding actually. At first I saw just one surfer/boarder but in a short time at least a dozen more joined in the fun. I think word gets around quickly when the winds are good.

I asked one of the guys getting ready how windy it was and he estimated 15 knots and building.

"Kiteboarding is a surface water sport combining aspects of wakeboarding, windsurfing, surfing, paragliding, and gymnastics into one extreme sport. A kiteboarder harnesses the power of the wind with a large controllable power kite to be propelled across the water on a kiteboard similar to a wakeboard or a small surfboard, with or without footstraps or bindings" Wikipedia

 

It was exciting to watch, but I had little desire to try it myself; that water is really cold.

 

 

 

The "kite" is really large and seemed difficult to handle on the beach but elegant in the air.

 

These two kite boarders were carried so far into English Bay that they had to come ashore and walk all the way back to the west end of Spanish Banks where the other boarders, and I suspect their cars, were. A good walk even without all the gear.

"Thought is the wind,

knowledge is the sail,

and mankind the vessel."

 

Augustus Hare

 



There were wind surfers out too, but they were in the more sheltered waters.

 

Then I spotted this sail above the park? What is going on there? Well kite boarding on land I think.

 

 

 

 

And finally, and perhaps my favorite, here are a pair of Mallards surfing.

Now that looks like fun!

 

"Come Fairies,

take me out of this dull world,

for a ride with you upon the wind

and dance upon the mountains like a flame."

 

William Butler Yeats

 

 

I loved my afternoon in the sun and the wind; at the end of my walk my hair was standing on end and I was covered in a fine coating of salt and sand. What a great day!

I did do some painting this week, although not as much as usual. I finished this ink and watercolour "food" picture:

 

I call this picture "Mirrored Mushrooms" because it shows Shitake Mushrooms and their reflection.

 

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-2.html

 

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

 

 





Until next time...

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

 

Thanks for stopping by,

 

happy Whimsy Wednesday,

 

 

Gillian