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

 

 

 

 





Cariboo 3

Hi everyone, I have a few more pictures of the Cariboo to show you today, but first of all I must apologize about the fellow below. I asked for assistance in identifying the Marmot below because I couldn't find any that quite matched this little fellow.

 

Well I now think that is because this is not a Marmot, instead I now think it is a Ground Squirrel. Compare my images below..

 

 

to this Ground Squirrel picture I found on the internet:

 

 

There are definitely Marmots is the Cariboo this just isn't one of them. That gives me a mission for my next visit!

 

Now this is definitely a horse:

 

 

My sister Dorothy with the horse, I am sure about that too.

 

Canada Goose sitting on nest, and not too pleased about company, the mate chased me away shortly after taking this picture.



 

This egg shell (goose sized) was nearby, must be an egg thief nearby. 

 

 

Here is a fawn grazing happily, until a door opened and someone let a dog out,

 

 

then both mother and fawn scooted away. They still have their shaggy winter coats.

 

 

 

Here is a doe and two fawns taken by my brother in law last summer.

 

 

Now we get to the new (to me) birds for today:

 

I think a Canvasback, above and below.

 

 

 A Hawk, no sure want kind. It was heading for a marshy area where I had just seen a brood of goslings being escorted by protective parents.

 

 

An American Kestrel:

A Meadow Lark

A Ruddy Duck, and yes, that beak is bright blue. 

White Crowned Sparrows:

I think this a Yellow Rumped Warbler:

 

Yellow Warbler?:

A tractor, just slightly past its' best before date:

There were lots of great fences too, this one decorated with a bark wreath. 

 

Well that is the last of my Cariboo pictures and all the pictures for today.

 

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I have a couple of paintings to share with you. The first is a painting of an Arbutus Tree on a rocky shore, not sure this one worked, may need to start again.

 

 

 

Second is is an ink and watercolour painting called "Pear Duet":

 

 

 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

 

 

 

 

Until next time...

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

 

Thanks for stopping by,

 

happy Whimsy Wednesday