I went on a hike on Vancouver Island, this weekend – uphill, mostly – with a friend who acts as my guide. Her generosity has allowed me to discover the back country, and I feel very privileged. That hike had an incredible payoff. At this time of year, Vancouver Island is a playground of green backdrops, punctuated with wildflowers. My wildflower photo collection is growing at a fast pace and I have spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out the names of the lovelies I captured…

During this trip, we saw three bears. One mama bear and her cub, a tiny little guy barely bigger than a small dog. They crossed the logging road in front of our vehicle and it was a treat to watch them.

Later, while walking next to a bog, we saw another bear. I should say my friend saw a bear “watching us”, according to her. I tried to look across the bog, to see if I could spot it, but I could not really make out the bear… and I was really focusing on some orchids…

Check out this close up of an alpine aster (aster alpigenus) in the middle of a bog.  I often take pictures because something – a bright colour, a contrast – attracts my eye. But I don’t really “see” everything in the picture until I blow it up on my computer screen at home. Actual pixel view. That’s the ticket!

When I take a look at the actual pixels, I am amazed at the little dramas that unfold before my eyes… Mysteries are revealed, secrets unfold… it’s almost magic. Here is this week’s  example. A spider – the Goldenrod Crab Spider (Misumena vatia) has set up shop in the flower, nicely camouflaged, and is waiting for dinner to arrive… Pity the innocent insect that visits this flower!