Today, I celebrate spring and mid-week with a trio of flowers.
First, a local wildflower, the fawn lily.
Then, a local garden flower, the echinacea. With visitors.
And finally, something very tropical, from a greenhouse.
Happy midweek.
Monthly Archives: April 2016
Sunset magic – Photo Wednesday
Above: from the archives, a particularly moody August sunset from 2009, over Navy Channel, in the Southern Gulf Islands of the British Columbia coast.
Several days in a row this week, the sunsets have been very special. All warm shades, with a little contrast for good measure.
Above, that was on April 18, to the right of the horizon. Golden mellow.
At the same time, all the cool shades were gathered on the left of the horizon…
I started taking pictures of sunsets from my perch on this island right from the get-go. Here is why:
That photo is from December 2005, early days of digital cameras. The pixels are little “rough”, but they do convey the magical quality of the light, and bright colours at sundown. That boat was in a hurry to get home before dark…
But let me show you a few more examples from various seasons, to give you an idea of the range of colours and cloud patterns involved.
One evening, that was the sight: the sky on fire above Pender Island’s forest.
The sky show can be spectacular. I love the light on the water, above.
And clouds can create some truly dramatic effects.
I did mention that I love the sunset reflection in the water. Here is my shot of that liquid gold, rippling after a boat went through the sound.
And there are bonus points if you can observe the sunset from a high vantage point, on a cloudy evening. Big payoff!
I leave you with this “sunset blues” version. Play some Mozart at sunset, it suits the mood.
Arbutus (madrone) – Photo Wednesday
Above: Lucky afternoon shot. From his perch on an arbutus high above Fiddler’s Cove, that eagle was keeping an eye on the water.
Arbutus is a fascinating tree because it is constantly changing. Its bark renews itself every year, peeling off old layers to reveal pistachio-green fresh skin.
If they are near your house, you might call them messy trees because they are constantly dropping something on the ground: bark, limbs, waxy flower buds, fruits not eaten by the birds, and dry leaves. Year round. A broom can be handy, to clear a path among the detritus.
Still, they are just beautiful. Have a look.
How is that for visual rhythm?
Another afternoon shot, focusing on the bark, curling and peeling off.
Right now, they are blooming, attracting lots of bees.
A close-up of the flower, which is waxy and heavy for its size (tiny).
Arbutus is a tree of coastal British-Columbia, the only native broadleaf evergreen tree in Canada. Its other common name is madrone, a Spanish word for the strawberry tree, of which arbutus is a close relative.
It likes sunny and dry conditions. Like rocky bluffs.
And in the fall, some years, it produces great crops of tiny fruit that are loved by the birds.
Go hug a tree, it’s good for the soul.
Island Wandering – Photo Wednesday
Above: A view of the point at Narvaez Bay, taken from Fiddler’s Cove, Saturna island. Can you spot the hikers?
This beautiful and peaceful spot is Fiddler’s Cove at low tide. To get there, you have to clamber down a steep trail (and remember that what goes down has to come up at the end of the excursion…).
This spot has beautiful lacy sandstone (also called tafoni). Over the years, I have watched lots of people take photos of it, because everyone finds it intriguing. How can rocks look so lacy?
Here is a closer crop of the above photo, to show you a lichen detail:
I am new to lichen identification, so this little red béret lichen crowd will remain unnamed for the moment.
And here is “big nose”, the rock that overhangs the water. It frames the horizon.
If you look carefully between the rocks at the water’s edge, you can get lucky and spy an anemone…
So the lesson is: keep your eyes open, you never know what you’ll spot.
Weekend Report
Above: close-up of a flowering tree on East Point Road, Saturna Island, BC. Roadside poetry…
What follows is a visual report of my weekend. It involved a little commute on the ferry, a little road trip on Vancouver Island, and a little excursion to Winter Cove park on Saturna Island.
On Friday morning, we left on the mid-morning ferry and I got to admire the fog that was caught between islands, hanging on before the sun could do its thing and burn it out…
This is the cute islet that lies just off North Pender Island. I don’t know its name, but it stands out in a lovely silhouette, against a fog backdrop.
While on Vancouver Island, I got to admire the greenery in bloom, including this tall Oregon grape…
And while walking in a meadow, I caught a glance of a hawk overhead. I was a little slow on the photo op, and got him a little bit “fuzzy”.
Patrolling the fields for mice and other goodies, no doubt.
Back on Saturna after a pleasant road trip and a return ferry commute, we all headed to the pub for sundown.
The sky and water had a dramatic moment…
You have to keep a watch on the sky and water, at sunset. It pays off handsomely.
And this morning, I headed to Winter Cove with a friend, and looked for spring wildflowers.
We were rewarded. Lots of Fawn lilies (Erythronium oregonum) and what looks like soon-to-open chocolate lilies (maybe).
There is always one that stands out. This was the pinky one:
There were masses of them, right up to the edge of the rocky shore.
And there were also daisies here and there.
At the water’s edge, a solitary heron was watching the shallows.
It is good to get out and breathe some fresh air.