Blog, Inspiration, Photo Wednesday, Photography

Mount Baker Moods – Photo Wednesday

Mount Baker is an impressive mountain, a volcano, actually. It dominates the sky, from the Anacortes shoreline.

 

Baker Early Morning

Above, an early morning peachy-colored skyline, featuring the volcano in the background. Taken at the ferry parking lot, in Anacortes, WA.

 

Mount Baker, WA. Morning mood. Photo by Andrée Fredette

Then, blue shading started to come in… This was about thirty minutes later, and the pastels were softly changing.

 

Mount Baker, from the Anacortes Ferry. Photo by Andrée Fredette

 

And this was taken from the ferry, about an hour later. I think it was just before Friday Harbor, our midway stop before crossing the international boundary, heading for Sidney, on Vancouver Island.

 

And below… this is what Mount Baker, the White Sentinel, looks like, from Saturna Island, in BC.

Mount Baker, from Saturna Island, BC. Photo by Andrée Fredette

Blog, Photography, Wanderings

Red Moon

Last evening, I took a tripod and a new camera to East Point, on Saturna, to see if I could get the hang of night photography.

I still have lots to learn about exposure, timing, focusing, and operating my new camera in the dark… (Hello, what was I thinking?)

Red Moon at 7:51 pm on Saturna, September 27. Photo by Andrée Fredette

Above, the early part of the show, once the moon rose above the haze/fog of Bellingham, on the West Coast. It was 7:51 p.m. local time.

 

Red Moon at 8:04 pm local time, Saturna Island, BC. Photo by Andrée Fredette

After about 15 minutes, the moon’s orange and gold brilliance became more intense.  I apologize for the fuzziness of this photo, taken at 8:04 p.m.  I will need to check out and set up the remote shutter app, so I don’t have to touch the camera (and make it vibrate) to activate the shutter – especially at night.

 

Red Moon at 8:15 pm, local time, Saturna Island, BC. Photo by Andrée Fredette

And 10 minutes later, at 8:15 pm, the moon was already losing its orange tinge.

And at the same time, a Holland America cruise ship – the Oosterdam – leaving Vancouver on its way to San Diego,  was coming through. It was following Boundary Pass, the international line that separates the Canadian and American islands…

Red Moon over the Oosterdam cruise ship in Boundary Passs. Photo by Andrée Fredette

As you can see, I had issues with speed settings. The moon was fairly stationary, but not the cruise ship! Here is the Oosterdam, in all its glory, full speed ahead, and all its lights blazing. And more than a bit fuzzy…

 

Oosterdam Cruise Ship and its light show, passing by Saturna Island, BC. Photo by Andrée Fredette

Viewed from a distance, a cruise ship produces an impressive “light waterfall” on the water.

 

Night Lights on Orcas Island, viewed from Saturna Island, BC. Photo by Andrée Fredette

And across the pass, the towers of Orcas Island leave a red trail in the waters of Boundary Pass.

Blog, Inspiration, Photo Wednesday, Photography, Wanderings

Fall Equinox – Photo Wednesday

First day of fall. Getting used to the idea that summer is over.

Although I have to stay on flat terrain and paths, I am happy to report that I am walking again, without the giant plastic boot, cane or crutches. What a relief!

 

Most on trunk, after the first rains in months. Photo by Andrée Fredette

On this first day of fall, the weather has certainly changed, and so has the forest. The first rains have greened the forest floor. Moss really responds to moisture very quickly. It doesn’t look as discouraged as before…

 

Blackberry Leaf, Stressed. Photo by Andrée Fredette

Above,  the leaves are showing stress. The drought was hard on vegetation, even in the shady areas.

 

Chainsaw Tic Tac Toe. Photo by Andrée Fredette

Above, a tree stump in which a creative logger for Parks Canada left a tic-tac-toe of chainsaw cuts…

 

Leaf veins form a lace-like network. Photo by Andrée Fredette

Above, the lace-like veins of a leaf, offering a hint, a reminder of what once was and is on the way out. Still, elegant…

 

Bracken Fern Detail. Beautiful Texture. Photo by Andrée Fredette

Above, bracken fern (Pteridium), an elegant plant with very interesting texture, up close and personal.

And speaking of up close and personal, my latest discovery:

 

Yellow-Ladle Liverwort (Scapania bolanderi), Saturna Island. Photo by Andrée Fredette

Yellow-Ladle liverwort (Scapania bolanderi)… Tiny, tiny liverwort. I did not really know what was on the photo before I looked at full resolution, on my computer screen… The “sticks” on that photo are fir needles, to give you an idea of the scale. I will return with a tripod to take a sharper set of pictures of this little treasure. And maybe correct the ID of this one.  And speaking of identifying the things I discover on my walks, I have a reference shelf…

Here is a well-used book in our house:

Plants of Coastal British Columbia, by Pojar & MacKinnon.

Can’t recommend this book enough! Everything from trees to lichens, for this region. Very useful and informative.

Go have a walk outside!

Blog, Photo Wednesday

Late Bloomers in the September Garden – Photo Wednesday

Here we are, mid-September, and the garden has cooled considerably. A few days of rain about a week ago interrupted a three-month drought in the Southern Gulf Islands. The soil is still not moist enough, but mosses are reviving.

Meantime, in my garden and on the deck, a few plants are joyfully blooming… a last hurrah.
Bougainvillea on the deck. Photo by Andrée Fredette

Above, the bougainvillea that “pouted” all summer long, after a serious clipping back, is now in full glory. That is a close-up of the blooms (the little white flowers) and bracts (the flashy fuchsia/purple “wings”). This plant livens up a corner of the deck… but should come back into the greenhouse in a couple of weeks or so.

 

Succulent Bloom in September. Photo by Andrée Fredette

This is one of my succulents’ bloom. It is an Echeveria, I am not sure which one, though. After a summer on the deck, it is finally blooming.  It also will have to return indoors in a couple of weeks, because it doesn’t like really wet soil.

Salvia Blue Angel. Photo by Andrée Fredette

True blue, that is my name for this Salvia “Blue Angel”.  That shade of blue is very noticeable as you walk to the front door. Took all summer, but is finally blooming its little heart out!

 

Hardy Cyclamen. Photo by Andrée Fredette

And above, a hardy Cyclamen. The previous owners of this house planted some bulbs 30+ years ago, and I never saw these little flowers until we installed a deer fence three years ago. Now, I spot these little angel wings all over the front yard! Very elegant little flowers.

Here is a close-up:

Hardy Cyclamen (Cyclamen hederifolium). Photo by Andrée Fredette

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