Labour Day weekend

mlRathje_RobinsNest

RobinsNest

grasshopper

We have been away for several days in the interior of BC, enjoying long scenic drives to the Kamloops area, twice to Vernon, then down to Skaha Lake in the Okanagan before heading back home. We spent time with daughter and son-in-law. We twice visited a friend from long ago school days who is very ill and now being taken care of by his daughter. We were hosted by good friends whom we’ve not seen in 12 years. A weekend of much laughter, great food, and sadness too – isn’t that life?

The photos above are of a fallen robin’s nest my daughter found in her garden as she showed me around. I was excited to have the opportunity to take some photos of it, some in very bright sunshine, some in shade. There are numerous grasshoppers (pests really!) in her garden this year, and this little guy jumped in for a portrait, not moving even when I came very near with the camera. More photos to come…

late summer

strawberry_flower

clematis

NZhibiscusSeedpod

the changing light and lengthening shadows beckoned for a backyard garden tour
a slight breeze meant only three images out of ten worked reasonably
a strawberry blossom, clematis seedhead, and seedpod of an unknown flower
named as New Zealand hibiscus after the friend who gifted the seeds

a fly?

winged-insect_72

on the studio windowsill, another tiny perished insect
pale delicate wings, long long thin legs
so plain to the eye, beauty revealed via scanner
is it a type of fly?

another heterocera

moth_top_3July14

Once again I find a tiny dead moth in my studio, wings perched as if ready to fly, as if still alive. Its rich colours, patterns and textures reveal themselves in their full glory in the scanner. Above is the top view, below the underside.

moth_under_3July14

How come butterflies never come visit my studio, or even the solarium where the flowers are? They must be smarter knowing they may never find their way out again.

curdles

curdles

transformation of liquid to semi-solid
a little disturbing yet fascinating
a scientist would love it
to me it is art

scapes

GarlicScapes2

GarlicScapes

For the first time ever, I am growing garlic. Today, I harvested the scapes or flowers (though they don’t actually bloom). I’m going to saute them in butter for tonight’s supper!

These are reminding me of our visit last fall to Sointula. It was there that I bought several huge organic garlic bulbs at a little untended roadside stand, with a little box for coin payments. Some time later at home I took one of those bulbs, separated the cloves, planted them and crossed my fingers. Now I am patiently waiting for the new bulbs to mature!

In the meantime, I’ve taken pleasure in scanning these lovely shapes of scapes and adding them to a series of kitchen art, such as stinking rose and more purple.

purple

BirthdayOrchid14

This phalaenopsis was a birthday gift from my husband (about four months ago) and is just now dropping a couple of its blossoms. I love how long-lived the blooms are which is why he enjoys giving them to me instead of cut flowers.

It’s become a habit for me to scan the fallen yet still beautiful blooms for posterity. Some scanned phals from the archives: translucent, fallen phal, papery, freshly fallen

white lilies

WhiteLilies

fondly remembering a day last week
a heartwarming visit from a dear friend
with a potted white lily in her arms
first scattered blooms captured as keepsake

flowers for mothers

muguet

Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers and caregivers!

Happy Birthday tomorrow to our youngest daughter who was born one Mother’s Day

The lilacs and lily of the valley are in bloom on this summery Sunday.

sea life (2)

SeaLife

SeaFlowers

on Hornby Island

(compare to the first “sea life”, on the westcoast of Vancouver Island)