Hello October
by Marja-Leena
by Marja-Leena happy chickens
on our recent visit to our daughter’s family on the Island
we were introduced to their chickens, incubated, hatched and now almost fully grown
daughter designed and built the chicken coop
with much advice on construction design and predator proofing from her father
they are different varieties, each has a name and responds to calls and hugs like any pets
always on the move, they are colourful, inquisitive, smart and friendly
they love their free ranging time under supervision by the granddaughters
watch out for hovering hawks, sneaky minks and hungry raccoons!
soon there will be eggs….
if interested, you might like to visit our daughter’s blog to learn more about their adventures in raising these delightful feathered creatures
by Marja-Leena late summer ferry
over ten days ago we took a ferry trip over to Vancouver Island to visit family
the weather was glorious with brilliant sunshine
here we are just ready to leave Tswawassen on mainland BC
we were lucky to get front row seats on the enclosed sundeck
staying there for the whole journey across the Salish Sea
feeling like we were on a cruise
approaching the narrow windy Active Passage between many islands
no oncoming ferry passing us this time
leaving the Passage as we get ever closer to Swartz Bay
mesmerized by billions of sparkling diamonds and blue sky
many smaller boats on the waters delighting in the last days of summer
sealife jumping about… orcas? dolphins?…too far for photos
Now that fall is here along with much-needed rains (er, maybe too much the next few days!) keeping me indoors, I am finally sorting through the trip photos. I hope to post more of them soon.
Happy fall days ahead (or spring down-under), dear readers.
by Marja-Leena water iris
We’ve been away for a few days again recently, this time in the Victoria area visiting middle daughter’s family. I have some interesting things to share but am quite busy with much work in home and garden. However I just had to scan and visually preserve this stalk of beautiful going-to-seed water iris picked from their lake front.
Our weather continues to be glorious with very warm days and cool nights.
by Marja-Leena nest building
Some closer looks at the robin’s nest which was shown here a little while ago. Birds are such amazing builders, wouldn’t you agree?
by Marja-Leena garden of lichens
the strange and beautiful lichen on walls and rocks in our daughter’s garden:
another of the wondrous seeds featured in the last post:
by Marja-Leena seed heads
Last weekend I had a chance to brush up my rusted skills in macro photography with interesting subjects in our daughter’s garden up in the North Thompson River valley. A touch of a breeze seemed to often come at just ‘that’ moment so only a few photos worked out well. I should have packed along the tripod.
by Marja-Leena Labour Day weekend
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…
by Marja-Leena late summer
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
by Marja-Leena a fly?
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?