Andrée Lives Here

Signs of Fall: Deer at Play

2009-10-10T14:00:00.000-07:00

While having my second cup of coffee, around 7 am, this was the scene outside my window: young bucks practicing their fighting skills, and a curious doe.

When I touched my camera lens to the window, the resulting sound got their attention. The males broke off their mini-duel briefly, and the doe showed more concern, but the bucks quickly returned to their contest. While the rutting season not yet fully on, because the does are not quite in estrus, it's almost here. Male female behaviour is quite interesting to watch...

Below: a close-up of the combattants. Didn't their mommy tell them about pointy things and the dangers to their eyes? Haven't seen too many blind deer... I guess the blind deer are the ones with depth perception issues and difficulty seeing incoming cars. They get picked off earlier.

Escape Up the Ridge

2009-09-22T21:00:00.000-07:00

When you live in a small place, you sometimes feel the need to make yourself scarce. I have been feeling cooped-up lately, and I really didn't need a serious excuse to go exploring, so I jumped at the chance to spend one more summer weekend off-island... this time on Vancouver Island, somewhere above Jordan River... on the San Juan Ridge.

Above: Logging road going up hill... can you spot the pickup truck in the distance?

To get there, a rough ride on a logging road is required. This is truck and 4 x 4 country! The picture above does not do justice to the feeling of "driving on the edge" you get on logging roads... Steep and narrow, with no guardrail or anything. Can you spot the pickup truck up ahead? I took this picture through the windshield, while trying to avoid swerving...

This is an active logging area and fully-loaded logging trucks use the road during the week. I prefer to go there on weekends. Would not want to negotiate my way around a logging truck in that spot! To give you a better idea, here is an intelligent description:

Logging Road Language
Driving on active logging roads can be hazardous.
They're narrow, unpaved, and usually have no shoulder or guardrails. Bridges are invariably only wide enough for one vehicle. They are frequented by logging trucks, which are large and when loaded, heavy vehicles. A loaded logging truck carries anywhere from 45 to 100 cubic metres of wood. One cubic metre of spruce weighs about 450 kilograms. People familiar with logging roads know that the first rule of the road is:
A loaded logging truck has the right of way.
This is independent of what the Motor Vehicle Code may say. You see, in the real world, the laws of physics trump social constructs. Now and then a few people, witting or unwitting postmodernists, who think that social constructs trump the laws of physics, are mowed down by logging trucks. Natural selection can be brutal.
(For more witticisms on this, click on this link...)

Above: The view North from the top of the San Juan Ridge, on a cloudy day

Once you get yourself safely to the end of the logging road, you still have to hike up to the top of the ridge. It probably takes no more than 30 minutes, I can't remember exactly. What I do remember is that it's uphill... Once you get to the top, and you regain your breathing, you can admire the view at your leisure. A clearing near a cellular tower reveals a spectacular view to the North, over an ecological reserve and some clearcuts...

Cool nights on the ridge signal the end of summer. The colours are starting to change, as evidenced by this blueberry bush, which has decided to blush...

And an hour's walk to the East - about 200 meters down the ridge - brings you to a magical lake. On Sunday, the water was a mirror, reflecting the cloud cover. The picture above only reveals a portion of the lake, which has many little inlets and secret corners. A truly beautiful spot.

Local enthusiasts have left canoes on shore, and we decided to go for a paddle. This was Jack the pitbull's first canoe ride. After an initial moment of trembling, he decided to go zen and enjoy the peaceful experience.

In the back of the canoe: ze woman who escaped. It will happen again, I promise!

Orcas Visit

2009-08-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

On Thursday afternoon, I took some visitors on a little trip to the other side of the island, to Thompson Park, near the Saturna Island Vineyard. We played on the beach with the dog, walked around the park and tasted some plums from an old tree. Then we went home to fix dinner.

On the answering machine: a message from people who wanted to come watch orcas (killer whales) at our house, because they had been spotted coming our way. Forget dinner! We looked out and... sure enough... there was a flotilla of boats to the West! Boats (power boats) that are stopped in the middle of nowhere are a sure indicator of killer whales. That's how they stalk them, sad truth.

Above: A small group of orcas, surrounded by their admirers... seen from the naked eye.

In Canadian waters, the required distance that boats must maintain is 100 metres (300 feet). You can judge by these pictures that they are much closer than that, and are actually herding the whales.

As usual, the admirers are way too close to the whales. The "pros" (commercial boats with paying passengers) are a little more reserved than the private boats... according to what I've seen over the few years that I've lived here...

A close up of the scene... This guy hasn't cut his engine and is still moving toward them!

Putting this picture in context: on July 31, the CBC was reporting that the US recently announced new whale watching regulations that would double the required space between the whale watching boats and the orcas (check out this report on the CBC website)

The U.S. is considering adopting new regulations that would double the distance boats must keep from killer whales in the Puget Sound – and those in B.C.'s whale-watching industry worry it could hurt business.
The proposed mandatory rules would prohibit all vessels from coming within 183 metres of killer whales, double the distance of the voluntary buffer zone many tour operators already follow.... (read the rest on the above CBC link)

This is what it really looks like: 100 metres? I don't think so.

The amazing thing is that even from where we stood, much further away than the people in these boats, we could hear the whales breathe. It's very impressive!

Idyllic view of Plumper Sound, over by Thompson Park on Saturna Island. Pender Island in the background.

Click on the above picture to enlarge it and see how close the boats are to the whales, so close to shore. To check out the Canadian regulations and discussion on the possible tightening of the rules, click here for a Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) page.

Too close, people!

Close up of the same shot: private boat way too close (like, right on top, asshole!) My secret wish was that they would get flipped... A nice dunking in really cold water, among some very large creatures... Keep in mind that there are more whales to the left of the yellow boat, and that he is intersecting the group.

In the long run, the whale-lovers will kill the golden goose with too much love and not enough space and respect.

August Regatta

2009-08-25T17:00:00.000-07:00

Above: Finn the spectator, slightly blasé...

Last week was regatta week on Plumper Sound. Pender Race Week (if you are interested in the race results, check out the RIPS website here) held by the Sydney North Saanich Race Club, was on. From August 14 to 19, we watched a colourful flotilla battle it out every day.

Above: A pretty sport, sailing, when the spinnakers are aloft...

After going round the marker, they put up their spinnakers and really moved back across the sound at a good clip.

Above: These two boats looked like they were performing a very close dance...

I could see that these sailing competitors take their racing very seriously, and bluff each other around the buoys that mark the course (may I be forgiven for my lack of sailing vocabulary!). There was quite a bit of shouting, whistling and so on when boats came very close to colliding.

Pender Island was the base for this race, which lasted five days (from what I could see).

Summer Fruit: Ode to the blackberries (the fruit!)

2009-08-24T18:00:00.000-07:00

On the West Coast, summer time is fruit time. This week - and the next few weeks - roadsides are ripe with black gorgeous and juicy fruit (Rubus armeniacus), commonly known as Himalayan blackberry. On Saturna, blackberries are literally dripping from tall and vigorous vines.

Above: Blackberry blossom and buds... the promise of things to come.

The picking is easy, if you choose areas where the vine is lower to the ground, and fairly open. It gets tricky in large patches where the vines interlace and use other vegetation to climb, putting all those luscious berries 10 to 15 feet above the ground. Oh, and did I mention it has nasty thorns? The scratches on my legs and arms are the price I pay for all that goodness!!!

Above: Blackberry and nectarine fruit cake, in the making.

I have already picked several containers of the berries, and plan to get much more, which I'll flash freeze, then keep in baggies in the deep freeze... for deepest winter.

And what does one do with all that juicy, tasty, black richness? Fruit pies and cakes, of course! Also, I have to check out my supply of jam jars... because there will be jam and jelly in my cupboards.

At least, this invasive species has a good side. But just in case, I am linking to the GOERT website, which has a worksheet on Blackberry control, and the Canadian Environmental Network, which also discusses the plant. After tangling with blackberries, just picking or trimming them, I can vouch that trimming or containing this plant can seem like a hopeless task. And a bloody one, too...

Garden Treasures

2009-07-29T15:00:00.000-07:00

July is turning out hot and hotter on the Gulf Islands. The dog is panting and I'm studying his sprawling style, usually near a fan.

The garden is suffering from the heat: the more delicate plants have yellowed from lack of water (or an excess of heat). But others are thriving in the merciless sunshine: the dill is producing a really nice seedhead...

The tomatos love this heat. I have the beginnings of a crop.

And the crocosmia is thriving. Love that red hot bloom! Like fire.

Weekend Escape

2009-07-27T15:00:00.000-07:00

This time, we used a series of logging roads to get to the backcountry. It was an experiment in finding our way in a real maze...

If you have never been near a clearcut area of forest harvesting, you are in for a shock. It's like zooming in in a hay field after the mowing. Lots of things are knocked down in order to get to the valuable stuff.

We took a look at areas that were re-planted, probably only a few years ago. It still looks desolate.

This is an area of fresh logging, with older cuts in the background.

Above: Standing near a patch of Skunk cabbage (Lisichiton americanus).

Then we found one of the entrances to a protected area, the Kludahk trail. A real haven of greenery, much cooler than the surrounding logged areas.

After a brief forest section, we ended up in bog area. Lovely place.

Above: White bog orchid (Platanthera dilatata)

Above: Sundews (drosera), a carnivorous plant in the bog, glowing like jewelry. Dangerous beauty!

Job done! This puppy knows how to knot up his people!!!

Mountain High

2009-07-23T21:00:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I posted. Reason? An incredible adventure, thanks to C., also known as Mother Superior... You see, I went backpacking. And I've never backpacked before, not up in a forest like this one, nor up a mountain like this one...

With borrowed equipment and a brand new backpack, I bravely joined another novice and Mother Superior, and off to the forest we went for a three-day adventure in the backcountry of Vancouver Island.

The trail was demanding. It was hard work. I sweated until I thought I would have to wring my shirt. My hair was stuck to my face. The pack felt heavier throughout the time we worked our way up to the lake. And I did use some pretty colourful language, I must admit.

Ahh... the lake. Cold, freezing water. Just what we needed to cool down! After setting up our tents, we went for a dip.

And everywhere we looked, there were little treasures for us to notice.

And like this one.

More magic moments, like this waterfall over a tree. And we took time to enjoy them.

Then, when we ventured higher, above the tree line, there was the payoff: the fantastic feeling you get from reaching a higher elevation, the incredible views and - of course - the magnificent weather.

Above: Mountain panorama. Click on the picture for a screen-wide view.

Good for the soul. I hope to return to that magic place someday.

Sunday Morning Fire

2009-06-20T11:00:00.000-07:00

Above: Saturna volunteer firefighters dealing with a stubborn fire on a Sunday morning

We have a burn pile near my house. It's in a clearing, away from the trees, near a pond. When they clean their yards and driveways, my neighbours (and us) take the accumulated brush and branches to this burn pile. We can pile up quite a bit of stuff to burn over a season...

Four weeks ago, we burned the accumulated greenery and then extinguished the fire. Or so we thought...

Above: Hot, sweaty work... and they are volunteers

Early last Sunday morning (4 weeks after the burn, remember...), someone caught a whiff of smoke and went to investigate. And was horrified to see 4-foot flames creeping toward the tree line! So he alerted neighbours, called 911 and returned to the site, to try to control the fire before the first responders got there.

I helped with the phoning around to neighbours, to warn them. By the time I got to the site, everything was under control, pond water was pumped onto the flames and the Saturna Volunteer Firefighters were demonstrating their savoir-faire.

Lesson learned: fire is sneaky. It may look like you have put out the fire, but it is still hot underneath and can reignite several weeks later...

Fire season is upon us.

Garden Bounty

2009-06-15T17:00:00.000-07:00

June on the BC coast is a month of sunshine and colour. Right now, my garden is full of poppies, roses and strawberries. You want proof?

Above: Bounty from my garden: sweet strawberries and scented flowers!

Now, I am searching through my books for a strawberry jam recipe. I am tempted by the Joy of Cooking version with no artificial pectin. It uses apples instead. So this picture shows you what will go into the jam: strawberries, apples (with their peel) and sugar. Yep, it's going to be good!

Garry Oak Survival

2009-06-10T05:00:00.000-07:00

I live on a bluff. It's a dry area - in the summer, that is. This is an environment where Garry oaks (Quercus garryana) thrive. They can withstand a dryer microclimate than Douglas firs and other competitors.

Above, on the left, let me introduce you to the Papa Garry oak. A big tree, holding its ground on the top of the bluff.

And at my feet, little Garry oak hopefuls, enjoying the late spring sunshine. But not for long... The blacktail deer and feral goats will mow down these saplings before they get to be 8 inches tall... Every spring, it's the same story.

But not this year! A year ago, we caged a sapling with rebar and - very ugly but necessary - plastic netting. This is the only 3 year old Garry oak in the area! The rebar spikes are firmly anchored in the rocky ground, to avoid the "shouldering and shoving" of the cage by hungry goats. I will have to trod down the bluff with more cages, to add to my junior Garry oaks.

For more information about this environment, and conservations efforts to protect Garry oak ecosystems, check out the Garry Oak Ecosystems Recovery Team.

Whale Watchers Run Amok

2009-06-09T12:00:00.000-07:00

Saturday, we went for a walk at East Point, on Saturna. There was quite a bit of boat traffic in the area, which led us to believe there might be orcas...

It's early in the whale-watching season, so I can understand that the operators are eager to build some excitement. However, some of these guys act like cowboys. Here is an example:

Above: This boat belongs to Wild Whales Vancouver. It is zooming at full clip between Boiling Reef and the Eastern tip of Saturna Island, in an area that is zoned "protected". On the other side of boiling reef, there were approximately 30 seals basking on the rocks... Let us hope there were none swimming in the path of this boat.

To clarify exactly where the boat was going, here is a map from the Southern Gulf Islands Atlas, with the clearly marked "no go" area in shaded blue...

Above: A map of the Eastern point of Saturna, with the clearly marked protected area (within the Gulf Islands National Park).

The above map comes from the Southern Gulf Islands Atlas, an amazing online resource reference, once you figure out how to use it. You can zoom in, highlight an area, include relief, satellite imagery, roads, property lines and so on. A great tool.

Click on this link: Gulf Islands National Park Preserve, for a map that clearly indicates that Boiling Reef is zoned "Special Preservation Area":

Special Preservation Areas - Parks Canada
Sprinkled throughout the park are a number of smaller islands and islets. The ecosystems of these islands are fragile and easily impacted and some support unique or threatened species or are the best examples of natural features or ecosystems. Brackman and Georgeson Islands, park islets and six other locations have been designated as Special Preservation Areas. While small in size, islets are vitally important as refuges for native plants and important habitat for marine mammals such as seals and sea lions. Others are important feeding, nesting and roosting sites for endangered birds like the Marbled Murrelet, Black Oystercatcher and Double-crested, Pelagic and Brandt's Cormorants. In order to protect these ecologically sensitive areas, they have been afforded the highest level of protection and are designated as AUTHORIZED ACCESS ONLY AREAS .
Boaters and kayakers should remain 100 metres offshore to protect wildlife from disturbance. (The above is excerpted from the Park's website.)

Above: Stalking an orca female and her calf... Big boat, big engines, big group of customers!

Click on the picture to enlarge it...

Then, turning my lens to the spectacle offshore, I was amazed to see a group of six boats, shadowing an orca female and her calf. Shadowing is a kind word... it was stalking, way too close. Motoring ahead of her, and parking in her path to give a good show to the paying customers. This was the most aggressive boat on view last Saturday.

Early June, really early in the season... The seals better keep their young ones close to shore, or they'll be mown down by the cowboys. Here is a link to Gerald Graham's post on this topic, back in 2006. Not much has changed, I'm afraid.

Susie's Garden - Second Report

2009-06-09T05:00:00.000-07:00

This time of year, my friend Susie's garden is a pleasure for the senses: all these colours and shapes, wonderful scents, lovely texture... I am not going to wax eloquently. Instead, I will supply pictures of these visual beauties. Here is a quatuor of stars from Susie's garden:

First, a rose slightly askew, which is what attracted my eye in the first place. Peach delight.

Then a close up of lovely Columbine (Aquilegia), almost otherworldly.

And then, the extraordinary Himalayan Blue poppy (Meconopsis), a very rare treat.

And finally, a very sexy rose. There is no other way to describe this blossom. I am sure it has an official name, and I will be corrected. But right now, it is Very Sexy Rose.

Fluffy, creamy yellow goslings

2009-06-05T08:28:00.000-07:00

A gaggle of twenty goslings (five-day old on these pictures) live on my island. They arrived by ferry a couple of days ago, and their Daddy has created a lovely - and stimulating, note the drawings and signs on their pen! - environment where they will grow and gain weight... They will remain indoors for a while, to protect them from the wily racoons. When they are ready for the great outdoors, they will patrol the pastures...

They will have a beautiful summer in the country, ruling the pastures and following their Daddy around. They have imprinted on him...

The one on the left is my favourite. Seems brighter than the others, no? Although they are tiny, their beaks already give an indication of the pinching power to come.

When I say they will be patrolling, I mean it. Geese are famously territorial, as evidenced by quite a few Youtube videos, such as this one:

Goodies from the Garden

2009-05-31T11:55:00.000-07:00

Above: Rhubarb and blackberry pie, hhhhmmmmm.

This was my first try at rhubarb pie and a lattice-top. Perfectionists will notice that I forgot to weave the lattice. My next pie will be perfect (I will apply myself!). The taste, however, was fantasmabulous. Now, I'm going to dream of ways to use up my blackberry reserves. I have bags and bags of frozen blackberries, which I picked last summer. Must finish them up before it's time to pick more!

Above: My greenhouse, the envy of many gardeners. Chock-full of tomatoes and basil.

I also have to get going on the tomatoes and basil planting. They are going outdoors this week. The garden promises to be very productive. More garden goodies coming this summer.

2009-05-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

Above: The New Century, An enormous car-carrier, viewed from the local ferry.

The car business must be very slow. How do I know this? The car-carriers, these enormous cargo ships, have been anchored in the Plumper Sound anchorage, some of them from a month or more. This one is the New Century, built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. It was here for a few weeks in April and early May.

To give you a true idea of the size of this ship, here's the description from the above link:

New Century 1 is the world's largest car carrier. Built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and owned and operated by Toyofuji Shipping Co., she is 325 feet long, 105 feet wide, and has a draft of 27 feet. She carries her capacity of 6,000 cars at 20 knots.... She is a ro-ro (roll-on roll-off) and is equipped with several ramps so that the cars can be driven off the ship.

These ships bring in the Japanese and Korean cars to North America. Cross the ocean, then stop - in sight of land - but no dice. Gotta wait a while to unload their cargo. I wonder what life on board is like? Must be quite boring...

At night, from shore, they look like a city block. Bright lights, big generators going full blast. Waiting for their turn.I write in the plural, because right now the New Century has left for other ports... but it's sister ship, the Nippon Highway, is anchored in Plumper Sound. That photo if from a photographer on the island across the water from me, Kevin Oke. Very beautiful images on that blog!

Beauty and Danger, revealed

2009-05-13T21:00:00.000-07:00

Above: Stinging nettle (Utica dioica)

What a lovely plant, you may say. Lovely green, vigorous, great texture. Whatever you do, do not touch this plant... or you will regret it. That emerald beauty is stinging nettle (Urtica dioica). When you touch the plant, the hairs break off and deliver a nasty mixture of the following:

The stinging hairs of stinging nettle contain the compounds acetylcholine, histamine, and 5-hydroxytryptamine. Acetylcholine is found naturally in mammals and is involved in firing nerves, whereas histamine causes swelling (Mitchell and Rook 1979).

What would be the ultimate revenge? Eat the nettles, of course. On my island, people rave about their nettle soup and last spring, I tasted nettle ravioli at the Saturna Café. I liked it very much.

So, about a week ago, I went out with a pail, clippers and gloves, and collected some nettle tops. Very carefully. I rinsed them and blanched them (blanching is cooking very briefly in boiling water, then stopping the cooking by dipping the herbs/vegetable in ice water). Then I chopped them and incorporated them in a risotto. We shared the risotto with a bottle of white wine and everyone liked it.

For all you brave ones out there, here is a nettle risotto recipe from Mariquita Farm, in California.

Moving on to other dangers lurking in the forest... Below, this little beauty (it's barely 6 or 7 inches tall) is the Calypso orchid (Calypso bulbosa). A good number of them have been blooming on the forest floor for the past three weeks. Nice little flashes of hot pink in the abundant greenery of mosses and ferns.

But if you look closely, very closely, at the orchid, you'll notice the beginnings of a death trap. See those fine lines? The beginning of a web... Somewhere on that orchid, a spider is busy creating a trap to capture the unsuspecting insects that will visit this little jewel...

Above: Death from within?

And then we arrive a the really sad story: a birdlet in the middle of a road. I don't think this little one flew there, or even fell out of its nest (the trees were too far away). I think it was kidnapped, and accidentally dropped on the way to the dinner plate of whichever bird kidnapped it...

Above: Poor little guy, didn't make it.

Over the past few weeks, I've noticed a lot of shrieking from parent birds. Commotions in the forest. Some birds chase the kidnappers and dive bomb and attack them furiously. The size of the attacker doesn't matter, the parents take them on.

Maybe this is what happened here: the kidnapper dropped its prey because of the parents' furious reaction. But the little one didn't make it.

T'was a Lovely Saturday

2009-04-26T22:32:00.001-07:00

At my house, the housekeeping has been taking a back seat to outdoor adventures and studio work. What can I say? Spring has sprung. There are gardens to be gawked at, assorted outdoor chores to take care of (how many times a day do you refill a hummingbird feeder? How about two hummingbird feeders?), and walks in the woods, up the mountain... Dust gathers in the house. But our clothes are clean...

Above: Finn the Guide, trying to find the way up the mountain

The vet has declared Finn fat. I'm free to write this on my blog, because Finn can't read and won't be offended if I say it here. What can I say? We got him just over a year ago and he's been well fed... and getting way too many treats, apparently. I'm not too slim myself, so the perfect cure seemed very clear: take a long walk. Take lots of long walks, actually.

On Saturday, we did just that. We walked up the mountain (about 3 km up) and I mean UP the mountain. Very steep terrain. Plus, we stayed off the logging roads, because they are full of nettles. It was hard work and I sweated. Finn looked longingly toward the lower slope. As in "Are we done? Can we go home now?"

Above: Finn-the-large-dog gives an idea of the size of that cedar stump, which was logged a long time ago...

Look at the tree stump above. Can you spot the plank hole below the cut? A plank was inserted into the tree, so the loggers could stand on it to saw the tree down. Here's a link to an image of loggers standing on planks, a long time ago.

Above: Newborn twin deer on the forest floor, a thing of wonder

Not very far into our upland trek, we crossed a flat area, deep in the forest, where these two babies were resting. They are blacktail deer. Newborn, tiny little things... Mom must not have been very far away, they had just been "washed up and licked". Finn spotted them, and pointed them out to me. I thought they were dead, because they weren't moving. But then, an ear moved a little, listening. Although they are only hours old, they instinctively stay still to avoid being spotted. Their mom hid them in an area that is protected from their main predator: eagles. We didn't bother them and walked on. We were on a mission: burning calories.

We continued on our trek up, then parked ourselves at the top and rested a while. Then back down the mountain, on the road this time (4 km), back to our vehicle. Saturday, we really deserved our dinner!

To crown it all, the sunset was beautiful.

Susie's Garden - A riot of colour

2009-04-25T17:00:00.000-07:00

Susie was right: the tulips were at their peak. It was worth the trip! To do them justice, I got in close and personal. No wonder the Dutch have always valued them so highly (for a look at the history of Dutch tulip mania, click on this wiki article). After a very long and grey winter on the West Coast, all of us crave bright colours, glowing in the sunshine. Susie's Garden is a symphony of colour. Am I laying it on too thick for your taste? Too bad.

Without further ado, here is the evidence:

You didn't think they needed comments either, did you? And now, we move on from the world of strictly "beauty", to the practical world of eating. Here's a photo of what I call the promise of future good things:

Above: Beans, under cover... the promise of good things to come...

Above: A lovely lily - Susie called it a Fritillaria

After that colourful interlude, we drove on to East Point and walked along the paths and the cliffs, and had a nap in the sunshine. Couldn't get any better than that!

On the Way to Susie's Garden...

2009-04-25T09:27:00.001-07:00

So, Susie invited me to check out her tulips the other day, because they were in their glory. It happened to be a sunny day, so I drove out to the other end of the island for a look-see and photo opportunity. I even hummed "Tiptoe through the tulips". Boy, that dates me!

On the way to Susie's garden, you have to drive carefully because you might encounter the Highway Patrol, also known as the Jones Lambs....

They're made a break for it! They got through the fence, and are checking out the world. There are no predators on the island, so they have no fear... And they are not afraid of humans. Below, here's their reaction to my stepping out of the car: they ran to me, "Do you have any goodies? Huh? Huh?"

How could you resist that face?

Once they realised I wasn't carrying any treats, they ignored me and continued on their merry way.

And I drove on, carefully, to Susie's garden...

Sunny afternoon by the water

2009-04-20T23:34:00.000-07:00

Today, the weather was irresistible. We had to get out and we decided to enjoy that amazing sunshine and walk the Winter Cove loop, part of the Gulf Islands National Park.

Above: Winter Cove, the long view from behind the salt marsh

Parks Canada has been busy in the Winter Cove sector. Lots of machinery still around, they are not done yet. There will be new paths, new footbridges crossing the wet areas, and so on. My only regret is that they felt the need to block off the access to the waterside trail, for a good portion of the shoreline on the "sunny side". And we all know how important the sun is during the winter... Too bad.

Above: Fawn lilies (Erythronium oregonum), very graceful in the sun.

There are all sorts of treasures on the forest floor, or near the shoreline, at this time of year. Lots of wild flowers are showing up. The Fawn Lily is one of them, but when you look up, you can spot the salmonberry blossom, a lovely shot of hot pink in the sky.

Above: Salmonberry blossom (Rubus spectabilis), high above my head.

While we were following the path, we disturbed some birds that were fighting over something on the ground. Turns out it was a dead snake, and the raven got part of it. Overhead, an eagle patiently waited his turn at the carcass...

Above: One of the Winter Cove resident eagles... waiting for a snack.

And in the distance, we could hear the sea lions that are resting on the Belle Isle rocks. Quite the racket coming from those rocks. They must be getting ready to head North for the summer.

It was a lovely hour of walking, a very nice escape from the computer on a spring day.

An Afternoon on the Mountain

2009-02-16T15:00:00.000-08:00

It doesn't matter if the sky is sunny or cloudy, a walk on top of our "mountain" (for British-Columbians, this is but a slight bump...) is a treat for the eyes. Open skies, birds of prey, non-stop views. Good for the soul.

With my pack dog, who carries his water and snacks, we can cover a few kilometers on the ridge, and watch for goats... this is what he is staring at right now... We sat down on a rock, got out the binoculars, and silently watched more than 70 feral goats go by. The wind was favorable, and they couldn't pick us out, so we were able to watch them enjoy a sunny afternoon, many of them seemed to be sunbathing.

Above: Finn the pack dog

Above: a tiny bit of the 100+ goats that went by, following one

of the many paths they have carved into the mountain...

Above: A ship follows the international boundary line. Behind, the US islands...

And finally, on the way back down (4 km of dirt road, rather rough and single lane most of the way...), I noticed a bit of fence that was "modified" by a tree which was blown down during a storm. Nice bit of geometry.

Out of the Fog

2009-01-29T15:14:00.001-08:00

For nine days, we were in the fog. Cotton batting thick, quiet world. In the end, it was getting to be a bit much.

Glad to say that the sun broke through, and here are some images to prove it!

That island in the distance is Pender Island. The white fluff in the sky is more fog bits, being blown over our house, and across Plumper Sound, to go pile up on the foggy patch across the water. That day, the fog was fighting back! Gathering up some more, to take back the day.

Above: a close up of brave sailors, getting away from the fog on Pender Island. Making a break for it.

Many of our friends have also made a break for it. They have gone South. I can understand that: I would like to dip my toes in some warm water, and feel sand between my toes too... Sigh.

Paying Attention

2008-12-03T19:50:00.001-08:00

Paying attention, being in the moment. Looking appreciatingly at the world that surrounds us. It's a pleasure to watch other people "click in" to that moment of grace.

We had some visitors this weekend, and we took them all over the island, for endless walks in the grey weather. Some drizzle too, but we managed to avoid the real downnpours. Our visitors didn't mind because we fed them well. They also fed us well. OK, we just had to work off all that food, so we traipsed around the island.

Above: The East Point Lighthouse Building, Saturna Island

Yep, this is how she would frame that shot. My sentiments exactly. Local volunteers recently refurbished the former lighthouse building at East Point, and we went to check out the new exterior. Very nice! It may be available next summer, for interpretive activities.

Above: A view of the vines, during their dormant stage

On the other side of the island, the vineyard is resting. The grapes have all been picked and the symmetry of rows upon rows of vines following the contours of the land is quite elegant. What looks like smoke in the above picture is fog. Our visitors from the sunny South were treated to five days of fog (every day), very dense fog in the mornings, followed by overcast afternoons.

I don't know about you, but I seem to hear better in the fog. It's a bit like after a snowfall back East. Things are quieter and you can hear every sound. Of course, we could hear the fog horns of the ferries negotiating Active Pass, a few kilometers away. And after a few moments of reflection in the great outdoors... we all headed back to the warmth of the kitchen, to concoct more goodies for everyone!

The Beauty of Decay

2008-11-24T21:13:00.000-08:00

Whether on top of the mountain or down by the rocks at the water's edge, I have become very attentive to decay. Especially wood... Trees slowly disintegrate in their own ways, depending on the local microclimate, and the elements.

Here are some examples:

Above: Bits of a Douglas fir stump, exposed to sun and wind

Above: A log on the beach, shredded (fiber art?) and resting...

Above: Alder leaves in a puddle, disintegrating slowly

If these seem sad, well, they are. All good things come to an end. But the beauty of nature - I keep going back to that - is often found in the patterns that emerge as things disintegrate. Links are revealed.