The latest pictures

The latest pictures are up on the Flickr page - just click on the small picture collage at the side of the page.....

Around Home

Another day of sunshine, with rainy bits.....

In the late morning the smog (mist?) was so think the mountains couldn't be seen.

This is a small part of my concrete 'back 40'. As you can see, is is a work in progress. I usually have it all organized by this time of year.

My back 'yard' goes to the top of a steep cliff. Growing on the rocks are pampas grass and bamboo planted by a previous owner, cedar, fir, willow, maple, arbutus (madrona), and trees that I can't name that grow like crazy. I must get the tree men to come in and cut down all the larger specimens.

I can't resist clematis. I have bought several new ones this year and now must get them re-planted.

By late afternoon the mountains are visible. This is looking towards Sechelt on the Sunshine Coast.

A Gray Day

It was quite gray today and a nasty storm this afternoon. Lightning, thunder and rain......

We went out for dinner and after I stopped briefly at Piper's Lagoon. The tide was far out - we have been having very low tides lately. The broom is still blooming - pretty, but a noxious weed.

It was very quiet on this cloudy day - not a soul on the south-facing beach.

There are lots of interesting seaweeds washed up.....

The Shack Islands are high and dry with the tide out.


A white-crowned sparrow has been visiting often.

Milner Gardens

I am sorry that I have been negligent in putting up pictures! I will try to do better.....

Today I drove up to Coombs to buy some more bamboo fencing, and then stopped at Milner Gardens in Qualicum. The rhodos are lovely - but the wisteria on the old house is looking rather sad.

This is the lawn in front of the house, with the big trees of the forest behind.

The front lawn looks over the strait. There are a couple of people with kayaks below.

The garden has hundreds of rhododendrons, most in bloom right now.

One lovely tree is a copper beech.

Behind the more formal garden are many paths lined with very old rhodos and wildflowers as ground cover. Milner is a 'wild' garden, with the rhodos and other flowers blending with the forest and the wild flowers and plants.

This Solomon's Seal or False Lily of the Valley used as some of the ground cover.

The peonies are just starting to bloom.

This laburnum is almost out in bloom. I want one!

Sunset tonight from my window. A bit hazy, but nice.....

Gray Victoria

Off to Victoria today..... It was warm (+8 C) but gray and a cool wind off the sea.

Fisgard Street is decorated for the Chinese New Year.

The harbour is very quiet.

The Empress looks bare with all the leaves of the Virginia Creeper on the front gone.

It is quite windy out on Dallas Rd. There are lots of broom and gorse growing wild along the shore. These were brought here from England in the mid-1800s, and now have spread all over the southern end of the Island. The broom is on the right - it blooms in May. The gorse is beginning to bloom now. It is rather a nasty plant, with long sharp spikes.

A wind surfer was out. It must have been very cold.

A closer view of the gorse.

There are lots of snowdrops out now.

And the best of all! The first (and only) daffodils to be seen - these were in a garden along Dallas Rd.

Nanoose Bay

Kelly and I went for a drive late in the afternoon today - around the Nanoose loop. We stopped at the pond on the golf course to see what sort of critters we might find.


There were ducks, and some geese and one very sleepy swan with his head resting over his wing.

He woke up long enough to get his picture taken and then went back to sleep.

Farther around the loop is Schooner Bay Marina.

From the hill above I zoomed in on the mountains on the mainland.

Then down to the marina and a walk along the docks.

It was quite cold out - just above freezing, I would think.

But even if it is cold, the flowers are coming out more and more..... the rhodo bushes on Hammond Bay Rd. are looking more colourful.

Home and About

A mixed day for weather! It was quite blue this morning and snowing this afternoon. The pictures were mostly taken in between.......


This was sunrise......

And then later, looking north in the direction of Texada Island.

As the early afternoon was pleasant, I went up some of the hills above the city. This is from the top of Nottingham Drive, looking down on Departure Bay. The new ferry isn't out today - it is the one on the right.

And from the same perch, the view towards Mt. Benson. The Nanaimo golf course is the green bit.

Then to the top of a different hill. This is from the lookout on Smuggler's Hill. I have a good view myself, but the view from this housing development on the top of the Smuggler's Hill is spectacular.

This and the next shot are not very light, but I watched this interplay for about 15 minutes yesterday afternoon. The house finch is just sitting, and the Anna's hummingbird was quite upset that he is taking up space on the feeder.

Finally they both decide to have a drink, although I don't know what a finch can get out of the little hole.......


Here is another house finch,

and a chestnut-backed chickadee.

The flower of the day - the heather is quite pretty now.