Celebrating new life in the garden on Mother's Day 2016

Happy Mother's Day! 

It's a great time to celebrate new life- so I'd like to share the new life growing in our garden... with these pictures, enjoy :)

Tiger swallowtail butterflies are my fave! This photo isn't new... but is still
from my garden :)

A beautiful magnolia bloom, smells just as lovely.

Our magnolia in bloom.

These magnolia flowers are huge & smell so delightful.

As the magnolia fades, this snail is catching a nap in its shade.

Fancy daffodils- so pretty.

Lots of spring colours

Our white dogwood in full bloom

Wooly caterpillar :)

Rhododendrum flower buds...
 with a daddy long legs checking them out.

Peonies flower buds... with an ant to help it open.

Pretty heather blooms

Is this the birth of a walnut tree?

Our pink dogwood has lots of blooms forming!

Close up of the pink dogwood bloom.

Purple irises. I need more of these :)

Birth of a fern plume.

 Wisteria starting to bloom.

Our wisteria starting to bloom, more spectacular every year.

Columbine abounds in our gardens with their pretty pink blooms.

Columbine almost blooming.
If you look hard, you'll see a face in this fairyland photo.

Our azalea, preparing to bloom soon.

Tiger swallowtail butterfly- saw the 1st one this year- yesterday :)

I wish I could add the delightful scent of these lily of the valleys.

Pine tar - a sticky situation

                                                    Winter is here in full swing.

Winter in the mountains- looks pretty and I love the various shades of grey & clouds.

 We've got snow on the ground but it's melting in the rain, while our wood stove is burning away the dampness & making our home warm and cozy. 

Winter in the Kootenays -  hoping to see the sun some time... soon?

Our walnut tree covered in fresh snow.

I love our wood stove and wood heat... but I hate getting sticky hands from the sap.

I loaded the stove this morning ... with my bare hands! How silly.

Stacked firewood- the culprit- it doesn't look sticky, does it?

 I know better, but in my defence, the gloves weren't there, so I took a chance and wouldn't you know it... a big gooey blob of pine tar was oozing from the chunk of firewood and of course I got it all over my hand.

 If you're not familiar with pine tar, sap, pitch or whatever you want to call it- it's the stickiest stuff you can get. Just like in National Lampoons' Christmas Vacation... where Chevy Chase is trying to read a magazine in bed and the pages stick to his hands :) 

Anyhow, that was me this morning. 

Luckily I know how to get rid of it, easily & quickly and thought I'd share my tip with you, in case you didn't know.

All you need is margarine, hot water & liquid dish soap!

 I wiped the blob off on a piece of newspaper. Then I got a tablespoon sized chunk of margarine and used it like a bar of soap on my hands, rubbing them together and getting them good and greasy.

  Then used some hot water to wash off what I could... now they're greasy- but not sticky, so... then I used a bit of Sunlight (any kind should work) liquid dish soap and rubbed & coated my hands with it. Finally used hot water to wash it all off. Bingo! Works like a charm! 

 So, there you go, if you ever get into a sticky situation with pine tar on your skin, you'll know how to get it off!  (I haven't tried this on clothing and hopefully won't have to.)

 

Love the splash of red of these mountain ash berries.

Taz... our grand dog- he loves the snow :)

 "Beauty is all around us. Sometimes we just have to look harder to find it".
Have an awesome day! Please leave a comment, so I know you were here :)

Angie

 

  

 

Photos of garden visitors.

I was hoping to do a "quickie" little post of some photos I've taken this spring... here's the photos, but I don't know how quick it will be :)

Osprey high up in our tree- using mega zoom

Some flowers in my garden :)

Robin, we have so many of them here, I call them my garden
"Drama Queens"  as they are pretty noisey :)

Stellar's jays visiting our patio looking for peanuts.

Stellar's jay- a quiet moment for a noisy bird.

A blue jay- a rare visitor here.

Sun- dog... mid summer halo around the sun.

I love creatures- big, small & even slimy :)

Wisteria in the front yard.

Our magnolia in full bloom.

Azalea in full bloom.

Not sure what kind of humming bird this is, but adorable &
fun to watch although very shy- even with a zoom.

Another robin... this one has a nest in one of our trees :)

Oh deer! How sweet- even if they do eat
most of my flowers :)

Bald eagle...using mega zoom :)

Stellar's jay visiting our little bird bath.

Not sure what kind of bird this is- perhaps a young kestrel?

Nuthatch defying gravity and hiding sunflower seeds
in the bark. I love their little buzzing sounds.

Raven on a post posing for me.

Another blue jay looking for peanuts :)

  I hope you enjoy my photos.