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.

A white spider in my garden

About a month ago, I found a little white, crab spider on a rhododendron flower, in my garden.

I don't think it's an albino, but here's a link with lots of albinos.

I've never seen a white spider

before, perhaps they aren't very common?

I've checked on her/him a few times and she appears to have acquired pink markings, (if it's the same one) and stayed on the same bloom.

Then I found another one, on another bloom, so I know there are at least 2 of them in my garden.

I haven't seen the 2 spiders lately, but then my rhododendron has finished blooming,

and I can't find them there, maybe they moved?

UPDATE:

I was pleasantly surprised today, when I found a little white spider with pink markings, on my favourite roses.

A perfect opportunity for a photo shoot, featuring awesome coloured roses, and a pretty, little white spider.

I wish I had a better camera, but I'm still happy with some of the photos I took.

I know that many people hate spiders, so maybe I'm being optimistic, hoping you enjoy my pictures.

I think she's a beauty, just like this rose.

I think the other one has moved into my peonies now, or else I have

more white spiders than I thought.

A relaxing Kootenay day...

Dave & I ventured up to a local beach, to enjoy a bit of the sunshine before the clouds cover it up.

The lake level is very high right now, with the spring run-off, so there isn't much of a beach and some of the trees are standing in water. There's lots of snow, up top, that's still melting and the creeks are running full-tilt. Lots of logs and stuff are floating around on the lake and shores, but the fishing seems to be pretty good in some (secret) places, and the golf courses are looking great too.

I like watching the ferry, and thought I'd point out that we have the longest free ferry ride in the world, here on Kootenay Lake. Right now they're on the winter schedule (just one ferry- the Osprey, it's the big one, with a coffee shop, observation area and even wireless internet!)

June 14/11, they'll add a 2nd smaller ferry- the MV Balfour, until Sept 5 2011... here's the schedule.

MY SHAMELESS PLUG: "Buy my buttons"! If you're fortunate enough to take a ride on the Osprey ferry, be sure to stop in at the Coffee shop and buy a coffee and one of my "Catch that ferry" buttons, that have the schedule on them, or at least say you saw their shop on my blog.

When we got home, I took some pictures of the garden in Spike's pen.

My perennials are well established and could use some thinning, while the lemon mint should be perfect to start harvesting…there's always something to do outside.

Right now my little azalea, columbine, lilacs, irises and windflowers are in full bloom, while the bumblebees and friends are enjoying them. I saw my 1st tiger swallowtail butterfly last week,! To me it's the true harbinger of summer, like the 1st robin, 1st swallow, the 1st tiger swallowtail butterfly is a sign of the season's progress.

I hope you enjoy my photos and the links I've chosen.

Please leave a comment, don't be shy... I'd love to hear from you :)

May Days weekend

I just love Holiday weekends, don't you?

This could take far too long to write & read, so I'll just note the highlights.

Gardening:

I spent some time in the garden, weeding, planting, dividing, moving, admiring.

I do the flower beds, while Dave grows our vegetable garden which is off to a great start.

All we need is some more sunny (warm) days.

Entertaining:

We had some friends over for a Bar-b-que, chicken & steaks, with corn on the cob ( 5 for $2.00 at Save On),

salad, apple pie, rhubarb crisp, and ice cream.

Note: You may not know this about me, but I'm not comfortable in the kitchen, so I don't spend more time in there than I need to. That's why I'd like to point-out that I picked the rhubarb from our garden, and Googled a recipe to make a rhubarb crisp, I know it's not rocket science, but it was so delicious with Vanilla ice cream. We rarely have desert.

May Days:

We made the scenic drive to Kaslo on Sunday. They have an annual May days celebration over the long weekend with logging events, which had a healthy crowd, so we walked up the beach, checked out the Craft vendors, antique cars, and some shops. We had a short visit with an elderly friend, but the intermittent rain, and our geriatric dog- home alone, prompted us to head home early.

Family time & paint day:

I set up my paints and stuff on the picnic table on the patio, including our old ipod, set Low so I can listen to MY music (Roy Orbison, Chris de Burgh, Elton John, etc.) I was trying to decide if I should start something new, or work on some paintings that are in progress. It was so bright & hot in the sun, I just knew the paint will dry really quick so I decided my painting should be done quick too. In one day…Today!

My son came outside to see what I was doing. He soon joined me… squinting at the light reflecting from his bright, white canvas.

My tulips are blooming right now, what a perfect inspiration for a cheery painting.

We ended up moving the picnic table into some shade so we could both stop squinting. He also switched My oldies music to his new Progressive flavour. We spent an enjoyable afternoon talking and painting together, something we should do more often.

Groceries :

Yah, we gotta eat too. Tuesday I went to town & did the weekly grocery shop. I'll enjoy not having to do it after work tomorrow.

UPDATE: June 25/11

I'm donating my tulip painting to the Circle of Habondia Lending Society, as they are having an Art Auction Fundraiser, this Thursday June 30th- in Nelson, BC. and Michelle Mungall will be the auctioneer, Come if you can!