The Beaver Moon

Did you see the moon tonight? If not, here it is. :)
A friend sent me a message to go look at the moon tonight. I did - and I decided to practice taking moon photos.
This is the Beaver Moon, which, according to the Farmer's Almanac, is named such because this is the time of year when the Algonquin tribes and the early colonists set their beaver traps before the swamps froze. This would ensure they had a good supply of warm winter furs.

Oh, Deer!

I was taking pictures of the gorgeous fall foliage on Saturday morning, at Hatley Castle in Victoria, B.C. I was in the lower garden area and was just about to climb the stairs to the castle, when I looked up to see a doe watching me. I don't know which of the two of us was more surprised! Her young fawn poked his head around her to take a look at me as well. They obviously decided I was not a threat, and Mama turned around and headed down the other set of stairs on the other side. Baby came a little closer, and took another good look at me before following. The bottom two photos are of Mama waiting for her baby, and the last one is of baby walking up to Mama.

Let It Bee

I think I am becoming obsessed with taking pictures of bees. They are challenging little creatures who won't slow down for me to click the shutter.
I have been spending time in our garden. Our rhododendrons are in full bloom and I began taking photos of the flowers. Soon, as always, I found myself sidetracked with trying to capture the perfect bee photograph. This was a personal challenge I set for myself last year and it seems to have carried over to this one. Those bees are fast. I am trying to get one flying and in focus. What I need is a doddering old bee that will fly slowly for me. They appear to be hard to find. :-)
Here are a few of my bee photographs for you to enjoy.

Baby Bird update!

Well, the mystery of what type of baby birds these are has been solved. They are members of the Junco family. We have seen the parent birds fly in and out of the hanging fuchsia basket where they have made their nest. These birds are so well camoflaugued that I still can't see when one of the parents is on the nest. I can only tell when I get close and they fly off to a nearby shrub to yell at me if I am too close to the babies.
Today I gently added a little bit of water to the plants, on the opposite side to the nest. Just enough, I think, to keep the plant alive and the nest hidden, while the babies are there.
After all, if the basket wasn't under the eave of the porch, it would be subject to rainfall, so I think that is okay.
While I did this, I quickly snapped a couple more pictures.
As you can see, it looks like there are 3 babies. I thought there were 3 the first time I spotted them, just two nights ago, but it looks like I may have been wrong. Or perhaps the 4th baby is underneath the others. At any rate, the egg has hatched, and one of the babies flapped its little wings. They are so adorable, with their bulging eyes, skinny limbs and black fluff.
What do you think? Have you ever had a nest in a flower box before?

Bird nest in the hanging basket!

I was watering the hanging fuchsia baskets and thank goodness I took them off the hooks. Inside of both of them is a nest in each. One empty, one with 3 new baby birds and an egg yet unhatched. I'm hoping Mama comes back, but I haven't seen her yet...Anyone know what kind of bird this might be? Chickadee? House sparrow?

Spring Cleaning Everything!

I have been in a real spring cleaning mood these days. If something or someone stands still for too long, there is a very real chance of being considered for the recycling bin! The problem is, as with any clean-up, everything becomes so much messier before the tidying begins to show. I usually dive right on in to clean things up, and then about an hour into it I stand, pulling my hair out, and wonder why on earth did I begin this clean-up? And then I find myself getting sidetracked on this computer, updating my blog post. Oh Look! Squirrel! (not getting distracted, am I?)

How about you? Do you get distracted this easily?

Easter lily photographs

The yard of the historic St. Mary the Virgin church is surrounded by wild lilies that cover the ground in spring. I have been there for the past two mornings, capturing photographs of these beautiful, delicate lilies to share with you. This beautiful church was built and consecrated in 1873, in Metchosin, B.C., and is still maintained as an historical site by a dedicated group of local volunteers. It is still used occasionally for church services, weddings, funerals, and other required events.
Here are a few of the photographs I have taken in this beautiful churchyard.

Recent works

Here are a few of my recent works. I hope you enjoy them!