Whidbey Island (pt3)

When I blog from my picture organizer, Picasa, it only allows me to blog 4 pictures at a time. I find it easiest to blog this way-first choose my pics and then do the write-ups. So now you get the Whidbey Island blog in three parts and in reverse order. I'd also thought of doing the pics as a slideshow and added the gadget as you might see in the right hand column but after that I didn't take the time to think through the next steps - another time.

Oh this gull was very entertaining and I got a lot of shots of him. I was wondering if he only had one leg so I threw a small piece of driftwood gently to a log close to him. He put his other leg down and hopped over to a neighboring log - no worries. He had been preening himself or simply scratching himself under his wing with the other foot for the longest time. Later he sat down and tucked his head under his wing, even his eye seemed to disappear later.

Driftwood is stacked up for miles along the shore. Some years ago I found a wonderful long curved piece of driftwood to which I helped myself and now use in my garden as a prop.

This stalwart flower flourishes along this rugged coast growing unconcernedly in the sand. These flowers along with the grasses help keep the sand from blowing away.

The Arbutus Tree is unique and eye-catching because of its red bark and gnarly branches. I remembered from earlier studies that this tree is unique to our West Coast. I Googled 'Arbutus Tree' and found:
"The Arbutus Tree is the only native broadleaf evergreen tree in Canada. Arbutus is restricted to a narrow band along the south coast (of BC)and generally occurs within 8 kilometres of the ocean. It is often found on exposed rocky bluffs overlooking the ocean."

Whidbey Island (cont'd)

On to Deception Pass - a formidable display of the power of the sea as it surges through a narrow channel. From up high we get just a peak at how strong and forceful the current must be.

Just a few miles down the road we turn off and head downwards to the inlet.

There were many birds on the shore and on rocks in the water, even forming islands, it seemed, on top of seaweed some distance from the shore. After reading the info boards I realized this was dinner and more for these patient birds.

A Trip to Whidbey Island

We enjoyed a pleasant drive down to Whidbey Island on Puget Sound today. It was a brilliant fall day. My first shot had to be of Mt. Baker taken while we were driving, through the car window and past Al's nose - not bad! I always think that we in the lower mainland have a far more spectacular view of Mt. Baker, from many different vantage points, than do our American neighbors who call that magnificent mountain theirs, of course. This shot was taken just out of Lynden.

Where will we have lunch? That's the important question of the day. The Farmhouse near Laconner is our unanimous choice. I enjoy browsing around the country garden. Inside, the restaurant boasts a charming display of country giftware and decor items.

This fragrant tea rose caught my eye and the camera lens.

Late Summer Garden

September has been drenched in glorious, golden sunshine here in Abbotsford, bringing out deep rich colors and scintillating scents. From our top balcony I was able to capture the view of the side garden. Those long-lasting wave petunias, vibrantly fuschia-colored, have been a constant source of color delighting the eyes time and time again. I've noticed the wave petunia, smaller than the classic petunia, although rich in color and easy to care for, is not fragrant. I usually like to have at least one old-fashioned petunia plant in the garden just for the scent.

My three little cherry tomato plants out along the sunny back fence are quite prolific and tasty.

My dinner plate dahlia did not come up this year and I resorted to buying two container mini-sized dahlias. I was smitten with their color and simply added some bacopa hi-jacked from another planter and have been enjoying this splash of color throughout the summer.

What is a summer garden without a spider or two or twenty - whose often invisible webs stretch across walkways, becoming so annoying. This interesting fellow has been hanging out above a front window box for the last two or three weeks. I've tried to agitate the net a bit to see him scuttle up and curl up into a ball. My pics aren't good of this but it is intriguing to watch. I'm thinking it must be a female and she's waiting to lay her zillion dozens of eggs soon.

There are many poems written about spiders including pertinent information about these amazing creatures, like Eric Carle's beautifully illustrated childrens' book

"The Very Busy Spider"

Then there's the song my grandchildren love to sing:

"The eensy weensy spider went up the water spout

Down came the rain and washed the spider out!

Out came the sun and dried up all the rain,

So the eensy weensy spider went up the spout again!"

Spiders

Spiderlings hatch from eggs

Each one has eight tiny legs.

A spider has more eyes than you-

Most have eight and you have two.

A spider has two body parts.

Across its web it quickly darts.

From a spider's spinnerets Sticky, spider silk jets

Spiders feel the frantic tugs

Of their favorite food - it's bugs!

by Janet Bruno

Spiders

Clever spider spins a thread

To make a trap we call a web.

Clever spider knows that she

Will have some insects with her tea.

Gladiolus Sword Lily

"Gladiola bulbs were once considered old-fashioned, but... they're having a bit of a comeback.
I'm not a great fan of growing glads in the flower garden, but I do love them as cut flowers..."
(from Flower Gardening Made Easy)

I love glads as cut flowers too. This sweet coral-pink one ( my Flower Expert refers to it as a Gladiolus 'Columbine' - ooh, that reminds me...I did so want to post earlier on the delicate columbine in my garden in early spring but somehow...) is the only one in my garden. I've had a few every year since I planted them many, many years ago and simply let them be and forgot all about them since they are in the back next to the fence. They've always produced about a half dozen or so and I've always had one red one in the bunch but this year only one - one beautiful pastel-hued glad.

And so with only one gorgeous stem of gladiolus - gladioli is plural as is gladiolas- I needed to show it off to its best advantage. How would I do that? After cutting it and placing it in water, I took it back outside to get a better backdrop. Lorna told me how effective a black or dark backdrop is when highlighting a flower. She's right.

I tried finding a short quote or poem about the Gladiolus but couldn't find one. If you have one, please pass it on to me.

Sunrise

Sunrise...sunset - miracles...and they happen everyday! By now I've experienced so many of them and yet I'm so completely oblivious to most of them. Maybe it's because we don't have a view from our place that encourages this or maybe it's because I take this kind of natural phenomenon for granted. A beautiful sunrise and sunset...amazing, lavish gifts to us.

At 6:45 this morning, as I looked out the east-facing window, I noticed the sun valiantly trying to break through the morning mist. This augured well - a sunny day ahead! But this was different somehow...oh yes, the trees across the street are gone and the sun comes out so much earlier, it seems. What a glorious sight!

Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly flow the days
Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers
Blossoming even as we gaze

Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly fly the years
One season following another
Laden with happiness and tears

from Fiddler on the Roof

"Teach us to number our days aright,

that we may gain a heart of wisdom."

Psalm 90:12

September

A road of brown ribbon

A sky that is blue

A forest of green
with that sky peeping through...

Asters deep purple...

A grasshopper's call...

Today it is summer
Tomorrow is fall.