sitting butterfly

this butterfly floated into my place one sunny day and couldn't get out so i helped it back on its way. once i brought it outside though it was so exhausted it just wanted to hang out on my hand. the novelty wore off shortly but i couldn't get it to take flight. a good ten minutes later its friend, or mate, happened by and they went along together.

busy bee

this little one was loaded with so much pollen after rolling around in this zucchini blossom it could hardly fly away.

red harvest

i harvested the radishes and planted some new ones. they were by far the quickest growers in the garden. the new ones are almost ready to start eating now.

racing stripes

i came across this slug the other day. the brightest i've ever seen. and fast too, aerodynamic ridges i suppose :) . of the arion variety i believe.

sea shore head

i found this skull in the forest close to the water. possibly an otter? or mink?

growing garden

here are some shots of the garden growing. they were taken a while ago. radishes, zucchinis, mixed salad greens, blueberries, and the flowers on a wee tobacco plant. all are bigger now. the radishes started to swell and split after a rain so they have been picked and replanted.

newt

found this little newt the other day. 

no hands

bike rides! i did the west road/heriot bay road loop today in 31 minutes, a new best. you can see a map here. its around 14 or 15 km.

down by the bay

here are a few shots of the water front at the site of the trail work.

in the woods

i've been doing a little work reclaiming some trails. here is a before and after shot of some of the work and a look up at the canopy.

young stunner

this little one flew right into my sliding glass door as i sat at my drawing board. it flopped around a bit then managed to get to its feet but was still in shock, it just sat there blinking and closing its eyes. loosing its balance and righting itself. i went and sat down beside it to have a look and noticed it had a tick right under its eye. i went inside and grabbed tweezers then went back out to see if i could remove it but it wouldn't come out so i used some nail clippers and cut it out. the bird was still in shock and just sat there blinking on. i smeared the tick on the step and an ant came promptly to eat away at it. i sat with the bird for a minute and removed another little insect that was clinging on to its feathers then went back to the drawing i was working on. every once and a while i'd steal a look over at the bird, still staggering and blinking. after about ten minutes it regained its senses and flew off.

nettle seeds

i went back to the nettle patch to harvest some seeds. boil them to make tea.

whichy

a bone from a small animal, a feather, an acorn, two human teeth, a semi precious stone, and the leg of a bird. ready to make a potion and cast some spells.

spider

 

i found this one hiding behind some illustration board that i had leaned up against the wall. i caught it with a drinking glass and a sheet of paper. when i removed the glass it was kind enough to stay still for a little photo shoot. i've never seen one like this before, i did a little searching on the internet but couldn't find it. anyone know it?

a bird in the hand...

...is worth two in the bush

this little one had something wrong with its legs. it couldn't stand and wasn't able to fly. it died the next day.

spring? summer?

you wouldn't know it but for the blossoms, but it was spring, and now summer apparently. the sun came out one day and i got these shots. the trees were alive with the humming of the bees.

stove stoker

i was still burning the wood stove well into june and even had a fire just a couple of nights ago. with no insulation in the walls or roof its pretty much a big wood tent, as soon as the fire is out the heat is gone.

beautiful road kill

i found this dragon fly on the road while biking home. it had been hit by a car and was missing it's head. the nerves kept it moving for two days after i brought it home. raising its wings and moving its legs around. i have a couple other dragon flies that i have found over the years. this one was to be added to the collection but the ants got to it as it dried out on the window sill.

getting gardening

getting into the building of the garden boxes. a little late but with all the poor weather not much has been missed.

snail maker

a little tiny snail making a teeny weeny snail.

may long weekend

i took a little camping trip north of campbell river with some of my fine friends. this was the view.

dearest

one of the neighbors dropped by to say hello and check out how the garden is coming along.

nettles

my brother and i road our bikes down to rebecca spit to pick some stinging nettles. this is part of the harvest drying in the sunshine. they're great in soup and very good for you.

unpacking

when i first arrived and started into the unpacking process my drawing board served as a sort of organization station for art related items. its fun to lay them out and square them up, a little ocd maybe.