Good morning 2016...

A sparkly frosty morning to bring in the New Year...Georgia has already been flitting about...

When the land is covered in a dusting of ice and the winter sun hovers along the treeline, 

it's me and the camera out to marvel at the cold hand of Jack Frost...

The term 'Wabi Sabi' in Japanese has no real translation but basically means 

perfection in imperfection, irregular beauty, things in their simplest, most austere and natural state...

The art of everyday life...

And on this first day of a New Year I am welcomed by all and any small thing out here in the cold...

I stare in awe...  

   

 ...at  the creative transformation these tiny things have undergone through a cold clear night... 

Many lie dormant ...

Asleep in frozen grace...

Our lives...are but a little while,

so let them run as sweetly as you can,

and give no thought to grief from day to day.

For time is not concerned to keep our hopes,

but hurries on it's business,

and is gone.

                                      ~Euripedes~

What is life?

It is the flash of a firefly in the night.

It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime.

It is the little shadow which runs across the grass

and loses itself in the sunset.

~Crowfoot~

If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy,

if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you,

if the simple things in nature have a message you understand,

Rejoice, for your soul is alive.

~Eleanora Duse~

Hello...welcome to a new day!

Two surprise visits!

Today while i was out in the garden I had a surprise visit from my aunt and uncle

who were out for a drive. They live about an hour away and decided to take

their little convertible for a cruise in the warm sunshine.

We chatted outside and when we came in the house, my aunt said

"whats that?"

Surprise visit #2...

Just in front of the screen door to the porch sat an Elgaria caerulea...

that's a Northern alligator lizard to us common folk.

I'm not sure how it got in, maybe the cat or it could have crept in while one of the 

other doors was open, but needless to say we were all quite in awe of the little guy.

It was about 6 or 7" long and after about 20 minutes we caught it

in a kitchen sieve and then it was kind enough to allow us to take a few photos

before we returned it to it's preferred environment on the mossy rocks.

...here it is still in the sieve...

 ...and after we put it out on the rock...

 It was quite calm, even though when I tried to pick it up it kind of bit me, more of a pinch really.

I didn't want to grab it and have its tail fall off, which is a defence mechanism.

The tail will grow back but never as long and skinny and it takes a lot to do so.

It's tail is it's fat reserve so it's an important commodity 

and will only 'release' it under extreme circumstances to escape.

The northern alligator lizard is Vancouver Islands only true lizard and is not

to be confused with a newt. They come out to sun themselves on rocks

and so with all of this warm weather it must have been out and about enjoying the heat.

They're quite secretive and spend the winter hibernating in underground dens.

They can have from 2 - 6 babies which they carry inside them until giving birth a few months later.

So there you go...another gift from the outside, another little miracle on the earth.

Out and about...

Take a close look at this flower...

How exotic is that!?

Now stand back a bit...

...a little farther...

That's right...it's the little clover plant.

Who knew it could look so incredible upon close inspection?

Paired with this dark little sedge grass, it makes a really sweet little posey...

Have you ever really smelled clover?

Her little round mop head, tinged with a blush of pink...

It's quite heavenly...

Ah...lay me down in a field of clover...let the drone of bees fill the air...

On my afternoon walk I also found beauty in something small...

A garter snake had been warming itself in the sun and after it slithered away

I found this completely intact shed...

Do you know it takes from 3 days to a week for this process to occur?

Imagine the patience it takes to shed your skin?

There's been times when I wished I could do the same, although much quicker...

Upon close examination, I found only one small opening near the head.

The whole snake comes out of this one tiny slit...

Quite a few people are afraid of snakes.

Me? not so much.

The fear comes from a primal instinct in us that tells us that snakes are deadly.

Luckily not in this part of the world, so I suppose I've grown up knowing that

the surprise factor of seeing one slither away from under foot is

the only thing that really gives me a jump.

I used to love picking them up as a kid, feeling their alien skin.

Now I know how stinky they can be and leave that job up to my nephews.

Looking quietly and closely at the small and seemingly insignificant in nature

is a blessing for me in the middle of a busy world.