The birds and the bees...and the butterflys...

This morning, out in the garden, the world is a-buzz.

The bees are so happy to have the warmth.

No wonder someone once capped the term

"Busy as a bee".

Trying to catch one still enough to take a photo is quite the challenge.

Especially when they are diving in and out of foxgloves!

Can you imagine the view inside that flower?

Not that the bee is paying attention to that...too busy collecting pollen.

...but, hey...maybe they do notice the beauty...I'd like to think so.

Some early mornings I find a big bumble bee asleep on a flower.

Maybe they were so drunk on nectar and the loveliness of the flower

that they decided just to curl up and have a nap.

As I was watching the bees, I noticed a tiny movement on the flower.

This is like one of those 'find the hidden image in the picture' games...

Do you see her?

Blending right in with the colours...

Isn't nature fantastic?!

A bug that I've never seen before was also visiting the foxgloves...

How pretty is that golden beetle?

The honeybees from the hives are also crazy busy collecting food for honey production...

I hadn't seen many butterfly's this year but the weather being what it has been, 

I wouldn't want to risk my weightless, fragile body, floating around in all the cold and rain either.

But this morning they were out as well...

If you have high blood pressure or stress, just sit and watch a swallow tail.

Guaranteed to calm you right down...

And the birds!

Oh the symphony of song in the early part of the day!

The dawn chorus.

It always starts with the robins.

I call them the hardest working birds in showbiz.

First ones up and last ones in.

This morning I caught this one having a bath...

I was lucky enough to see one of the most handsome birds as well...

The cedar waxwing.

So dashing in his velvet coat and black mask!

And so I've spent another few hours day dreaming in the garden when I should be

out there weeding and pruning...oh well...there's always tomorrow.

New kid in town...

11 years ago we got three little male goats from the local petting zoo.

Tramp, Leif and Licorice.

Then we decided they needed company, so we got three females.

Gloria, Dancer and Star (Leif's mom).

So the years went by and the goats got old and we were recently left with one.

Tramp was the sole remaining goat and was quite alone.

 Spending 12 years with his 'gang' and the last 2 with Leif, he was 

quite forlorn.

Wanting us to hang out with him more than we had time to...

So we put out the word for company.

Enter: Katie...

 She came from a place up the road where her two other male barn mates

beat up on her all the time. She took refuge in the pony who lives there.

So when she came to our place, she didn't want to hang out with Tramp.

She liked the chicken...

...and the rooster...

...and even the baby barn swallows, up in their nest...

...Tramp kept looking at us as if to say

"You want ME to hang out with HER ?!

 Lets just say it wasn't quite the match made in heaven we had hoped for.

But slowly they have grown on each other and sleep in the same stall and 

hang out together more and more.

We have had to do some major fence maintenance as well since Katie

is a wanderer...bless her little goats heart, but the neighbours don't like her

eating all of their bird food.

I've had to go over twice to bring her home.

Luckily she walks really well on a leash!

Goats are herd animals and don't like to be alone.

Now that she's got to know the handsome Tramp, she's is feeling 

much more comfortable in her goat skin.

She's a big talker and bleats her hard head off all the time.

But we're growing to love her as well.

Celebrate!

Today is Canada Day!

Happy Birthday to one great big, beautiful country.

This song was a hit for Canada's 100th birthday in '67...Cheers!

Ridin' in style!

So after a good walk and a big nap this morning, my humans decided it was time

to take the 'new' old truck out for a drive...just to make sure all is running fine...

They say they bought it to get firewood...

...or seaweed or soil or other stuff that's big and messy...

It's from a time called 'the '70s...1976 to be exact...it was before I was ever born...

before anyone even thought about Labradoodles...

...my owners call it a 'gas guzzler'...whatever that is!

They also call it a 'beater' but they seem pretty happy with the fact that they now have a work truck...

It was an old farm truck back in the day, so I guess it's used to carrying stuff on bumpy, dusty roads.

Personally, I think they got it for me...

'Cause I LOVE riding around in the back of a truck...

...there's nothing like the feeling of the wind blowing through your fur!!

 ...Tom's feelin' the love too!

 ...So...LET"S GO FOR A RIDE!!

(p.s...how do I look?... pretty cool huh?!)

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.

A place in the sun...

Summer seems to be slipping by and almost everywhere, I read and hear, that it's been a slow start.

A wet and cool one for us here on the Island.

But oh! When the sun and heat do come out of hiding...it's glorious!

Not far from home, a secret place awaits us on days like this...

The turn off the main road sends thrills through Griffins furry bulk...

The river!

His favorite place in the whole wide world!

Probably one of mine as well.

Down through the woods, along the meadow path...

...the bracken fern and salmon berry closing in on us...

...and then we come to the bend in the river...

we sit facing the cliff face, basking in the warmth

of a perfectly lazy summer Sunday...

Norene and Bill have brought their grand kids from the other coast of the country, the east coast, to come

and play for a month on the west coast...

I've brought my nieces and nephews, and as kids do, they all dove into an instant friendship

with nature and play as their common connection...

sticks and stones...

hide and seek...

wait for me!...

visit the big tree...

What is it about kids and water?

The primal connection to where they came from?

The draw to discover what lies beneath?

...just a beautiful sunny day is all.

(p.s...no, not a bear...just Griff waiting for a stick!)