The right stuff...

So your`re off on a perfect summer day to the river...

Check your list to make sure you`ve got all the right stuff...

swim suits? Check.
snacks? Check.
sunglasses? Check.
snorkels and masks? Check.
camera? Check.
dogs? Check.
duckling?......what?!
Yup...duckling!
Check!



Last week we hiked down to the Chemainus river, through bee buzzing fields of alfapha... 

Pastures long since abandoned by cows...

...down to the warmest swimming holes...

...and yes, with duckling in tow!

My friend Irma had been given an orphan duckling by someone who

found her all alone in a field. I supposed that something may have

plucked her up and accidently dropped her before the human found her.



Since she hasn't been accepted by Irma's other ducks, she's been following around her surrogate

mom and has a bit of separation anxiety when left alone.

So what better place to take her than for a swim in the river on a hot summers day!

Rachel was in heaven too!

We all got in on some ducky-love...



Her name is Buttercup.



Time for a little stroll up river...

We could walk for miles and miles on this lovely July afternoon...

Delicate grasses dancing on the banks...



Griff and brother Frank...double doodle dog paddle...

...later we moved over to this great, deep swimming hole to finish off our day...

Best duck day ever!!

"Today is the perfect day for a perfect day."

Surrounded by love and sweet perfume...

I love little flower posie bouquets.

Today it's a tiny bundle of nigella and roses.

 Roses, well, roses speak for themselves...fragrant, gorgeous, romantic,

what more could a flower ask for?

Nigella is something other worldly.

Marine-like features, the most amazing shades of blue...

When the seed heads mature they look quite alien.

The common name is enough to make one sigh...

'Love in a mist.'

Right now, the bed where my niece and I planted our memorial

garden for my sister and aunt is full of these two beautiful roses

surrounded by the nigella...

 How perfect that the 'Love in a mist' seeded itself in this bed...

 Both roses have a most wonderful scent and I look forward to them maturing

and growing even taller and more beautiful next year..

 I'll let the Nigella seed itself again and provide

the 'Love in a mist' for Tracy and Aunt Ella...

 



Just too busy!

I've just realized that it's been a week since my last post!

Having my nieces here, going hither and yon, cooking,

working and plain having fun, I really wonder how women do it?

How did I do it years ago AND work full time?!

So I'm taking a minute to take another breath and post a few

photos from our trip to the Butterfly Gardens...
Hats and hearts alike.

Camo...

Delicate, deadly, Datura...

 One curious and gentle parrot.

Alien larva.

Leopard pitcher plants.

Floating art.

Flaming floral art.

 Asleep in pink pajamas.

Blue loving the bananas.

 Slowing down the teenagers.

...and so the adventure continues.