Apparently, thistles are delicious.
©Giliell, all rights reserved. Click for full size.
©Giliell, all rights reserved. Click for full size.
©Giliell, all rights reserved. Click for full size.
©Giliell, all rights reserved. Click for full size.
Jack with Mr. voyager, ©voyager, all rights reserved
That handsome fellow with Jack is Mr. Voyager and the photo was taken on the boardwalk in Perce about a month ago on the occasion of our 25th Wedding Anniversary. We’re not the type of people who make a big fuss about things like that so we didn’t have a party or go out for a fancy meal and we didn’t exchange gifts. Instead, we went down to the beach and set off fireworks just like we do every year. We did talk about giving each other gifts, but in the end we decided that we’d rather save up for a trip. During that discussion Mr. V mentioned that I haven’t yet posted a picture of him on this blog. I got the definite feeling that he’d enjoy it if I did, but I wanted it to be a surprise so I waited a month. I hope he’s pleasantly pleased.
It’s time for the next chapter in Ice Swimmer’s series Harakka – an Island. Our guide will take it from here. Thanks, Ice Swimmer.
1. Odd Spruce, Rocks and open sea, ©Ice Swimmer, all rights reserved
This view is from the top of the island, towards southeast. I wonder what has happened to the spruce.
And as a finale of his week’s series from rq, mostly fluffy pictures.
©rq, all rights reserved. Click for full size.
One has to admire thistles. Fluffy flowers, fluffy seeds and spiky everything else.
Bumlebees and bees have similar combination of fluff and spiky, I sense a theme here.
More fluff, but where are the sharp bits?
No fluff, no sharp bits. Just a wannabe tough guy.
And finally no fluff and no shar bits whatsoever. Just perfect depth of field. I love this picture.
Turkey Tail fungus, ©voyager, all rights reserved
©voyager, all rights reserved
Jack and I found this beautiful turkey tail fungus today. We often find this at home in Trillium Woods, but I seldom see it here in Pointe Claire. I love the way the fungus looks like the wood shavings left behind after sharpening a pencil. This specimen also collectively looks like a head of curly hair. Or maybe that’s just me. Either way I think it’s lovely, even though it did leave me feeling a bit homesick.
It turns out that a lot, even when the blooms are past their prime. I love the metallic sheen of that green fly. I would love to have a car like that.
©rq, all rights reserved. Click for full size.
As usual, I’m late to the party. I know that Spider Week at Affinity is over, but Jack and I went to Terracotta Park for our walk today and we came across a lovely big web that I wanted to share. If you want to see the long legged beauty who did all the intricate work it’s under the fold.
©voyager, all rights reserved
It’s time for another chapter in Ice Swimmer’s series Harakka – an Island. Thanks again Ice Swimmer. Now, take us away…
Fireweed behind the laboratory, ©Ice Swimmer, all rights reserved
We come back from the shore and take a closer look at the fireweed behind the Artists’ Building, the former laboratory. [Read more…]
More juvenile barn swallows from Nightjar
Feeeeeed meeeeeee
©Nightjar
©Nightjar
Second in this series from rq are plants growing in a bog. I hope she did not get too wet trying to get these pictures for us. They are beautiful and they do illustrate the biodiversity of an acidic bog nicely. There is even a predator here, hidden bellow the fold.
©rq, all rights reserved. Click for full size.
Possibly a plant from the Cyperaceae family
Calluna vulgaris
Calluna vulgaris
Vaccinium vitis-idaea L
Vaccinium vitis-idaea L
©voyager, all rights reserved
It was raining this morning so Jack and I went to Terracotta Park, hoping the canopy would help keep us dry. It did, more or less, but we still came home with wet hair and feet. Oh well, it was a good excuse to make hot chocolate, curl up together on the sofa and share a few maple cookies.
Sumac flower, ©voyager, all rights reserved
This is sumac and it grows wild just about everywhere in this part of the world. It fills the ditches lining our highways and roads and it’s a nuisance plant in gardens. It’s very hardy and once it gets growing it’s hard to stop. We had one park itself right next to the foundation of our house a few years ago and we just can’t get rid of it. Every year we cut it down only to find it sprouting again in a few weeks. We tried to dig it out once, but the roots were too plentiful and too deep and the next year it popped up again. I poured bleach on it one year and watched it die back and then watched it grow back the following year. As I said, very hardy. Despite my dislike for the sumac living at my house, I do think it’s a pretty plant and enjoy seeing them when driving. In the fall the leaves turn beautiful bright colours, mostly red, but with touches of yellow and orange. It’s one of the first plants to get its autumn colour on and it’s a sure sign that the big trees will be changing colour soon.
This little fellow at the Barcelona Zoo was obviously torn between wanting a swim and actually doing it.
©Giliell, all rights reserved, click for full size.
Open to see the photo story.