Oh the Places we Went and the Critters we Saw!

Almost a month?  Can it really be almost a month since I blogged? Oh my.  I've actually missed it.  And so have at least three of my friends, because (non-facebook-junkies that they are) they have been nagging me relentlessly to get back to blogging. So I think I shall.  Really.  Yes.  I have a lot of catching up to do.  Some posts will be of old stuff that I never blogged about at the time.  Some will be new.  And since I have five days to prepare my traditional annual Canada Day blog with my favourite photos from the past 12 months, I really better get with it.  Meanwhile, Mitzi says we should tell you about the trip we just took - to see family and friends and piggies and horses and forest fires and, of course, some of our favourite dogs. The camera was clicking away constantly, so we'll divide our two week vacation into three or four posts.  So bring your coffee cup here each morning, or your nightcap each night, and enjoy.  'Cuz Ms. Mitzi and I had a marvellous adventure.....

Ahs got mah travelling coat and hat on, which mama bought me
at the Cowichan and District SPCA garage sale
(which, by the way, made over $58,000!!!!)

After an uneventful ferry ride over to the mainland, we stopped at our friend Deb's (remember Riley, the collie, who used to stay here, and Lily the cocker spaniel who Eddie taught to dance?).  Deb's oldest cat Rupert kept us entertained:

Are those cookies I smell?

C'mon, Auntie Jean, just one?

Maybe if I sit like a hooman....

Whatdaya mean, it's still NO?

Lily was more interested in chasing her ball than pestering us for cookies, though I'm sure she would have been happy if we'd shared them with her.  But mostly she chased her ball:

ball ball ball ball ball ball

Little Hugo watched from the door, and Archie made just a brief cameo appearance, declining all pictures.

Hugo, the sweet cute baby

And Mitzi, who Rupert tried to swat and Lily tried to play with, stayed under the table by my chair.

You can sneak me cookie pieces down here!
I won't tell that big orange cat!

We then headed further out the Fraser Valley, to stay with our friends Ann and Ken with whom we would go camping the following week.  But for now we just ate their food, admired their garden, talked their ears off, and exploited their generosity.

The next day, I left Mitzi in their care while I took an adventurous ride into downtown Vancouver.  Let's just say that BC TransLink needs to redirect some of the salaries of their very highly paid executives to some basic, tourist-friendly improvements like better signage for skytrain parking, better and more accurate signage for WORKING skytrain fare machines (at least at the King George and Surrey Central stations), and more accurate signage on the skytrain tracks at Waterfront station. I doubt I shall ever travel by skytrain again.

But when I reached my destination in the heart of the big city,  I enjoyed the amazing architecture, beautiful scenery, and crazy assortment of people (or is that, "assortment of crazy people"?)

I love how the far building has been designed
to look like it is leaning into the street.

Cruise ships arrive at Canada Place

The sails at Canada Place

Not everything is expensive in Vancouver!

Among that crazy assortment of people were the ones I shared lunch with - nearly all my kin and extended kin in what will likely be our last meal together for quite some time.  It was a farewell lunch for my daughter who has since emigrated to the States to join her husband there.  Good to see family, so sad to say goodbye to the kiddo.

The clan minus my great niece, a nephew, my sister-in-law
and a couple of more distant cousins. 

The event was made even more of a party by the nearby celebrations for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, which was due to start that afternoon with Canada (including a woman from my little village, Emily Zurrer!) playing China. Fox News was broadcasting from beside our restaurant, First Nations dancers were entertaining us,  - and just as my daughter and I were saying our final goodbyes, the 2010 Olympic Cauldron suddenly lit up, the first time I had ever seen it afire other than on TV.

Fifa Women's World Cup celebrations

Dancers

The Olympic Cauldron afire

But I think my favourite shot of the day was this one - of a lego-ish Orca Whale at Canada Place:

And that was the first two days of our marvellous adventure.  Tomorrow -  my visit to Hearts on Noses Potbellied Pig Sanctuary. Y'all come back now, ya hear?

Whatcha Up to this weekend?

It's the giant Annual Cowichan and District SPCA garage sale at the Cowichan Exhibition Grounds on Hwy 1 just north of Duncan BC.  Sixteen thousand square feet of incredible deals, all well organized and all clean and priced.  This is not your average garage sale - last year we, the volunteers, raised over $40,000 for our local shelter via this sale, and credit must also go to the wonderful community of supporters who donated goods and of course who then attend and shop, shop, shop.

Some of the things in the furniture section this year

I was not on the core team this year, as I have been for several years past - the team that accepts the donations for months in advance, sorts them, prices them, boxes them, stores them. Instead, I opted to enjoy my spring, do some gardening, go on some Elder college day courses, explore some new areas.  I just helped unload trucks and open boxes on Thursday, and set up the toys and games tables today, and I'll be there floating around helping where I'm needed all weekend.  And I'm already tired, so I can only imagine how exhausted the core team is.

Part of the Toys and Games section I set up today

Please, if you live anywhere nearby, or want a great weekend trip further afield, do come support us.  If you think you might buy ANYTHING other than groceries in the next year - then we have something you need!  As for the food - Bob's Burgers will be whipping up your lunch, and Darlene has been baking like crazy to tempt your sweet tooth. The biggest and best garage sale on the island, if not in the whole province, will be open 8:30 - 3:00 both Saturday and Sunday.

Yes, we even have plants and lots of garden stuff!

And puzzles and pet stuff  and seasonal and kitchen
(oh do we have kitchen stuff!)
and crafts and linens and books and jewelry
and miscellaneous other stuff too!

Oh, and did I mention sports and tools too?
Camping gear, fitness stuff,,
you name it, we got it!

And clothes!  Fill a bag for just a few dollars!

So come.  Look.  Buy.  All proceeds go directly to the support the animals in our local shelter!

(But please leave your dogs at home - the weather is far too warm to leave them in your car even if you should find one of the very rare shady spots to park, and while dogs are allowed in the hall, the crowds and new environment are enough to make even the most laid back dog anxious.)

Mitzi:  Yeah, I'd much rather spend the day
snoozing on Mama Jean's bed!
Tee hee!

Sometimes one needs a little inspiration....

I went to a presentation by the Ladysmith Camera Club last night, entitled "Dogs in Motion".  It was not only about how to achieve good photos of active dogs, but also demonstrated some interesting photoshopping techniques to use on those action shots.  It was the inspiration I needed to do two things:  post one of my favourite action shots of my friend Barb's dog Scooter, taken on a hike a couple of months ago (and yes, I will post more shots from that hike shortly); and play around some more with a free program called Picmonkey which allows me to do many of the things one can do in photoshop without tearing my hair out learning to do it.  The result was far from perfect, but given that I only spent an hour on it and that I had already deleted some of the shots I needed to really show what I wanted to show, I'm relatively happy with the results and eager to try some more action shots.  Anyone with a water dog wanna take a hike?

Anyway, here is the initial shot I had saved to post as part of a blog about that hike:

Scooter!

And here is the photoshopped (Picmonkeyed?) creation, inspired by the presentation I attended.

Leaping, bounding, water-loving Scooter!

A Message from Mitzi

Hi!  It’s me, Mitzi!  I’m not sure where all the other critters disappeared to, but I is the only dog around here now.  So when Mama Jean is too lazy busy to blog, I hasta do it for her.

But that’s okay, because I haz something Very Important to blog about.  It is about my family and bicycles and cancer.

Me and my Auntie Sooze
I luvs her lots.

Y’see, I had visitors the other weekend.  My Auntie Soooze and Uncle Franklin came to see me, all the way from Vancouver, and they didn’t bring a car.  They rode their bicycles!  Well, not on the ocean – they took a ferry for that – but all the rest of the way, via Tsawwassen and Nanaimo to Crofton, and back again via Salt Spring Island.  That’s a lot of peddling!

Mah Uncle Franklin and Auntie Sooze
riding down MY street!

And why would they do that?  Other that it being a boootiful weekend for a ride?  Well, they is training for a very important event that happens at the end of the summer – The Ride to Conquer Cancer! 

Readers might remember that I came to live with Mama Jean when my first mama, Mama Anita (who was Auntie Sooze’s sister), died of pancreatic cancer. But y'know what? Auntie Sooze’s mama and papa also died of cancer, and Mama Jean’s papa died of cancer, and lots and lots of people in our circle of family and friends have been hit by cancer - some are cancer survivors, some died, and some are currently battling cancer.  Even my Mama Jean had skin cancer about thirty years ago, but surgery and radiation got rid of it.  A lot of people aren't that lucky though, which is why the doctors and scientists have to do lots and lots and lots of research to find ways to beat it.

So on August 29 and 30^th,  Auntie Sooze and Uncle Franklin are participating in the Ride to Conquer Cancer, riding their bicycles all the way from Vancouver BC Canada to Seattle Wa USA!  That’s like TWO HUNDRED kilometers! (And don’t tell them I said this – but they ain’t no spring chickens – I happen to know Auntie Sooze is only a few years younger than Mama Jean, and that is ANCIENT!).  But they is practicing lots and they is fit and they is looking forward to a hard cycle and a good time.

Ah'd have to have a helmet to participate - -
and much longer legs!

And because the ride is all about raising money to support cancer research, my Auntie Sooze wants to raise lots and lots and lots of money. On the Ride to Conquer Cancer website, you'll find her page here, where she tells you all about why she’s participating and how you can help.  

I gave up my treats for a month, and told Mama Jean she had to give up her treats too (and let’s face it, a bottle of good scotch costs a lot more than a little ol’ bag of dog biscuits!).  So I’m hoping some of you might give up your treats for a month – or even just for a week – or a day -  and help sponsor my Auntie Sooze.  Cause it’s a really good cause and she is workin’ really hard to get ready for it. 

Any closer we get to conquering cancer is good not just for humans but for us dogs too – because lots and lots of dogs battle cancer and the more we know about it the better. 

Bye Auntie Sooze!
Haz a good ride!

  

So please consider sponsoring her. You can donate online, by clicking her link to take you to her Ride to Conquer Cancer page, and then clicking the donate button on her page. It’s that easy!  Here’s the link to her page again:
http://www.conquercancer.ca/site/TR/Events/Vancouver2015?px=3805541&pg=personal&fr_id=1524

Love and hugs, Mitzi

(PS:  If you sponsor my Auntie Sooze and send me your mailing address using the email link at the side of my blog, I’ll even send you a personal thank you card with an autographed photo of me! How’s that for bribery? Mitzi )

A Walk on the Wild Side

Wild flowers, that is!
(Camas lily) 

It is much too quiet in my house and my days are too empty and unstructured without Eddie and Shiloh to boss me around.  So in the absence of needy dogs (Mitzi is more like a cat - very independent and aloof, and with a very capable bladder), I signed up for some Elder College outdoor activities.  This week I went on a Spring Wildflowers Walk with them, at the  Somenos Garry Oaks Reserve  and then the Ecological Reserve on Mt. Tzouhalem. We saw dozens of kinds of flowers, and saw or heard many birds (heron, red winged blackbird, quail, ducks and geese, pileated woodpecker, and the usual assortment of sparrows, swallows, juncos, and chickadees) and a couple of bunnies.  

While the flowers were not as plentiful at the Somenos reserve,  that park had many other interesting features.  This post will focus on the Somenos Garry Oaks Reserve, and I'll do a separate one on the amazing Mt. Tzouhalem reserve in the next couple of days.  

The Somenos Garry Oaks Reserve is located just behind a residential area off Lakes Road and Trillium, in North Cowichan.  It is an 8-hectare park, where dogs on leash are welcome, and visitors are requested to stay on the trails.  It includes meadows, forest, and bog ecosystems.  

Entering the park

There are several information boards at the park entrance

Second largest Garry Oaks in BC

Because garry oaks are late coming into leaf,
they provide an excellent canopy of sunlight
for spring flowers. 

Camas lilies under garry oaks.

Camas lilies.
Camas bulbs were collected by First Nations,
the edible bulbs valued as a source of  food which tastes somewhat like sweet potato and
can also be ground into flour.
The First Nations people often burned off the underbrush on camus fields to encourage
the growth of the lilies, but the very thick bark of the garry oaks was resistant to
fire and thus the oaks survived.

When this tree was cut down, the core revealed old
surveyors marks from many, many years ago.  After the marks were made,
the tree continued to grow around the marks, and it was only when the newer growth
fell away under the saw that its secret was revealed. 

Old Surveyor's Marks

This tree bears permanent damage around its trunk, where
long ago someone had attached a barbed wire fence to it.
(Note the newer fence, with its own posts, in the background)

Sedge in the bog.  Sedge has triangular stems,
which differentiate it from grasses (round, notched stems) and
reeds (round smooth stems). 

More colourful sedges

A stump with bark growing over the top.
The garry oaks are often nourished underground by a beneficial fungus
which travels from tree to tree via the roots and allows the
bark to keep growing even after the tree has been cut down.

 

On the edge of the Garry Oak meadows,
we found these chocolate lilies in bloom

Lovely yellow sepals inside
the chocolate lily. 

Wild mustard growing near the bog

Wild red currant,
native to our region

Fawn lilies amid the garry oaks -
but too far away for my lens.
Splashes of white amid the green.

Further resources on the history and preservation of this beautiful area: 

http://www.goert.ca/activities/2010/01/somenos/ 

http://www.cowichanlandtrust.ca/projects/somenos-garry-oak-stewardship-project 

http://bcnatureguide.ca/bc-nature-viewing-areas/vancouver-island-region/duncancowichan-area/3-somenos-garry-oak-protected-area/ 

Bird on a Wire

I was doing some gardening yesterday when I heard the familiar sound of a hawk who, with a partner, is nesting in our neighbourhood.  I'm not sure if they are Merlins, Coopers Hawks, or young adult Sharp-Shinned Hawks, and my birding friends have mixed opinions.  But the larger of the two is quite fearless, and carried on a running patter of bird small talk while I circled right below to capture these shots:

I see you!

What do you want?

Get outta my face, lady!

Oh, really?  You're a bird lover?

Hey, everyone!
We got a live one here!
Says she's a "b i r d  l o v e r." 

So if you love birds so much,
where's our free lunch, eh?

Don't think I'm gonna share
with YOU! 

Two Word Tuesday

Sunset Tonight
(c) Jean Ballard 2015