Parade and Progress

Parade May 23 

We watched the Victoria Day Parade on a cold, overcast day. It did not seem to be as good as usual. I snapped 125 photos and have only a couple that are good, a few just ok ones.

I found a guestbook for my page and have it loaded. I can get rid of the ads if I want to pay them off, but it does not look bad with the ads... I will see what people say about them. I have one album finished.. under photography - Series - long beach. So, www.mmmee.com will get the home page and www.mmmee.com/longbeach will get my only finished album. Its easy to navigate to the pages, as you will see. If you are reading this, please sign my guestbook and let me know what you think of what I have done so far. :)) Its been fun learning this... there is so much to know. I have barely scratched the surface.

The Grants have left for home today. Their stay seemed short. They had some record high temperatures the last few days and the ladies all got quite pink.

Pat took the branch of the eucalyptus tree off the garage roof. I think we will be able to cut the cedars that were storm damaged down and they will grow again and bush out more. So, if I can tear myself away from this web page creation next week, I should get more cleaning up done in the garden. The front looks good when I keep it up nicely.

Three stages of Columbine bloom

Columbine 

My best looking columbine so far this year.

Politics and Progress

Two days ago our province returned Gordon Campbell and his Liberal party to the legislature for another 4 year term. The NDP made a better showing this time and we should hopefully have a more balanced governnent now.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip are in Canada for a few days.

I have learned how to make a photo gallery in my PS CS. I have learned how to load my page with my FTP. It is going to be awhile before I get all the albums finished. I think I might load what I have finished so far and add the rest as I get a few more finished.

It has been raining off and on the last week, so I have got nothing done in the garden. Today I mowed the grass. The irises, roses, lilacs, california lilacs, rhodos, azalyeas, oriental poppies, daisies, hebes, thyme, and many others are in bloom. I am going to have to think about getting some plants that bloom later in the summer, although the roses carry on till December, as do the daisies.

Peace - the first rose of the year

Peace 

This Peace rose is open and viewed from within the house, it overlooks the rest of the front garden. It was gorgeous this morning with a few drops of rain and the sun back lighting it. This photo is from yesterday, when the light was less intense. The birds are singing, the garden is fragrant and colorfull, the weather is perfect.

I harvested the rhubarb and made a pie for tomorrow's dinner.

I spent some time yesterday learning a few more things about my scanner and PS CS, getting a few photos into the albums. Its fun and I shall be taking my time and enjoying every minute of it. My page is going to obviously be amature, but I like it, so far. I think I could redo it when I learn more. This is all so interesting.

Shadows of the Past

Shadows of Past May 

I am beginning to go through my old photos with a view to making the albums for my web page. My mentor mentioned that the size for the large photos should be no more than 800 to be viewed on anyone's screen resolution. In looking at other people's pages and their albums, I think I will try to keep my large size at around 600 pixels. This one is smaller and I may try to find the original and redo this one from scratch to get it to the 600 size if I can.

April Showers in May

April Showers 
We had a lovely little rain yesterday. My garden needs the moisture.

I am almost finished weeding and fine tuning the plantings in the front garden. Its beginning to look very nice again. There are irises in bud. The peony tree is huge and full of blossums. The hebe is spreading and covered with blooms. The thyme circle has some lovely pink in bloom and is slowly filling in, too.

The Thief

The thief 

I watched this little beastie run up the sidewalk between Parmar's and our house and head directly to my pond. By the time I got my digital camera and got out on the back deck he was in the pond. I watched him scarf down 3 of my biggest gold fish before he left. He did not do any damage to the rock edging this time. So, now I guess I won't be putting anymore fish in there, if they are just going to be river otter fodder.

May in the garden

Thyme circle - May 1, 2005 

The thyme is growing to fill the circle. I have a bit of work to do on the rock edges yet. I hope that pink one that is blooming grows to fill in more of the left side. Its giving us a lovely show. The royal blue columbines look good with the pink, but they seed themselves where ever they want to grow.

I have finished digging in the 10 old posts from Ed next door, for edging along the front garden and clipped the hedges and edges. I have some more fine tuning to do with the choices of plants to combine. I want more arabis (white) and aubretia (blue). I shall be moving the old deck pot plants to the front by the water tub.

The lilac is blooming and the fragrance in the back is heavenly. The wisteria is also in bloom, but looks a bit tired this year. The polyanthus, tulips, and more alpines are blooming. Just one lewisia. I shall need to buy one of those when I redo that little area into a bigger rock garden. The peonies are in buds and the ones on the driveway side are looking good. The other side needs attention. The tree peony is a great flousy blooming beauty. Helebores, hebes, the fairy bells, bleeding hearts are blooming. Roses in buds just now. Everything is early this year.

This morning I had a Raven in the yellow plum tree. It looked like he was finding insects to eat. The apple tree is finished blooming and has tiny apples. There are quite a few tiny figs YEA! and plums yellow and purple, and pears. Should be a good fruit harvest this year.