Water Iris 

This gorgeous water iris has 8 blooms this year. I should really stake it up as it is flopping all over. The blooms are too heavy for the stems.

I have finished cleaning up the pond and Japanese garden area. I have yet to do the woodland, the vegetable garden, and along the driveway. We had Davey Tree come in and clip a few feet off the top of the Virginia Creeper and off the top of the cedar hedges, trim the large Eucalyptus and take out the small one, take out the lovely pin oak that was just too close to the garage.

In the past 2 weeks our weather has been more like March than June. I don't mind it being a bit cooler, though.

I have had numerous house guests recently and so have not got very much done with my own stuff. I have managed a few hours with the digital, but nothing with my analog cameras. I have 16 albums finished on my page, now. Its slowly coming along. I might have to redo some of the albums as they are just over whelming for anyone to try to look at... too many. Since I am the only one who really goes there I think I will leave it for now, because this page is primarily for myself, anyway.

Iceberg in the rain

testing 
I have 12 albums finished -- the top 10 in Travel and Long Beach and Star Trek in Photography. Was out shooting some woodland and other garden stuff today. Things seem to move in the wind,just as soon as I point my camera. None of the shots I got today are going to make me rich and famous. Oh well.
Arnold arrived today and had dinner with us. He is off up island in his new/old Dodge camper van tomorrow. It looks pretty good.

Playing with drop shadows 

Today I learned how to make drop shadows with my old Photo Deluxe.. Sometime I must learn how to do this with PS CS. It must be just as easy. Yesterday I learned how to make pdf slide shows and add music! What fun!!

A few small accomplishments

a crooked path 

I have cleaned out the pond and cleaned up the adjoining 'Japanese Garden' area. There are about 4 four inch goldfish left, after the maurading otter and Parmar kids. AND a frog. I have not been able to get the amphibian's photo yet. I have 3 nice goldfish in the tub garden on the deck and 3 in the tub in the front. I feed the deck ones but the half barrel tub fish are rather shy about showing themselves. The white water iris is blooming nicely. The gorgeous one in the pond has 5 buds that are about to open. Can't wait to see this!! All the hard work has been worthwhile. This area now looks pretty good too. I am keeping the front under control also. The thyme is still blooming and the pink bush beside it. I must get a photo of this dark purple thyme and the pink bush. The visual and aromatic awards justify the work needed to accomplish this. Tara and Andy are feeding the birds so we have a lot of birds around the back. Wonder where all the butterflies are? Eaten by the birds?

On Wednesday Corey (from Davey Tree Expert) is going to be here to take the Virginia creeper off the telephone/hydro lines at the top, plus trim the storm damaged hedges and the eucalyptus, take out the pin oak (too close to garage & the other eucalyptus. The little nazi from telus was around to bully me into thinking I had to take the creeper completely off the pole when Beakins truck pulled the line down... like it was all the creepers fault. Well, its not even telus' pole we now find. The nazi's supervisor was around the same day and the next morning the nazi was back and hooked up the line again without all the bs. I think he needs retraining, or no contact with clients, at all.

I now have 8 albums finished. I have been doing a bit of sorting out of the garden photos. Mike, the webmaster from the Horts club gave me this website to look into: irfanview.com and Steve says he uses www.acdseesystem.com. I must find time to learn this.

Tonite I was reading this forum on photo.net: This should be fun

Febrauary laundry 

This is a February shot of my neighbors laundry reflected. Today, I cleaned the pond and weeded a bit along the path. It took me from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm with breaks for meals. It was not too bad for dirt. I seem to have 4 four inch goldfish and 8 black ones. I guess the otter got all the koi. I rescued the rocks that the Parmar kids had dumped in the pond last year when we were away. The brats. My water lily has some good looking leaves and 2 buds. I hope they bloom after all this. There was a frog in the pond also. He probably escaped by now. Sore muscles!

I have 5 albums finished and am scanning in the Haida Gwaii photos.