All about the Island

 This is an older photo.  I processed this in Camera Raw and a few other things.  I like the way it has turned out.  I shall load it to my Megashot account for the Butterflies are Free community.

 Last week end, on Sunday, we were up to Nanoose Bay for a meeting of the Antique Chapter of the VCCC.  We picked up Vancouverites at the ferry so I had the opportunity to get this photo of this Long Tall Sally hydrant for my series of hydrants on my old web page.  I am getting quite a large collection of them.  I have not managed to get anything done on the page in 2011, but am slowly working on the Gardening page. 

 This is a panorama from my little Sony, of Nanoose Bay from the back garden of the people who hosted our Antique group for a garage tour after the meeting.  What a marvelous location for their new home. 

 This is a shot of the murial on the side of a building that backs on to  the Capital Iron parking lot.  JB will be using this photo, no doubt.  hey!  is that copy right infringement?  ;-}}

This photo is from the stormy day we had in February when the birds were going crazy on the feeder.  There was every kind of bird trying to feed at the same time.  I have not seen so many, since then.  Our hummingbirds seem to have vanished.  Perhaps they are nesting. 

We have had some very "March-like" weather.  Despite light frosts over night some days have been so warm and just about perfect.  More and more of the spring bulbs and perennials are in bloom.  The garden is looking good.  The grass might need a bit of a trim.  The rhubarb is up and the swiss chard that was out as a winter vegetable should be ready for eating in a couple or three weeks.

My new orchids seem to have survived the transplant and are doing fine.  The masd. dark star was in bud when bought has opened .. nothing spectacular... it seems to be a muddy wine color, but an interesting shaped flower... photos later, maybe.  The potted on orange trees might survive, after the loss of a few leaves.  One of them in particular has lost quite a few leaves and is sprouting new little leaves.  So, maybe they will all survive.  Hopefully, I will have some producing fruit in a few years. 

My site meter reader has informed me that I have had an average of 76 hits per day over last week, on this blog.  That's a bit of an ego booster.  At the time of typing this post, I had 90 hits today!  Well, I do have to blow my own horn. 

I am reading a very old book about Elizabeth I that was written by a Scottish history professor (if I remember correctly) and was written 40 years ago.  'Tis the year for it.  Elizabeth II is having a diamond jubilee this year - 60 years.  While shopping at Zellers last week I picked up 3 books on sale at less than half price.  This should keep in reading material for awhile.  One is a Phillipa Gregory book, but not her newest.. about Jacquetta Rivers, the mother of another Elizabeth who was queen when she married Edward IV.  Now this is a character to rival Eleanor of Aquitaine.

I am packed and ready for our trip to China!  I was dreading this trip, but now that I have read over the information about the weather, what to pack, what to see etc... I am getting quite excited about the trip.  We have a house sitter, have almost all of the renovation to the suite finished and are ready to go! Let's hope the Vancouver Air Canada workers don't have to go out on wildcat strike again.  They were legislated back to work and are breaking the law by these 'long coffee breaks'.  Air Canada is supported by tax payers money, so I really do not see how these guys can complain about no raise in 10 years when the company, if not support3ed by the government would be in receivership and they would all be out of work.  ...   Not to mention the pensions that are totally unsustainable and will have no way of being paid by the next generation of workers.  well... rant for the day... glad I got that out of my system.