wordless wednesday / happy may

in bloom...

It starts small, literally. Still stomping the trails in hardy boots, head and hands wrapped up against the biting wind, you start to notice small green shoots unfurling amongst the mud and last year's dead leaves. It starts slow too, and can't help but anxiously await the first little flower buds. Then one day they are there - small snowdrops in clusters out in the woods and on lawns, bowing under the still cold breeze on grey March days. The first bright yellow glow of swamp lanterns thrusting up from the boggy areas lights up the woods. And you know - spring has well and truly started.

Suddenly it's everywhere - vibrant green nubs on each branch, pink salmonberry stars, a carpet of green on the forest floor followed by trilliums, fawn lilies, bleeding hearts. Each yard including yours boasts a clutch or two of daffodils and tiny grape hyacinths. The magnolias, unable to hold themselves back any longer, unleash an explosion of petals. The streets are lined with cherry trees littering blossoms that swirl and dance in the breeze of each passing car. You find yourself walking the trails in sandals and a light sweater, hands and face open to the sun. Everywhere the birds are singing and flirting, even more thrilled than you about this change in the weather. Spring has sprung.

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After a small string of glorious days, the rain moved back in today and the world feels a bit grey. It's milder though, without the determined chill of a winter day. A few things going on on the interwebs:
>> A recipe of mine made it into the new Hollyhock cookbook. Even without that bit of luck, I would totally recommend this book for healthy, seasonal recipes. I just made the whole wheat chia bread and it's awesome!
>> The weather might be warming up, but a squishy cowl like this makes me wish for a few more chilly days.
>> Once those lovely daffodils start to fade on the front lawn, I think I'll gather up the wilting petals to make a dye bath and if I'm lucky I'll get buttery yellows like these from Clarabella.

How's your week?

oh the noise, noise, noise!*

*Excuse my random Grinch reference, especially at this time of year, but it was appropriate considering the racket these big beasts can create. Just like last year, the beginning of March coincides with the spring herring run in the Strait. Countless fish appear in our waters to spawn, and their eggs cling to every bit of seaweed that washes ashore. And with all that herring and eggs comes a variety of other creatures big and small flocking to the east side of Vancouver Island to gorge on the calorie boon. While there are numerous places along the shore to spot the sea lions that come in to feed (including hearing them from my house), one of the best spots to see them haul out is down in Fanny Bay. And just like last year, I headed down to visit the big party.

On this sunny weekend day, I wasn't the only one - a steady of people came and went down the dock to stand on the float at the end and wonder at the raucous colony arguing over space on the pontoon floating just off shore. A constant chorus of "aaarr! aaarr! aaarr!" fills the air, so without even looking I know that most of these burly beast are California sea lions; a glance confirms this by noting the large sagittal crest on the foreheads of the big males. There are a few lighter, larger Stellers in the group, but they seem in the minority, at least for today. While eyes are instantly drawn to the sea lions hauled out on the pontoons and the edge of an aging Seaspan barge, there are plenty of swimmers in the water. Poking their heads out from under the barge stern. Swimming along the float edge in search of a space of their own to haul out. And a raft of creatures a little farther out, bobbing together as they nap with a flipper thrust toward the sky to soak up some sun and regulate their body temp. Even if I don't stay for long, it is always worth it to come spend a little time with these giant furry beasts.

But my own furry beast is waiting, albeit much smaller and less noisy. Thank you for all your kind comments about our new family member. He is fitting in quite well, despite the stress of adjusting to a new home, owners, and immediate neighbourhood (no big beach walks or new doggie friends just yet), all while finishing off a course of antibiotics and painkillers in his first few days with us. And as mentioned on fb last night, it seems I can be crafty even with a snoring pup's head resting in my lap!

Hope you're having a good week!

shoulda been working...

...but who can deny a beautiful day like yesterday? warmer weather has finally arrived, and most inhabitants of my little valley seemed to be out in force enjoying the sunshine. A and i had a relaxing brunch on the patio at one of our favourite spots, filled with happy people eating good food and celebrating mother's day with family. despite not being a mother, even i got a white carnation from the restaurant to take home.

in the afternoon we headed to the beach with a friend, where cars crowded the spit road and groups of people crowded the shore. we quickly left the masses behind though, paddling out into the bay on boards gliding smoothly across the surface. we had contemplated wetsuits in the morning, but under a bright sun i was glad to not be wearing one, keeping plenty warm unless i were to slip into the water. we didn't take any swims, but even wading when getting on and off the board i was surprised at the mild temp of the sea.water jellies pulsed here and there just under the surface, and i think i spotted one small little lion's mane. eagles soared overhead and the occasional wake of a boat farther out in the bay reminded us there were other people about. a harem of seals kept court on a large float, but retreated into the water as we and a couple kayakers approached. they couldn't help their curious selves though, poking heads high out of the water to peer at us.

on the ride home we stopped for some gelato (first of the season!) and A and i indulged at home and had a margarita is well (watermelon-strawberry-lime is becoming my specialty). a full but easy day with the feel of real summer. love those. what did you get up to?

a bit of full disclosure and detail here - i didn't take any of these photos. A brought our gopro camera out on the water and mounted it on his paddle, so for once i'm actually appearing in photos and i didn't do any shooting! the gopro also creates a bit of mystery when shooting as you don't get to see the shots until you get home on your computer (and you don't look through any viewfinder when shooting). fun to play with in photo and video modes, both above and below the surface of the water!

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ETA - because Rendell asked - i don't have a margarita 'recipe' per se, i just called them margaritas because they have tequila in them. anyway - i've discovered that cubing and freezing watermelon is genius for making drinks and smoothies. so in this case i use my little bullet blender to make enough for two glasses, and pack it with cubes of watermelon and frozen strawberries (still have some from last year's pick!) with a bit of water and limeade and blend until nice and frothy. i put a good bit of tequila in the bottom of each glass (measure? what's that?) and then top with the blended fruit mixture. if needed to top up the glass i'll add a bit more limeade, then give a quick stir. voila! yummy fruitiness for hot summer evenings - and would be just as good with rum as a daquiri, or without any alcohol at all.

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there will be crafting to share soon, i promise! wishing you a great start to your week.

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oh and one more thing. i've been finding lots of great new music recently, but the lumineers are definitely finding a place near the top of the list.

how to age gracefully...

there is a master class in aging going on in the woods right now. those western trilliums, brilliant white when they first burst open from lush green leaves on the forest floor, are now slowly changing to shades of pink as the days pass by. at first it is a very gentle blush, then a slow ombre effect moving across the petals. each day brings another soft layer of colour until finally the petals have completely changed to a rich, deep magenta. those trilliums, they know how to age in style. yesterday on my walk i had to resist photographing each trillium i came to, each one at a slightly different stage in its journey, a slightly different interpretation of the colour shift. all of them beautiful.

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without further ado, the winner of the mexican sunset giveaway is Abby! please send me an email with your mailing address so i can pop it in the mail for you. thanks to all that entered - i will try to have another giveaway soon.

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there are dark clouds looming overhead this morning, and although thunderstorms are a rarity around here, the booming sound of the snowbirds passing overhead now and then helps give the day that mood. on my foray out to the farmers market, i was surprised at how cold it is, at nearly the end of april. for now i think i will stay inside for a bit, stitching on a new creature and maybe watching a movie. hope you're weekend is going well so far!

sunday in pink...

some recent shots of salmonberry blooms in the forest. i love these pink stars glowing on the bushes right now, brightening up the forest at eye level while the other woodland flowers peek out from below. such vibrant flowers to cheer the heart right now, and with the promise of yummy tart-sweet berries later in the summer.

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happy earth day to you all! hope you were able to get out and enjoy a bit of nature today. we headed up to the mountain for the last day of lift operations this year. it wasn't the best day to be had, at bit slushy and low visibility, but it was fun to be out with friends and enjoying the alpine. we just stayed for a few hours and then headed back home. our initial plans for a beach walk were scrapped by our rumbling tummies and we sat out on a patio for good food instead. but i just returned home from a forest walk along the river with my friend and her dog. everything is greening up nicely under the trees, flushing out in fresh leaves. the river rushed beside us, over-full of icy water heading to the sea, and the birds were singing heartily in their excitement for spring.

now settling in for a quiet evening at home with my man, getting mentally prepared for the week ahead. thinking about slicing into fresh bread that just came out of the oven and is wafting its intoxicating aroma through the house, but thinking perhaps i should eat something more resembling a real dinner. hmmmm.

a beauty-full heart...

at the front of our house are two large butterfly bushes, or at least that is the colloquial name i know them by. apparently bees don't care about names like that though, as this week those bushes seem to be humming steadily every time i pass them. i was just outside trying to catch some of the big fuzzy bees with my camera, but my arrival seemed to signal an opportunity for little bee planets to orbit around my head, rather than sit still for a moment so i could snap a photo. so let's look at forest flowers instead, shall we?

while in most cases the leaves of the plants and trees are just vibrant chartreuse sprouts at the end of branches right now, the flowers are really in their prime. the swamp lanterns (or skunk cabbage) are like a yellow carpet in the boggy areas, odd-shaped yellow blooms and lush foliage brightening up the forest (and filling it with their heady aroma). the trilliums have taken over too, little white three-pointed butterflies alighting on every green surface. i am looking forward to when they start to turn pink as they age - there are a few in my yard as well that i can keep an eye on. the bleeding hearts are still taking their time, but there were a few pink flowers here and there. but on this particular walk i was looking for a particular bloom, and then i walked around the bend in the trail and saw this:

oh, fawn lilies! i feel so melodramatic to see that i gasped out loud and my heart swelled a little at the first swath of pink stars nestled in the moss. but i was so excited to see them - i have been waiting eagerly, and their beauty never fails to capture me. the next few twists in the trail revealed hundreds more, of both the pink and white varieties (including many that were white with lovely pink stripes. the tricky part about photographing fawn lilies is that they face down to the ground, and are only a few inches tall. it's hard to get down on your belly to snap a shot without crushing dozens more. i did my best by venturing into the patch by navigating a fallen log, and using the blind shooting technique (where i hold my camera low and don't look through the viewfinder). of course then a crew of dogs on a walk came crashing through the scene to say hello, blissfully ignorant of the carnage they left in their wake. ah, well.

i could have spent hours in that patch of blooms, but real life called me back. and a new beast is taking shape today - more info tomorrow!

april flowers...

driving around town, or on walks through the neighbourhood, it makes me smile to see gardens start to sprout up with daffodils, rhododendrons burst out in colour, and cherry and magnolia trees flush with blooms. the world is waking up to spring. but to me, those carefully cultivated flowers rarely hold a candle to what is happening in the forest right now.

a friend and i have an annual tradition of a long walk along a local river at this time of year, a session where in between catching up on everyday life we exclaim loudly at each new flower or plant we spot sprouting up. we are nature nerds that way. we haven't had our walk yet this year (we live in different cities), but i have been keeping an eye on what's flushing out between the trees on my own little explorations. first comes the greenery, poking through the soil here and there, or little flecks of chartreuse scattered across branches. and then out pops a few flowers to say hello, until the whole wood seems filled with blooms. the swamp lanterns are always first, and the swampy areas and ditches are aglow in fragrant yellow spires. white tri-cornered petals of trilliums come shortly behind. hot pink begins to light up the salmonberry bushes. dark purpley-pink nubbins unfurl into pacific bleeding hearts. and more follow suit - tiny miner's lettuce and other sweet bell-shaped flowers. soon enough there will be fawn and chocolate lilies. each little surprise nestled gently in the muck or blanketing an open stretch between the trees swells up inside me. a riotous celebration of the new season, but all tucked carefully in the woods out of sight except for those who go to find it.

what about you? are you finding beautiful things popping up in your backyard or on nearby trails? or what are your favourite flowers to look for in the spring?

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other things:
• this lemon raspberry muffin recipe might need a try this weekend.
• or maybe this quinoa chocolate chip cookies.
• thinking of starting a new sweater to work on here and there - this pomme de pin cardigan seems like it could be perfect for cold spring mornings.
• and a new job might need a new spring dress: i'm hoping to recreate this one with some cotton gauze that i bought and hope to dye as well. i need to decide on a colour though...

wordless wednesday

ack! the cuteness

a little tuesday morning overflow of springtime cute for you. much like last year, spring isn't complete without a visit to my parents' little homestead to see the new lambs born each year. in this case i was lucky enough to be there to see one come into the world (well okay, i was inside the house for the actual event, but came out minutes after). there are five lambs in all this year - two black twins that are already a couple weeks old and sturdy and capable; a distinctly wobbly set of white twins that are nearly a week old (they had a bit of rough entry into the world, but getting stronger every day); and lastly a very mottled little girl all on her own. the mother of the wobbly boys, Jumper, is very protective, stamping her foot in warning when you get too close and making a sound that i suspect is the closest thing i think a sheep can do to growling. i do hope she realized i wasn't aiming to harm her babies, just wanting to get a few snaps of their sweet faces. certainly the other ewes were not too concerned about the crew of humans checking them out.

on this day my niece and all three of my nephews were there to check out the lambs as well, although often they seem more interested in bringing fir branches over to the pair of alpacas to nibble on. who can blame them, those guys are pretty entertaining too. but me? i can't help but be entranced by those soft little faces, and the way they kick up their heels as they bounce around the field in the sunshine.

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thank you for the response to the sea turtle! he was snapped up so quickly i may make another green one soon. actually, truth be told, there is another sea turtle in the works already - a different kind. in a fit of inspiration last night i realized i had the perfect materials for it and couldn't help but get to work right away, never mind all the other things in progress or on the 'list'. stay tuned, and hope you're having a good week!

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this is a really powerful read.

recently...

...a collection of instagram photos from the last few days.
>>> some antlers in progress for a custom order.
>>> my patches need patches. time to do some more stitching on my patched jeans.
>>> a wobbly little lamb. yesterday afternoon was spent at my folks' homestead, checking out the new lambs (including one born while we there!). i have a bunch more photos to share in the next couple days.
>>> a sea turtle in progress.
>>> a dye jar a-brewing. i rinsed it out today and am waiting for the fabric to dry so it can see if it turned out like i hoped.
>>> strawberry amaranth muffins made this morning, based on the millet muffins from super natural everyday. basically i didn't have millet so i used amaranth. i didn't have plain yogurt so i used strawberry. and then i threw in some chopped frozen strawberries. a total success.

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our big plans for today had been to go clamming with some friends. A decided to spoil the fun by double-checking the shellfish openings and discovered the whole area got closed on friday for red  tide. i kid - obviously we definitely don't want to be harvesting clams if there is a risk of shellfish poisoning. but it's still disappointing, and a bit surprising in how early in the season it is. without getting into a discussion about global warming, i do wonder if our mild winter had something to do with it, the water warming up earlier in the year and encouraging the algae to bloom.

so instead we are at home right now, waiting for a quick visit from my sister and kids on their back home on the south tip of the island. it's a beautiful day again, so i'm sure i'll drag A out to the beach this afternoon when the tide is low, just to wander, not to pick clams. hope you are enjoying some sunshine this weekend too.

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a few more things:
• i know i shared a wrap recipe earlier this week, but i also made these roasted chickpea fajitas  and they are so so good. they will be made again very soon.
• did you see Abby's shark? so awesome.
• if you have half an hour to spare, i encourage you to watch stand up for great bear, a beautiful film about a stand-up paddler travelling the proposed oil tanker route through the great bear rainforest.