Identify Please!

Can you identify this flower and it's famous seed pod? These are growing in a flower box just outside our condo complex. (Perhaps for medicinal purposes) 

What a Big Bath!

Summer fun has started!!! 

Here...smell this!

Please feel free to suggest your own caption for this photo....just add it to the comments below.

First Mother's Day

Karen and Judy get to celebrate their first Mother's Day today. (I'm afraid it won't be a day of liesure.) They are both such good moms and the two little gaffs love their mommies dearly. What's with the finger in the mouth thing? 

"Rosie" (1910 - 2004)

"Rosie's" Birthday was 11 May 1910.

Tricia's mom was always smiling and ever ready for a party! When her birthday fell on Mother's Day,it was a very special day for her. Her motto was "Live, Laugh, and Love".....a motto that she has passed on to all of her family.

Eight more Wood Ducks

The Wood Duck is one of the most colourful birds you'll ever find. Of course it is the mature male who holds all the beauty. If you look deeper into my blog you will see a nice picture of a mature male Wood Duck. I wonder how many of these guys will become one of those beauties? 

Stand still Please!!

Cows are such good subjects for the camera. I don't hink I needed a 1/200th second shutter speed to capture this fast mover! Even her tail wasn't swaying. Two questions....Is this where chocolate milk comes from?....Is this momma possibly having a baby? 

Can You Smell the Lilac?

When I was a wee lad living in Toronto, we had a 'forest' of Lilacs at the back of our yard. There were trails and hiding places throughout the 'forest' and as kids we played there often. I have since always liked the beauty and smell of Lilac and always had fond memories of my "Lilac Forest". Until....a few years ago my sister suggested I revisit the old 'homestead'. Our home in Toronto was on a 25' postage size lot...the "Lilac Forest" couldn't have been much bigger than a few bushes. Oh well, I still have fond memories when ever I see a Lilac. How does one hide in a Lilac bush? 

Jacob's First Studio Picture

Looks like a born model. I'm sure he'll have more trips to the picture studio, just to supplement all the pictures his mom and dad and grandparents take!!! 

Too Damn Cute!!!

Teo just turned six months old on May 7th and he's just starting to sit up. Before we know it he'll be standing up and doing walkabouts. 

Yoko and the Kamikura's

Last night we attended a concert featuring the "Sakura Singers". Yoko, on the left, Weily's mom, had invited us to the concert at which she was a participant in the ladies chorus. Also in the chorus was Joyce Kamikura. Joyce and her husband Roger lived in the old neighbourhood where our kids and their kids first went to school....about 30 years ago. We were good friends in those early days but had drifted a little over the years. Last night was another one of those "small world" instances. The concert, all in Japanese, included mens and ladies mixed chorus, womens chorus, soprano soloists, piano solo,and a violin duet. It was quite enjoyable and as I said to Yoko and Joyce, it brought my cultural side up a little bit. 

Future Ball Player?

I could tell tell you Teo is sitting here on the players bench but you can probably see that he is in his stroller and just watching the goings on all around him. But he sure looks like he's ready to play! 

Ambidextrous?

This is one of Jacob's favourite toys.....nothing like a ball that you can get a grip on. Here he has it in his mouth while holding it with both hands and both feet. I guess that would be "penti-dextrous". 

The Soo is Sold

Off the Soo goes into the wild blue yonder. New owners set out to take their new boat home to Vancouver. They say that the two happiest days of a boat owner are the day you buy a boat and the day you sell a boat. Hopefully we have two happy boaters here today. (I'm on the dock taking pictures, not sure whether I'm happy or not.) Hope they remember to put the antennas up.

An Eagle Up Close and Personal

Today we visited the Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society centre here in Delta, BC. (Better known as OWL). This group takes on the responsibility of rehabing sick and injured birds of prey from all over BC .....mostly hawks, owls, and eagles. (200 to 300 per year). The society also performs very important educational sessions at schools and other events throughout the lower mainland. This juvenile Bald Eagle, named "Sonsie" is a permanent resident as when he came to the centre he had already had too much human contact and would not be able to survive in the wild. Lucky for us, and school children all over the region, we get a chance to see an eagle up real close. He is four years old. His head feathers will turn pure white over the next few years. Check out the Society web site at www.owlcanada.ca 

Easter Dinner

Guess what? The boys are starting to eat! Pretty soon they'll want to sit at the table and get their share of all the good stuff grandma makes for dinner. Any guesses on what their eating? Would anyone like to try the recipe? It looks real tastey!!! 

Karen's Birthday (April 17, 1969)

Hard to imagine that this little baby girl now has her own little baby to watch over and take thousands of pictures of. Centre picture is Karen with her great-grandmother, "Maggie Elizabeth Brown", we called her Nana. (my maternal grandmother). Karen also carries the middle name "Elizabeth". 

Happy Easter Everyone!!!

I Did So Graduate!

Heare is mye graid eiht clas pictoore jus too profe it. Cann yuo pique mee oot? 

Friday Night Happy Hour and Steaks!!!

Are we having a good time.... I think so!!! These are our good boating buddies from Sidney.....Peggy, Brian, Gail, Marcia, Jim, Sharon, and Del. You can put the names to the people?....first one to get everyone properly identified wins the prize. Those named above can not enter the contest as they may embarrass themselves by getting somebodies name wrong. 

Spring has Sprung

This is no April Fools!!! One of these photos is from Japan...the rest are local Ladner shots. The Cherry Blossoms were not out in Japan, but the Plum Blossoms were. Do you know which photo is from Japan? 

Porpoise in Motion

There are really only two photos here but they are in a tight sequence. The two porpoises are jumping together but one is just a fraction of a second ahead of the other. There were actually over 25 porpoises in this pod and they came right to us....playing in the boats bow wave, racing along side of us, and diving back and forth under the boat as we moved along. We maintained a speed of about 7 knots and they 'played' with us for about 15 minutes. This is something these guys like to do....they actually seem to look at you when they are alongside and some would even believe they let out a little smile. 

Love Those Bears

Our middle right bear is a grizzly.....don't want to get too close to those guys!!! On the middle left is a mom and two cubs....don't want to mess with mom!!! The others are black bears.....you just plain don't want to mess with bears, but we sure love spotting them!!! 

This Could Develop into Something

 

Grand Babies!!!

Just to keep updated with the babes.....Jacob is now 6 months old and Teo is, and always will be, 6 weeks younger. Both are thriving and learning new expressions and movements everyday. (I was going to say "new tricks" but I didn't want to upset the parents.) Won't be long before they are both fully mobile little rug rats.