Frog Pond

My friend Helena has a lovely little pond in her garden with a few small golden koi and some lilies. Recently a couple of frogs moved in, and the pond is a peaceful haven. I remember the late-night singing of the frogs in the springtime when I was growing up - this brings it all back.

Beach Bonfire

It's summertime and there's nothing better than a bonfire on the beach, roasting marshmallows with friends. This is the same fire but it changes as the night grows old.

Cobourg Waterfront Festival (Canada Day 2011)

Taking night photos was a first for me, and I had such a lot of fun getting some longer exposures of the rides at the carnival. Here's the Ali Baba ride - reminds me of Spirograph as a child.

The fireworks were magnificent - and photographs cannot do them justice,

but here's the best one anyway.  

Baltimore Oriole - what a beauty!

I was lucky this week to see a pair of Baltimore Orioles attending to their nest and chicks. This pretty fellow, with his beak full of grubs, posed for me.

Butterfly Weekend

This must have been my weekend for butterflies. We saw quite a number of them while out hiking and at the beach, and these four obligingly sat for a portrait. Update: Thanks to TH for identifying these for me - I never knew you were a butterfly fancier! Sizes are approximate. 

Papilio Glaucus (Eastern Tiger Swallowtail) - Size 3" across




Vanessa Antiopa (Mourning Cloak) - Size 3-1/2" across




Celastrina Ladon (Spring Azure) - Size 1-1/4" across




Hylephila Phyleus (Fiery Skipper) - Size 1-1/2" across



Donkey and an Apple

Nesting Swans

Summertime is Dandelion Time

Queens Park, New Westminster

I was at opposite ends of the country in the same week - here's a different sort of architectural example from near our home in BC.

Montreal Evening

We found ourselves last week amid the well-known beauty of Old Montreal. This is the Marche Bonsecours by night - just one of many fine examples of the architecture there.

Bleeding Hearts

Woodhaven Swamp (Belcarra Park, near Vancouver, BC)

A swamp is a great place to find interesting shapes, like this dead tree, reflected in the perfectly still water.

Swan Love

It is spring at last, and this pair of swans was courting and preening at the Brighton Marina. Ansel Adams, renowned photographer, said it best: "Sometimes I do get to places just when God's ready to have somebody click the shutter."

Supermoon - Closest in Years

When the moon is as close to Earth as it will be for another 18 years, you just have to go out and take some photos. This is the result.

Oldsquaw Duck (clangula hyemalis)

This pretty little fellow and his friend were paddling in the harbour in the sunshine the other morning. I looked him up to find his name was Oldsquaw, and then was told this has been changed to Long Tail Duck - a sadly prosaic name for such a charming specimen.

Forest Stream

While we wait for summer and warmth to return, here is something to remind us. We were in a stand of aspens in the Northumberland Forest. The trail passed the edge of a south facing cliff, and the sun poured in through the trees. You can see a bit of blue sky reflected in the water. The green tint is natural - no retouching was done. A trick of the light, I suppose, taken with my pocket camera.

Tree Shadow

Today, I was looking for interesting shadows and found this. Do trees grow on pavement? Only under the brightest sunshine.

Harbour Sunrise

One aspect of this blog is to provide a record of my growth as a photographer. Here's one to benchmark myself by. Next year, when I shoot a scene like this, I want to be able to look back and see improvement. For now, even though I think I can do so much better technically, this beauty still makes me catch my breath.

Winter Grasses

Cobourg recently installed an all-season garden at the beach. I'm not sure that was their intent, but I am happy with the result. The summer flowers gave way to fall foliage, and then winter set in. Now that spring is near, these lovely seed tassels, in the muted winter colour palette of straw and blue, are all that's left.

Ice Shelf Under The Trees

Out for a hike today, we spotted this huge ice shelf supported by the trees when the snow melted away from underneath.