Planning for spring

It can rain a lot here - as you can see from the water level in the pond, and it hasn't really started yet. So we like to have some colour to counterbalance the grey days. I don't mind the rain - we need it for the wells and I appreciate the moderate climate, but it does help to have some visual brightness.

The pyrocantha (above, taken yesterday) is doing well, so we have planted another under the big cedar. It has white flowers in the spring, and the berries last for most of the winter. The winter heather will be flowering soon, it is just in bud now.

But we haven't yet decided on what to plan in the pond area. On the edges there are several areas awaiting planting in the spring such as the lower photo.

Suggestions are welcome!

It's been raining so....

This is a view of the smaller pond, with the little stone bridge and the larger pond behind it. We haven't hit the real rainy season yet, but as the next fortnight shows rain every day, I expect it will fill soon.

Vintage Malaspina Galleries

This view is from the point looking back towards the house on Gabriola. You can see how large it is.

You can see other shots of the galleries by photographer Kevin Oke at http://www.kevinokephotography.com/wordpress/2009/04/malaspina-galleries-gabriola-island-british-columbia-canada/comment-page-1/#comment-20957 , including one a high tide and one of the porous sandstone floor.

For Dad

Today is my father's 83rd birthday and he asked about Gabriola. He lives in Nova Scotia, so hasn't had the chance to see it. So I will be sending him the url so that he can get an idea of what it is like here. Happy Birthday Dad.

One of my favourite places here is Malaspina Galleries, and I am sure that he would love it too. He is a skilled photographer, and in fact when I called him today he was working on Photoshop. I am afraid that I haven't inherited that talent, so am using a photo of that K and M of http://knittingbunny.blogspot.com/ kindly gave me permission to use. This view is towards Sunshine Coast across the Georgia Strait. Thanks M & K.

The Galleries are sandstone, and have always been a popular spot - with the Sneneymexw/Salish people, then the european settlers, and now with tourists and locals. But recently the cave roof collapsed in some spots, so it has been closed. You can still see it from either end, but you can't walk on it.

I will add another post soon to show the scale.