June - August 2020
The Covid projects continue, Spring leads to Summer – one last mosaic to grout and seal, the Castle towers are completed, the carving of the train has changed from a modern Rockie Mountaineer to the Hogwarts Express on train trestles complete with old steam engine and Coal Car – in progress.
We wait, we wish for it, we anticipate, we complain that it’s late AND summer is finally here in the Northern hemisphere, folks…then it’s too hot, too dry, too stormy, too bright?…we are notorious for talking about the weather.
Amid COVID, in Phase 3 we are now able to travel our beautiful province, not a new love affair for me… so travel is calling and fitting in between the projects: hanging baskets, gardening, outdoor mosaics, carvings: Hogwarts Express, CROW in progress, fairy houses, refaced bear & direction signs.
A 3 ft. light-up Hogwarts Tower was delivered for display to Mission Book Store in hopes that it boosts sales of the Harry Potter Series. Our disciplined Dogwood carving group meets regularly Mondays at Blue Mountain Park so if you are a local in Tricities, come check it out in the afternoons once a week. We can show you how it’s done!
Wildlife sightings include deer on the shore posing like lawn ornaments while kayaking, merganser and fledglings, a pair of otters, loons and a preying bald eagle. On our exit route from our getaway spot, a hot lazy Lynx sauntered onto the road as if to say, "I just do not care that YOU are here and staring at me?!"
Wildflowers of several varieties bloomed at Young Lake along the outhouse dripline. More could be said about this potential but it speaks for itself…and special mention to be made here is to the “Groundsel Fairy” found in Cicely Mary Barker’s books of flower paintings: it’s a bit of a lost unidentified weed resembling a bit of a dandelion(considered flower of winter) that my Grandmother used to pick to feed her canaries and budgies…a lovely bird’s treat?! Did you know that? I needed reminding.
The carved fairy house promised over a year ago for Violet will always be remembered as a rendering of a touch of magic after a wind storm…the not so little 8 year old thought the fairies left it for her – precious!
Parks, pools, beaches are a hum of activity once again. Perennials bloom, margherite daisies look happy from a distance but smell like an outhouse, tomatoes are finally ripening, along with blueberries and apples, an old house gets a new coat of exterior moss-coloured paint…a commissioned artist made a cameo appearance to take photos of our humble house – more about that later…
Photo courtesy: unknown artist
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