A few pics from July.
photographyCategory Archives
Forgotten Bean Salad
I had some friends over to the cottage for a bbq and forgot to serve the bean salad. It sat languishing in the fridge after I had worked to perfect the tarragon dressing using our own tarragon from the herb garden. And so, the bean salad deserves its due: a study in bean salad.
You’ll notice that I propped it up, de-propped it, moved locations, changed lighting conditions, and, finally, ate it.
An Eye for Photography
This person has one. I wish I could see like that.
Tapestry of Leaves by Susan Butler, York, England.
This is all I’ve got.
Olives at St. Lawrence Market, March 2019.
Withrow Park clubhouse, March 2019.
Queen’s Park protest, Apri, 2019.
Food Photos
I’m learning how to take photos of food. It is not easy. Here are some of my favourite concoctions from the last two weeks.
- It all starts with beautiful produce from the two Peterborough farmers' markets.
- Plums alone are photogenic.
- Patty pan squash is sculptural.
- This was vegan salad nicoise minus the olives (Val doesn't like them).
- Panzanella was one of my first tries.
- Patty pans finally got stuffed with black rice.
- Ingredients on their own are sometimes just as pretty.
- Black rice with peashoots.
- Cucumbers with lime and tarragon from Saladish.
- The cucumber lime dressing with black sesame seeds.
- Tofu with a chili garlic sauce.
Brentwood Bay
About half an hour outside of Victoria can be found Victoria Butterfly Gardens and The Butchart Gardens. Both are incredible places.
First we went to see the butterflies in their indoor tropical playground. Then we were equally wowed by the beauty of Butchart Gardens.
- The foliage is as sensational as the butterflies.
- Texture galore in tropical leaves.
- This was one of the most popular plants amongst the butterflies.
- Someone stood still.
- They have animal life as well, including birds, turtles, flamingos and lizards.
- You can almost feel the smoothness of the petals.
- Yum, nectar.
- Just resting on a leaf.
- Tropical plants have very intriguing features.
- Leaves overlap in beautiful ways.
- Like a spiral staircase down.
- It was rare to see the blue inside this type of butterfly's wings.
- The stunning view from atop the sunken garden, built in a former quarry.
- Hungry bird at dusk.
- We went through the sunken garden twice, once later near dusk, because it was so spectacular.
- I love seeing this little sign all over the garden.
- The foliage combinations just weave into each other.
- Stunning greens.
- Hummie at dusk.
- They have many varieties of hydrangeas - these pink ones are so pretty.
- Interesting usage of old quarry equipment.
- Stairs to views.
- Incredible layers of green.
- The golden hour didn't quite hit this garden but it found that one tree.
- The Japanese garden had an intriguing little scene every direction you looked.
- Cute little bamboo fences like this were all over the Japanese garden.
- Bridge to green.
- Even the garbage cans are beautiful.
- Bamboo gateway.
- One of many ponds in the Japanese garden.
Victoria
We just returned from an amazing holiday in BC. It started with our first ever trip to Victoria. What took us so long? It’s a beautiful, friendly city.
- Beacon Hill is a beautiful park full of ponds home to friendly ducks.
- Moon over BC legislature.
- BC legislature carriage house at night.
- Fan Tan Alley in Chinatown was adorable but closed early at night and not very Chinese.
- I love cargo ships - seeing this one off Ogden Point was good luck.
- Indigenous mural at Ogden Point breakwater.
- Working boats at Fisherman's Wharf.
- One lone seal.
- Aptly said at the end of a row of floating houses at Fisherman's Wharf.
- Japanese school boys at Mount Doug.
- Val found this tiny pocket beach at Cattle Point. A family came to swim at it.
- The view from the summit of Mount Doug.
- Market Square where there is an entirely VEGAN restaurant.
- Victoria is very proud of its naval history.
Human-made March Break
I usually take a few pictures of whatever looks pseudo-alive on our visit to the cottage at March Break. This year I went in the opposite direction, searching out macro snapshots of manufactured items. See if you can identify the following:
reflectors, fence measurements, road safety sign, fence label, pattern on telephone box, wire coil, fence hinge, community mailboxes.
- SONY DSC
- SONY DSC
- SONY DSC
- SONY DSC
- SONY DSC
- SONY DSC
- SONY DSC
- SONY DSC
- SONY DSC
Brown and Grey
Even a nice sunny day at the cottage did not reveal very much colour.
- Bubble in pot hole - photographer in bubble
- Captivated as usual by weeds on the side of the road
- No wonder I can never get rid of these - those tiny seeds
- Evergreen
- Last ice crystals clinging to life
- Colour!
- Pond scum in a ditch
- Pot hole
- Colour!
- Ground into the road
- Iris seed pod
- Storm drain
- Hanging on
- "X" marks the spot where I notice anything!
- "Y" appeared next
- Stylized "y"? Or am I just losing it?
Together
As many of the readers of this blog know, Bailey is incredibly shy. A few days ago he was lying on a pile of blankets in the hall when Fletch came right up to him and give him a little kiss. They then sat together for a few minutes, just long enough for me to grab the camera. Soon after, Bailey ran away, apparently in terror.
San Francisco
We had one day in San Francisco and decided to go to Telegraph Hill. We didn’t have time to go inside Coit Tower but we certainly did enjoy the views from nearby.
- San Francisco Bay has its dangers, as we saw from this sign in Emeryville, across the bay near Oakland.
- I asked Val to take this picture of a sign when we were at the BART station going from Oakland to San Francisco. Vegan heaven.
- Val and I with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background. This is one of the many spectacular sights from atop Telegraph Hill.
- Descending one of the many staircases from Telegraph Hill.
- Looking out on North Beach and Russian Hill.
- Thank goodness for stairs.
- I had to document at least one cable car.
- Val walking up to the top of Nob Hill.



















































































































