Category Archives: photography

Nature Photo Challenge: Patterns

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Here a few patterns from my portfolio for the nature photo challenge. The bigger challenge was using my iPad to import the photos.

Widgeon detail

Norovirus. Not to be dismissed quickly

I recently came down with a bug 🐜 of some kind. It might have been food poisoning or it might have been norvovirus. It’s the first time I have been sick since 2018 and it’s the first time I have had a stomach bug since living in North Africa in 1975. So it took me…

by theunretired

Volunteering- Be very careful about what you choose.

I’ve had quite a few volunteer experiences since I retired in 2017 and I am here to report on them all. I did a post on volunteering when I first retired. Nothing like real life experience to see how things work.  Baby boomers are not your grandparents volunteers who beavered away at rummage sales and…

by theunretired

Going back in time.. to the 1500’s …

Reviews of ancestry and DNA websites. My initial curiosity in ancestry was tweaked by a search for a great grandparent who was a notable person in New Brunswick, according to stories from my family. I then discovered a family tree in Geneanet that detailed some of my ancestor’s life. From there, I become curious about…

by theunretired

Cook books reviewed by bloggers

New publications serve up classics and more, with flair! I don’t know about you, but I am one of those people who loves to read a cookbook from cover… Constantly Cooking’s 2022 cookbook gift guide Another bloggers pick: https://thebackfenceblog.wordpress.com/2022/09/10/373-cookbooks-and-counting/ The cookbook of the month club. Recipes tested by friends: https://cookbookamonth.wordpress.com A review of Mediterranean cookbooks:…

by theunretired

The Challenges and Opportunities of 2022

It seems like the year has Zoomed by, and I mean that literally and figuratively. I just Zoomed off a French language meet-up as I couldn’t understand.  But I have been able to understand the DuoLingo conversation groups I have been attending every Wed for the past year and half and I have met many…

by theunretired

Books We Love : NPR

Here are 400+ great reads from 2022 handpicked just for you by NPR staff and trusted critics. — Read on apps.npr.org/best-books/ This book list has the ability to open a link to your local library and you can borrow or put a book on hold including Ebooks. Or there are links to AMAZON. This is…

by theunretired

Cee’s Black and White Photo challenge Transportation Aug 2020

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Since I live on Islands, transportation is primarily by water for man and beast. Shots were edited on software to black and white and not all really work in black an white. Shots are from Vancouver island and Hornby Island and one shot of a friend in Kelowna. Ok these are not all public transportation but they are transportation in public. I didn’t take a picture of the 4 sailing ferry wait this morning when I dropped off a foot passenger to the ferry

Shades of Violet

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Violet has many shades since it is made up of blue and red. The red violet is warmer and the blue violet runs cooler towards purple. There are so many shades of violet in watercolours, it is temping to do a whole painting in shades of violet. Which I did below. It’s a collage based on a life drawing I did many years ago.

I’ve picked a view examples of violet from my walks and beachcoming following the #sundaystills blog post series.

White from coast to coast.

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White is the theme for this weeks #Sundaystills so I am taking you on a cross-Canada virtual tour strarting in Saint John NB. White is an easy pick in Canada because we have winter which lends itself to lots of pictures of ice and snow. So let’s begin. One of the iconic images of Canada is the backyard ice rink. This one was beside my brother’s house in Saint John NB, as is the house across the street, decorated for Xmas.

Moving west, the next stop is Ottawa in winter and spring. The Rideau River runs through Ottawa and freezes over in the winter. Skating on the river is a popular winter activity. The city hosts WinterFest which includes a bed race on the frozen river, ice sculptures and some unusual creatures. Ottawa is well known for its tulip festival in May/June.

 

Our next stop is Niagara Falls. What could be whiter? Along with a stop at Niagara Falls I went to wedding at a winery. Nothing says white like a wedding, right?

Moving across the country, the next selection are natural history photos on the west coast. Vancouver is well known for its early flowering cherry trees, magnolias and rhododendroms and is well worth a trip in April/May. 

White is a common colour on water birds. A close look reveals a wide range of patterns in nature.  Trumper Swan, common merganser and widgeon wings, all in the Courtenay BC area. 

Agency and Birdwatching in COVID-19

Gallery

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I bought a new camera as part of my COVID Coping Strategy and discoverd birds. Little did I know I would accumulate thousands of bird photos. Now Terry has posted a new challenge to prompt me to curate my bird … Continue reading →

I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now…

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Every morning when I get up see the sky and clouds, I can’t wait to get outside for a walk. I love the panoramas, after living in the city all my adult life. Here is a selection of photos from my walks on Hornby Island (1-12) and Courtenay. Everyday the landscape is different. People on the west coast say “if you don’t like the weather, wait for an hour and it will change”.

All my photos except two were taken with my Iphone 7 or 6. Two were taken on my new Canon Powershot SX 70. Can you tell the difference? I can’t. It’s the last three.

Thanks to https://secondwindleisure.com/photography/sunday-stills-photo-challenge.. join her to do your own #sundaystills post.

Christmas in Courtenay

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This has been a challenging year for us all. I have been fortunate to end up in Courtenay on Vancouver Island where there have been few cases of COVID19. In past years I have spend Christmas in Hornby Island, Puerta Vallarta, Costa Rica, Phoenix, Ottawa, Algeria and London England. As I went down memory lane in my photos, I enjoyed the memories each picture brought. I am enjoying watching Rick Steves on PBS and trying to see if I recognize any of the places he visits. This year’s pictures don’t have people in them for the obvious reasons. I will be doing a Zoom Christmas as others will be.

My favourite things to keep my busy have been walking, reading, Netflix, and my instant pot. I have discovered cooking as other have and have tested a few recipes I would like to share.
https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/pho-recipe/
Slow cooker Spanish Stew
Jamie Oliver’s Pesto Recipe. Use fresh basil from Thriftys. I found a new pasta called pappardelle in a specialty deli which is like fettuccini which was not in stock at Quality Foods. Odd?

My Netflix favourites have been Orange is the New Black, Breaking Bad and several series about politics: Designated Survivor (US), The Crown (UK). Borgen(Denmark) and Marseille ( France). These all captured my attention for many evenings over the past months. My favourite books of the year have been Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese, All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, and Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. I’d read them all again.

Another activity that has kept me engaged has been a weekly zoom meeting with 7 other bloggers from across Canada and the US. We have met every weeks since March. We had an in person meetup with 4 of the bloggers on Hornby Island during the summer. It is a fascinating way to get to know people in a more intimate level than in person. I thank the bloggers for their fun and support over the year.

I thought I would share some pictures of the area and my new COVID pastime with my new camera. It’s been amazingly mild here and there are some great beaches for beachcombing and birding.

I wish a happy and safe 2021 to all my readers.

Birding

Harelquin Duck

Bufflehead

barrows golden eye

pine siskin

heron

kingfisher

green winged teal

red chested chickadee

white capped sparrow

bewicks wren

house finch

Study: Birds Are Linked to Happiness Levels – EcoWatch

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A new study reveals that greater bird biodiversity brings greater joy to people, according to recent findings from the German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research. In fact, scientists concluded that conservation is just as important for human well-being as financial security.
— Read on www.ecowatch.com/birds-happiness-study-2649413979.html

Birding
Costa Rica Birding, The Top Costa Rica Birds – Lodges Custom

Christmas in Courtenay