Of Ladybugs and Butterflies

Ladybugs and butterflies - magical insects?

Ladybugs are just so cute!

They travel, sometimes unnoticed, from flower to tree. They always seem to be busy yet don't have that nervous fluttering energy I find with bees and wasps. Besides - they don't bite!

As a child, we'd make wishes when we'd find a ladybug. All you had to do was put it on your index, extend your arm out, spin on one foot and quickly make a full turn while making a wish. Your wish would come true if the ladybug flew away.

Butterflies, on the other hand, represent the eluding freedom that many of us long for.

They flutter here and there, like many insects, yet they seem to have more grace and liberties. Their lives begin attached to the earth and then they morph into flight. Their lifespan is lived in two different forms - a bit magical and symbolic for some.



Butterflies are special for me. They symbolize my own transformation and ways. I too tend to flutter from one interest to another, continuously exploring life and my interaction with it. Ladybugs are also special because they remind me of childhood and innocence - simple and uncomplicated. My blog's name is inspired by butterflies - Pasha is my nickname and also a breed of butterfly and 'pillon' is the ending of the French word for butterflies 'Papillon'.

Rhododendrons ...

I went for a walk with my walking group last sunday and decided to drop into the rhododendron park nearby. What a sight! The rhodos were all in full bloom and the colours were remarkable!

Everyone seemed to walk around with a smile on their face even though it was an overcast day. Was the sight of all these beautiful, delicate, and colourful flowers transforming out mood? I think so.

There were so many colours - white, pink, pink and white, fushia, purple, mauve, and yellow. Some were slightly beyond their prime and others were just coming out. Most of the bushes were covered in flowers in full display for all to see.

The word rhododendron comes from Greek meaning rose tree. Technically these woody plants include azelas. They prefer well drained acid soils (a bit similar to orchids), and don't require full sunlight. I don't know how long this park has been open but some plants were quite large.

Below are pictures depicting a nice sampling of the colours. What surprised me the most was that many pistils seemed to be either silver or gold at the ends. It nearly made the flower look fake as it seemed to perfect.

I can't imagine what it would be like to have one's own garden full of these plants. I'd have to drag my PC outside each morning and sip my tea while I admired my flowers. The colourful display would add another layer of happiness.

The Irises are here!

The Irises are out! What lovely flowers!

Who would think
that such a lovely flower
would develop
from this asparagus looking plant?

It also amazes me as how quickly they show up.

One day there is a bud and the next day there's a flower! They are light and intricate just like an orchid except they don't last as long.



Irises come in many colours. Their name is derived from Greek meaning rainbow (because the various varieties are so colourful). I'm more familiar with blue, purple, yellow, and white irises since they grow well where I live. I don't have any in my garden but I still get to see them often since many people favour them.

I believe it was Van Gogh that did them justice in his painting. He painted them the year prior to his death when he lived in an asylum in Saint-Remy-de-Provence. The first owner paid 300 francs for it (I wonder what 300 francs could buy in 1890) and the painting last sold for 53.9 million in 1987! The Irises painting was listed as the tenth most expensive painting in 2010 (taking inflation into account).  It's rather sad to think how so many artists can barely make ends meet while they paint yet generate so much interest and profit long after their death.

Life at Gairloch Gardens

There is always something new to see no matter how often I go to the Gardens. Gulls, geese, ducks, and swans have made it their home, and there are just enough of them to make it pleasant.

Gulls live along the quays, fly and scoop over the water, and at times appear to be the first level of 'defense' for the area as they perch themselves on the small quays.



The geese are usually either in the lake or in the largest pond in the Gardens. The pond area seems to be reseved for 'families' where the little ones are still to young to venture out into the lake. Geese families swim together as they teach their young. The parents often bracket them for protection.

And then we have the swans. There are only two present and they remain mostly in the stream area. They spend their day on the lake and come to the stream to relax and clean their feathers.

What I enjoy the most is watching families as they rear their young and prepare them to fend for themselves. So far I've only seen gooselings - no baby ducks or swans. It won't be long and the babies will be full grown and off doing their own thing. The parents will truly be empty nesters!

Borer Falls

My true intent in going to the falls was to take pictures. Borer Falls is locates in the escarpment ares, on the Royal Botanical grounds, along a section of the Bruce trails. The whole trip, there and back, took a good 3.5 hrs which turned into a lovely hike. Sinewy paths in the woods with a few hills here and there - perfect for a beautiful sunny day!

This was our first glimpse at the falls. We were level with the beginning of the falls in a small lookout along the trail.  We continued along the path and there was another cleared area where we could capture a side view.

Of course we wanted to get closer, so we continued along the path and found the area where the falls began. There were no protective barriers so we walked in closer. The water didn't seem to be that strong but the drop was very intimidating. I have a slight fear of heights so I laid down on the ground and continued to take pictures even though I felt a bit light headed. The following picture is a view of the falls as I looked down upon them.

We continued along the path hoping to find an even closer spot. The hills are rather steep but we did find an open area that wasn't too difficult to travel. There was even a rope attached to a tree so that we could safely rapel down a small section. The effort was worthwhile since we had a full view of the falls. The water gushed down and exploded into clouds of mist that felt refreshing against our skin.

All in all it was a wonderful outing. The hike turned out to be great exercise, the woods were calming, and the photographic opportunities were plentiful. I'm looking forward to hiking more sections of the Bruce trail.

The Many Facets of Water

I've seen many wonderful pictures of water falls, large and small, and what amazes me is how the photographer has managed to play with the crispness and flow of the water. I decided to try my shot at it after reading a few articles. These photos were taken on the Bruce trail as I hiked towards Borer Falls.

This picture was taken with the lowest f stop and a high shutter speed. The water is clear and crisp as it flows down between the rocks.

The pictures progress with high f stops and lower shutter speed.



I was happy with the results since it was the first time I consciously tried to change the outcome of the picture. The camera captures what we see yet we can impact the outcome by simply tweeking the settings.

The other interesting aspect is that the water can have such different textures, from crisp and distinct to flowy and united, similar to how life can seem to us. At times we are conscious of every little event and other times life just flies by. To an extent I could deduce that life will flow around me based on my perspective in the moment and yet I can also choose to be more present and catch every drop!

Dandelions - A love and hate relationship

What a poor misunderstood and unappreciated weed!

They are sturdy and pop up just about anywhere and we spend all our time trying to eradicate them. They show up in the spring before the grass has even come back to life, and everyone begins pulling them out one by one. I prefer to tackled this unpleasant and tedious task as soon as possible since it minimizes their spread.

Dandelions are Taraxacums, asexual plants that seed without pollination. The word dandelion comes from the French 'dents de lion' which means lion's teeth. The whole plant is eadible. As a child, we ate the boiled leaves flavoured with olive oil and lemon juice. These leaves were longer, greener, and tasted rather bitter. Since then, I've managed to buy shorter ones (resembling the ones that grow in north america) and their flavour is less harsh. We also used them to make wreaths that we'd put on out heads. A simple task that brought lots of pleasure.

I love seeing an open green field dotted with their yellow flowers. Their seeded appearance with their matured pompoms always looks so magical, light, and precise. The globe shape made of the repeated pattern of their seeds is simply amazing and looks so architectural. Alas, the pleasure is always mixed. They are lovely to look at but at the same time I envision their feathery seeds flying in the wind and landing on our lawn ... where I then have to repeat my cycle of removal.

I found a lovely seeding dandelion in my backyard (one of the few that I didn't rip out). I grabbed my camera and looked forward to taking its picture. Nikita, my pup, eagerly followed me and approached the plant. I hushed her away and to my surprise she simply pounced on the dandelion and ripped off his head! Either she thought she was giving me a hand since she had witnessed me digging them out, or she felt jealous at the attention it was about to receive, or perhaps she was just being a playful pup. Nikita the lion catcher!  Either way, that put a halt to my photo session but fortunately I found another one today!



Rain, Rain, Go Away ... and don't even bother coming back another day!



I have been complaining about this weather because it's just so dull when I can't go out as much as I'd like ... especially after being cooped up for a long winter season. But ... I have to admit that everything is beautifully lush green. Spring took its time and uncovered itself slowly which is rare for us. Normally the trees fill in within a couple of days and the blooms all come in at once and disapear just as quickly. This year everything happened in slow motion and we've been able to enjoy it for a longer period of time. I'm sure the level of enjoyment was directly proportional to the delay.

The nice thing about having an overcast sky is that the light is difused and renders softer pictures. Everything is slightly muted without the harsh light and shadow contrast that accompanies a bright sunny day. Droplets of water a facinating to observe. They gather randomly, sometimes join, and sometimes join so much that they eventually fall off due to their weight. It's a little messier to photograph under these circumstances since I never think of bringing a pad or something to protect my knees from the wet grass. Taking on odd positions to capture a special moment involves getting close to the ground.

I'll continue to complain about the rain only because we've truly had our fill of it but I'm also grateful for the opprtunities it has provided. It basically forced me to find alternative ways of amusing myself and see things that I normally would not have paid any attention to. My surroundings are kept fresh and green. It feels nice when I drive around my neighborhood and see these different shades of green that mother nature is feeding on a daily basis with this abundance of water. It won't be long before the summer heat begins to brown our lawns and dry up our flower beds, and then we will have to take care of the watering ourselves.

An experiment with the abstract

Another rainy day ... but this time I was prepared. I had a bunch of photography experiments I wanted to try based on a photography magazine article I read. These experiments involved the use of crystals, water, food colour, and oils. 

I first played around with my crystal butterfly to see which kind of lighting would produce the most colourful reflections. As it turns out, a light underneath a decorative piece of glass produced the most amazing colours. A 'real' butterfly would surely be flattered to have so many sparkling colours! Then I moved on to the Pierrot. This time, I tried to focus on simplicity and create some sort of outline instead of trying to make it as colourful as possible. He looks icy and crisp.

Next came the experiment with water and food colour. I used a rectabular vase that was rather narrow so that the colour would have less horizontal space to spread out in. I think the vase glass is a bit too thick since it was very difficult to obtain a sharp focus. Nevertheless, the effect turned out very interesting.

I subsequently change my colour combination and found that shades or yellow, green, blue, and red worked better in terms of focus/clarity. I think it's because overall the water was of a lighter colour and the backlight came through better.

Then I experimented with water and oil. I used a shallow glass pie plate, partially filled it with water, and added two2 different kinds of oils, sunflower and olive, since they have a slightly different colour. I put an abstract painting under the glass dish to use as background colour (which I could could also move around).  I took several pictures but the best effect occured once I stirred up the water oil mixture causing more bubbles. Eventually it all began to look like some life form ...

Believe it or not, I took about 200 pictures! Not only of water and oils but also of fruits, flowers, and other small objects. I would say that only about 10 of them are worth keeping since I make a point of changing aperture, ISO, and shutter speed to see which combination produces what result. So far, the learning process has been a lot of fun.

Our cat Chester ... the mollester

Our cat Chester is pretty cool. 

He's big, strong, and a good hunter, yet he also has a soft touch and is very patient with our puppy. 

We began calling him Chester the Mollester when he was a kitten. He used to spend his daily 'crazy' hour zipping around in circles, attacking anything in his path especially our feet! Fortunately that stage is over and he spends most of his time lazing around or hunting mice.

Cats are interesting creatures. 

Most of them appear to be less attached to humans than dogs however I think it's a disguised behaviour. Chester is always happy to see us and is very demonstrative with our dog. He will rub himself against her every time he comes back into the house. He behaved the same way with our previous dog Biko. Chester was in fact quite out of sorts for at least 3 days after Biko died. He'd go into our backyard on his own and sit on the deck as if expecting Biko to show up any minute. It was rather sad to watch especially since my own sadness overwhelmed me.

Chester has come to tolerate our new puppy very. Initially his back was up and he didn't appreciate the new addition to our family. Eventually we let him into the pup's area and he accepted her after 3 days of sharing the same space. Now Nikita, being so playful, continuously jumps on him, nibbles at him, and doesn't take 'no' for an answer. He may growl, hiss, and even swat her but he's never any rougher than he needs to be. I'll know they have become friends for life when I eventually see them cuddled up together for a nap.

Reflections ...

We've just had 2 beautiful days but today, again, was overcast. It didn't affect me as much though since I had a sunshine fix. What a perfect day to try some indoor 'special' photography!

I have a small piece of black glass which I used as the base for the Cala Lily. I had never tried reflective photos before and I was very excited at the thought of it. Playing with light direction and shutter speed was easier than I thought. The only challenge is knowing when I have the 'right' picture. My camera's screen is a bit small to discern the details and colours, computer screens show colours differently depending on the angle, posting a picture rounds up looking different, and who knows what results I'll have once I print a picture. More to learn ...

All in all I'm rather happy with the results considering it's my first time and the fact that I'm rather new at all of this. The reflection of the lily came out nice and clear and the lily is just slightly lighter than I'd like it to be. There is a colour balance that impacts the quality and brightness of the reflection.

I will try later this evening, once it's dark, and see how the effect changes when I only have artificial lighting.

From caves to posts ...

Here is another picture I took on my outing in the big city. Can you guess what it is?

Hint - We were strolling on the university campus. I could see this all over the place. It's temporary yet always there.

 So here is goes - I became very aware of the numerous posters that were slapped on everywhere as we strolled through the university campus. They announced concerts, exhibitions, special lectures, and various language courses. Some people pasted their poster over other posters and others stapled them. You could see how often posters had been fully or partially removed. Posts were scratched, guey, messy, and laden with broken staples. It was colourful and interesting yet untidy. I suppose it's a sight we are used to and can walk by without noticing it unless we are we are in that space where we are more conscious of our surroundings.

This is a picture of a section of a post with its 'leftovers'. The renmants appear to have melded and become matter of their own with tidbits of history still present. It resembles prehistoric cave walls with renmants of animal paintings. It kind of makes sense when you think about it. Cavemen were preoccupied with survival and at that time hunting, family, and fire were the main focus. These days people focus on education as a means of survival. The 'mental' has taken over  the 'physical'.

With Spring come Pussy Willows

Finally!  Spring has arrived! The trees are half filled in and the tulips, crocuses, daffodils, and hyacinths have all popped out of hibernation. It always feels so much nicer when the surrounding vegetation is back. Green and bright colours looks much nicer against a grey sky than snow.

Yesterday was incredibly nice and I had fortunately planned to meet up with a friend in the city to go on a photography outing. We strolled through our city's largest university campus and found many things to capture. That's when I spotted the planter filled with flowers and pussy willows.

In the past, it was Lillies of the Valley that always made me think of Spring. They were not common in Montreal, but I think it was their perceived rarity (at the time) that made them so special to me. They are also one of the few flowers that truly have a lovely edible aroma. These little white bells propped on green stems often made me think of fairy tales where the fairies would wear them as hats!  Lillies of the Valley are just as common here but it was the Pussy Willow tree that caught my attention.

We had a small willow tree on the property of our first home. Every Spring I would check to see how many Pussy Willows there would be. To my delight, more often than not, the branches were covered with them!  They always amazed me ... the soft furry bulge that would eventually disapear. Pussy Willow is basically a 'given' name for the male catskins that grow on various willow trees.


According to wikipedia - The Pussy Willow is a favourite flower for Chinese New Year because there are numerous blossoms on a branch, the fluffy buds look silky, and the blossoms give forth to young shoots the colour of green jade. They are also used in religious Easter celebrations in lieu of Palm branches which can be difficult to find in some countries.

As a child, I sometimes read this magazine for youth (maybe 'Owl' or 'Chickadee') and once there was a beautiful story about Pussy Willows which were in fact little curled up kittens. I can't remember the details of the story but I do remember the enchanting illustration. From then on, it was easy to imagine little kittens on a branch.  Meow ... prrr prrrrr

The Lilacs are coming ... The Lilacs are coming!

Another rite of Spring ... Lilacs!

My Lilac bush didn't take this delayed Spring to seriously and has been working behind the scenes. I went to check on it today and to my surprise a few of the buds have opened up! Lilacs are another one of my favorite flowers because they announce the arrival of warmer weather.

 My lilac bush happen to be of a lavender colour and each year the bush has more and more flowers. I keep it well trimmed and always make sure to cut off the dead flowers. This apparently helps the bush produce more flowers. I love their smell, try to be reasonable, and only cut off a few. Sometimes I'm lucky enough to drive by a road where they have purple lilacs and, always prepared with bags and a pair of scisors in the car, I park as close as I can and grab a few.

Somehow the purple ones remind me of candy - crunchy candy. But of course they would! I remember my mother buying these tins of small candies that had a flowery aroma to them. The tin was oval shaped, lavender colour, and had tiny lavender coloured flowers on it. Perhaps they were lavender flavoured but somehow Lilac is stuck in my mind.

What I didn't know is there are about twenty to twenty five varieties of this wooden plant that is from the olive family. Does that mean one could have lilac oil? Alas ... not. However, tea can be made from the leaves, flowers, and thin branches. They say that white lilacs are more flavourful and less leaves and branches should be used. Some claim tha thte tea, when drunk in large quantities, can be eupphoric. I think I'll pass on trying the tea - I'd hate to experience an unexpected side effect!

I'll be patient and watch them over the next seven to ten days and hopefully catch them at their prime. I look forward to having a few on my kithchen counter where I can smell them everytime I walk by.

Bleeding Hearts ... a message through a fence?



I was finally able to go outside today! The rain has stopped and the skies were less grey after having 6 days of continuous cloud and rain. I can't tell you how happy I am to be able to leave the back door open. I can hear the birds, smell the fresh air, and look at the work that's ahead of me!

Unlike me, nature didn't stop while I hid out this weather. The grass is thicker, greener, and longer; the trees filled in; the dandelions managed to come up;  and there is much work ahead. I noticed these flowers peeking through the fence into my yard as I surveyed and estimated my upcoming chores. All I could see was little blobs of pink and realized, as I approached, that it was a branch of bleeding hearts. I used to have bleeding hearts when I lived in the 'yellow' house. Lovely delicate flowers shaped like a heart that hang off a branch and sway with the breeze. It was a welcomed surprise to have one sneak in from the neighbour's flower bed.

Was this a message? Something about my own bleeding heart? It's such a nice day - why think of things that may disrupt it? I suppose that my heart was bleeding at some point and that I've put a stopper on it. The problem is that the stopper is so large that it really doesn't leave room for anything else to get next to my heart. There is no point in over analyzing this but it does merit some attention. In a way, a bleeding heart is good because it calls for stillness and promotes interest and activities in areas that would have been neglected, but as this flower insinuates, there is no point in forgetting your heart either. What is life without a full functioning heart?

What stories do your trees hold?

Once the weather is warm enough, we often sit on the deck below the tree branches. It is the perfect spot in our backyard! We have a few hours of sunshine in the mornings and then we are protected from the rays.

What do we do? Like most people we eat meals and entertain there but we also play card or dice games, or simply sit around and chat. It's been a favorite spot for my daughter's friends when they were just in the mood to chill, drink a few beers, and strum their guitars.

I'm sure these trees have heard many stories, from my family and from prior families that have lived here. It's a good thing that they can't talk!

Sad and happy stories escape people's mouths and fall upon the trees' ears. Like soldiers, protecting us from uninvited listeners, they stand on guard untouched by our joy or pain.

Or are they? Perhaps the trees do weep with us and laugh with us and we simply can't discern it?

I like to think of my trees as happy trees and every year I decorate them with Mardi Gras beads. The array of colours and their brilliancy adds a festive and playful atmosphere to our space.

It makes it feel happy even when times are not so good in the hopes that happiness can come from outside even though we know it must come from within. It's a reminder of the sparkle of life that is always there ... even in dark moments.

Sometimes progress isn't so progressive

We are all too familiar with progress. In fact, I think many of us have an ambiguous relationship with it. On one hand it has helped mankind by changing, enhancing, and modernizing what is familiar and on the  other hand it has taken away the familiar that we are attached to.

I have always been attracted to the old town charm of my town, and it's what makes it so special to me. I understand that people want nice large modern homes but I find it difficult to accept when they are built within the older areas and round up changing the landscape in an unflatering way. Some people build what I consider 'appropriate' homes and others build 'monster' homes as they take advantage and even push all our bylaws. It's not for me to judge since it is the town that is allowing these changes but it does influence how I feel about my town and whether I will remain here.

A sad example of our progress is this beautiful huge magnolia tree that will most likely be torn down. It's located west of the 'trendy' downtown and is part of the older area that was less affluent. People have been buying homes and either demolishing or refacing them over the last few years.  Businesses have also rebuilt storefronts and we now have more 'trendy' stores to visit even though this new area seems to lack some charm. This tree happens to be located on the property where old stores have been sold in order to build new stores.

This magnolia tree has been there since who knows when and it's always been a cherished sight for me. I remember the first time I drove by. Its mere size was a sight to see let alone that it was covered in flowers. Since then, Every spring I make a point to drive by and admire its beauty. By themselves, magnolia trees are simply breathtaking. There is a certain 'lightness' that emmanates from a magnolia tree. They simply stand out, covered in white, pink, or fushia flowers that look like birds' wings, as they confirm Spring's arrival. Unfortunately, the flowers don't last very long and are often a nuisance once they fall on the ground. It's a small price to pay when you consider what you are getting in return. So, as to progress ... Spring just won't be the same next year...