morning moon

the moon's

still awake

this morning ~

good morning

moon

Goldeneye Ducks back in Vancouver November 1 2009

like clockwork,
the Goldeneyes are back
in Vancouver

It's November 1
and the Winter Ducks
have returned to Burrard Inlet
and Indian Arm

We cycled around Stanley Park today
and discovered a huge raft of winter ducks:
Barrow's Goldeneyes
Common Goldeneyes
and Scoters
putting on a show just off
Siwash Rock
circling
flying
diving
doing all their duck things!

come on down and see them!

three crow babies

here's our resident crow

with three babies

this year

dug the clam

out of the sand

flew to the rock

dropped it

pried open the shell

and fed

the squawking babies

then went back

for more

Diana's Seagulls

High on a rooftop

somewhere

in Vancouver

there are seven nests

and lots of seagull chicks

Here's a few pictures

of them

ps - click on picture to see the whole set in Flickr

seagull chick

Newly hatched

and ready

to fly

Cycling in Turkey

top of the hill

an exhausting climb

looking down over the bay

our boat awaits

cruise down hill

we did it!

(click on pix to see the whole set)

gossip

went for a walk
today
got caught up on
all the
gossip

there’s a great horned owl
near the tennis courts
spotted last week
might have a nest

the Barred owl is about
this year’s eggs
might be hatching
any day

there’s a couple of
house finches
watching the walkers
along Marine Avenue
you might see them
when you go past

two kinds of chickadees
are up there
in the cedar tree
looks like they’re fighting over
a territory

--what was that noise?
oh – that’s a crazy bluejay
quite unusual
(I wonder if that’s
politically correct these days)

the chickadee stump
seems to have disappeared
maybe came down
in that last wind
big one, wasn’t it?

there’s a seagull nest
near Twin Islands
and a pigeon guillemont nest
further up the inlet
and there’s the goose nest
on Whiskey Cove Island
and others about
and don’t forget the eagles
looks like the juveniles
are building this year

yup –
lots going on
in the neighbourhood
these days

keep your eyes open
for that owl
won’t you?

swans on the bay

there's a flock of swans

across the bay

sixteen of them

bright white

against the charcoal water

we stand at the window

watching

through binoculars

their long necks stretch

heads wave

as they float

clustered together

surrounded by seagulls

it's the first time we've seen

more than two swans

on the inlet

a whole flock 

-- do you think they're on 

their migration north?

-- they must be

a whole flock

sixteen

-- wow

--that's a lot

the flock lifts and turns north

- there they go

-- they're on their way

they lift

higher

silhouetted against the mountain

they turn

-- looks like they're making a V

-- there they go!

and the they sift

and head back 

towards the cove

mirrored against the still water

they land again

we watch for awhile

then get busy

making toast

pouring coffee

a dash of white

catches my eye as

the flock lifts again

and heads north

we watch

until they're out of sight

and then

they are gone.

23-03-2009

cormorant

cormorants dive deep

to catch fish

and need to 

dry their wings

Indian Arm, BC

follow your dreams

farron's snowflake

Farron looked out her window at the snow-covered world. Her eyes followed a large
snowflake as it swayed and circled

down

down

down

and disappeared into the icing sugar lawn.

"Where do snowflakes come from?" she asked her mother.

"Well,” Mommy began, "they come from the clouds. The clouds gather moisture and . . . "

Farron wondered what was on top of the cloud. Mommy's voice went on "... and when it gets
cold rain turns to snow..."

Maybe someone lives up there, Farron thought. She closed her eyes and snuggled deeper into her pillow as Mommy's voice faded.

Farron opened her eyes and sat up. Where was she? Everything was white. In front of her, beside her, above her. Everywhere. A face peeked out from behind a white tree: "Hello Farron. My name is Serena. I hear you want to learn how we make snowflakes."

Farron nodded her head -- yes.

"Well, come on!" Serena led the way through the cloud. Faces appeared in the mist.

"Hello everyone. I’ve brought Farron to see how we make snow."

Out from the clouds popped workers covered in snowflakes. They had snowflakes on their
clothes, snowflakes on their heads, and even their boots were covered in snowflakes.

“Farron,” said Serena, “everyone is busy today making snow, but you can watch them work
and ask questions."

Farron went to every part of the snow cloud. She watched as raindrops burst into snowflakes. Each one was different. There were double-diamonds and pointed stars, small clusters and large lacy snowflakes. Buckets of snowflakes were stacked at the edge of the cloud ready to be tipped and scattered. Farron watched the buckets tip and snowflakes fall over the side of the cloud.

Farron peeked over the edge. "Mommy, I'm up here," she called out.

"I don't think she can hear you," Serena said to Farron, "but you could send a note to tell her
where you are."

Farron reached into a bucket and picked a snowflake. She wrote her name on a piece of paper and tied it to the snowflake with gold thread. She threw it over the edge andwatched as it fluttered and swirled

down

down

down

to the ground.

Feeling tired, Farron sat down and rested against the white cloud bank. It reminded her of her big white pillow at home. Her eyes closed. She felt like she was floating

down

down

down

just like a snowflake.

Her eyes opened. She sat up. There was Mommy, right beside her. "Where's Serena?" she asked.

"Who's Serena?" asked Mommy.

“From up on the cloud. That's where they make the snow. Serena took me there. I saw it.” Farron jumped off the couch and peered out the window.

"Mommy, where's the snowflake I sent you?"

"Snowflake?" Mommy asked.

"The one with the note," Farron frowned. "Oh, it must still be outside,” she jumped up. "Let's go get it."

"Farron, you must have had a dream when you fell asleep. A snowflake can't have a note on it!"

"Yes there is! I wrote it. I saw how they make snow!"

Farron pulled on her boots as her mother got their coats. They went out onto the front lawn. They looked all over.

"Where is it?" worried Farron.

"Well, Farron, I really don't think we're going to find a note."

"No, no, it IS here. I wrote it. I threw it down."

Mommy started walking towards the house. Farron plunked down in the snow. She rolled on her back and looked up. On the sagging branch of a cedar tree weighted with snow, a sparkle caught her eye.

"Mommy, come here." She reached her hand out towards the glint. It sparkled again.

Farron pointed, "Mommy -- LOOK!"

It was tiny and hard to see, but there
... tied with a glint of gold thread to a snowflake was a note:






...............................................................................................................................© Colleen MacDonald 2006

seabus seagull nest

Now that's prime real estate -- right beside the Seabus at Lonsdale Quay

crows' nest

Have you ever wondered how crows build their nest?

They even do it to music, electronic funk, no less!

and here's some words about these busy crows:

a pair of crows
built a nest
this week
they flew past my window
sticks and branches
in their beaks
over the rooftop
and into a cluster of trees
next to the house
I followed their path --
trained a telescope on the spot
and watched as the nest was formed
nestled in the boughs of a tall cedar.

I found my digiscope
and attached it to the telescope
fitted on the camera
and started filming.

day by day
the nest grew
the crows added more sticks
bits of moss
a piece of paper
and a plastic bag was tucked between the layers of sticks

and then one day the building stopped
and the sitting began
excited,
I waited anxiously
for the eggs
to hatch

and then one day I was out in the garden
and heard the deep krawk of raven
circling nearby
and heard the frantic cries of the crows chasing
it off
not our nest
I hoped
looking high into our tree
as raven swooped in
and the crows screamed
and then just as quickly
the raven flew off
and through the telescope
I watched as the crows tossed out bits
of shells
I hoped there was at least one egg left
but the crows flew off and never came back to the nest again

dog talk

Dom & Kyle's Tree

Here's

the first

very Unique

and useful -- I'd say

Christmas Tree from

Dom

...

I like it!

o christmas tree !

a

fun

crazy

unique

modern

creative

different

humorous

kind of tree!

I'm searching for different kinds of Christmas trees. Maybe you can help?

If you see one, please send a picture to colleenmacd@gmail.com and tell where you saw it

or found it.

I'll post the best on this blog.

Fun!

.

.

.

another day, another hawk

I see hawks
often
surprisingly
a reminder
I think

hawk

a hawk sits
against the setting sun
watching
waiting

moss

bent trees
downed in storms
covered in moss
like an old man's beard
sixty years of growth
hugs branches

think

I type
and type
and type

don’t push
send

just don’t push
send

I
pushed...

send

stop
drop
roll

gone

they’re cutting down trees
today
hundred year old firs
and hemlocks

the steady buzz of the saw
annoys
upsets
dismays me
like the constant drone of a bee
persistent
never ending

trees that have stood here for years
reduced to a pile of rounds
pierced open scent in the air
an empty space
where once stood
a presence
majestic
it’s boughs almost touching the ground
swaying
bouncing in the wind
gone

why –
so the tree won’t fall
on your house?
the house that was built long
after the tree stood there?

why --
so it won’t fall
on the telephone wires?
we can live without a few hours of power

and what if the tree wouldn’t have fallen?
what if it stood for another hundred years
long after you and I were gone
what if it stood for generations yet to come
for our children
and their children
to look up at
and marvel at its height
and the fact that it could live longer
than any of us.

but it’s too late.
it’s gone.

ducks coming home

As the last leaves
fall from trees along
the inlet's shores,
the winter ducks
are leaving their summer
nesting grounds and heading
for Indian Arm

I look out the window
every day
hoping to catch
a glimpse of the black and white
Barrow's goldeneyes...

any
day
now.

One Red Paperclip Kid

Here's Kyle's Vancouver book signing schedule and a bit about the book for all you have asked. Yes, it is fun being Kyle's mom! (and Scott's mom, too!) Hope you enjoy the book!

One Red Paperclip

Kyle MacDonald will be in Vancouver signing books at
Chapters Coquitlam 7:30 pm Fri. November 9
Chapters Granville 2:30 Sat. Nov 10
Terry Fox Library PoCo 7-8pm Thurs. Nov 15
hear him on CKNW with Christy Clark 2:30-3 Fri. Nov9

Books are available at most bookstores and online (Christmas ideas ???)
or you can reserve signed copies by emailing colleenmacd@gmail.com

more information: oneredpaperclip.com
......................................................................................................................

About the book (from Random House):

One Red Paperclip
or
How an Ordinary Man Achieved His Dream
with the Help of a Simple Office Supply

by Kyle MacDonald


Kyle MacDonald had a paperclip. One red paperclip, a dream, and a resume to write. And bills to pay. Oh, and a very patient girlfriend who was paying the rent while he was once again "between jobs." Kyle wanted to be able to provide for himself and his girlfriend, Dominique. He wanted to own his own home. He wanted something bigger than a paperclip. So he put an ad on Craigslist, the popular classifieds website, with the intention of trading that paperclip for something better. A girl in Vancouver offered him a fish pen in exchange for his paperclip. He traded the fish pen for a doorknob and the doorknob for a camping stove. Before long he had traded the camping stove for a generator for a neon sign. Not long after that, avid snow-globe collector and television star Corbin Bernsen and the small Canadian town of Kipling were involved, and Kyle was on to bigger and better things.

In One Red Paperclip, Kyle takes you on a journey around the globe as he moves from paperclip holder to homeowner in just fourteen trades. With plenty of irreverent and insightful anecdotes and practical tips on how you can find your own paperclip and realize your dreams, he proves it's possible to succeed in life and achieve your dreams on your own terms. Quirky and inspirational, this story of a regular guy and a small, red, now-legendary paperclip will have you looking at your office supplies-and your life-in a whole new way.

a mink ... I think !

look who’s living
in the rocks
at the water’s edge…

it’s a mink !
this I think

(click on any pix to see the Flickr set - Mink)

Three mink at Whiskey Cove, Indian Arm, Belcarra BC August 24 2007

one red paperclip

once upon a time
a little boy was born
and lived with us
and grew up
to find a paperclip

which he traded for a house
where he lives with
the best girl in the whole world

... did you say he traded a paperclip for a house?

and he wrote a book about it
a very funny book

... did you say he wrote a book?

uh-huh!
and you can get a copy
and read about it for yourself
... if you want!

Here's the link to Amazon...
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0307353168?tag=oneredpapercl-0&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=0307353168&adid=0PXHSFJYBK3R6331G3Z4

and you can also ask your local bookstore to order one for you.

Happy Reading...

(proud) Mom!

.

.

.

merganser momma

there’s a new family
in the cove
this morning

they clamber onto the rock

dig for mussels

dashing
darting
swimming
diving for fish
riding on momma’s back

a brand new dozen
fluffing downy feathers

shaking off the rain
hiding under

umbrella momma

.

Between Forest and Sea: Memories of Belcarra

Belcarra lies between forest and sea on Indian Arm, a fjord near Vancouver. Like Raven, poking on the seashore, we sought to find and tell the stories about the area. More than a history book, Between Forest and Sea tells of the people and changes in Belcarra from the early days of the Coast Salish, to Judge Bole, Baron von Alvensleben and Wigwam Inn, Harbour Navigation boat cruises to the Belcarra picnic grounds, summer cottages, and the emerging village community. Loaded with a wide collection of photographs and maps, the book brings the history of this community alive.

To order an author signed copy send $22.43 plus $1.57 GST (Total: $24.00 per book)!

Please add $6.00 per book for shipping and handling.

Send cheque or money order to:

The Belcarra Historical Group – CM

4084 Bedwell Bay Road Belcarra BC Canada V3H 4P8

.

.

.

lime

what's better

than a sunset paddle
in a shiny new kayak?
.
.
.

poppy

in my garden
poppies grow

spider sprawl

a batch of spiders
arrived today
on the window
beside my desk

sleepy
lazy
tiny
spiders
they wait for the wind
to send them
on their journey
the cluster spreads
wider
as they tumble
away

the next day
I look
and
they’re

gone
.
.
.

Duck Tails !

Have you spotted any Barrow’s Goldeneyes with a transmitter tail?



There's a new fashion statement this spring for the Goldeneye ducks on Indian Arm. Twenty of our winter residents are sporting radio transmitters.

Drs. Sean Boyd of Environment Canada and Dan Esler at Simon Fraser University and Pacific WildLife Foundation, are leading a research team studying Barrow’s Goldeneye. In February twenty birds were captured in nets in Belcarra and Bedwell Bay. They were fitted with a radio transmitter, and released back into Indian Arm. Over the next 1-2 years the team will study the data from these transmitters to learn more about the migration and geographic distribution patterns of these interesting winter residents.

Scientists concerned about declining sea duck populations are working together to describe abundance trends and migration patterns, identifying coastal and freshwater habitats and determining what contaminants, disease and developments might affect these ducks. For more information, visit the Sea Duck Joint Venture at www.seaduck.org



... Male and female goldeneye ducks in Indian Arm - March 2007

and two male Barrow's Goldeneyes in Whiskey Cove - March 2007



Two kinds of Goldeneye Ducks winter on Indian Arm. Common Goldeneye males are black and white and have a quarter moon-shaped patch below the eye. The Barrow's Goldeneye male is the same coloring, but has a full moon circle patch below the eye. The female goldeneyes are brown. They are named for Sir John Barrow, an English explorer who traveled in the Arctic.

Their fast wingbeat makes a loud whistling sound in flight, giving them the nickname Whistler. They make hoarse croaking sounds -- “krawk” as they cluster along the rocky shore and around docks feeding on mussels, crustaceans and plants.

Sea ducks are a large and diverse group including Mergansers, Scoters, Harlequin Ducks, Bufflehead, Eiders, and Goldeneyes. There are fifteen North American species and 4 distinct races -- Pacific, Northern, Hudson Bay, American. Adapted to sea and land, they winter along marine coasts and return to breeding grounds in freshwater lakes and rivers in northern latitudes. They nest in tree cavities or on the ground.

Sea ducks are biologically different from other groups of waterfowl. Scientists don’t know much about them yet, even some of the most basic biological facts. Several species have been declining for years, and they want to know why.

...Goldeneye Duck with the sporty transmitter tail- March 2007

March 15/2007 Update Sean Boyd says, "The birds transmitting are still in the Indian Arm area. Some birds have moved a bit (10km or so) but most are still around the area of capture. Interestingly, we marked a male goldeneye at Riske Creek (near Williams Lake) in May 2006 and that bird has been in Indian Arm all winter and lately in the same area as our more recently (winter) marked birds, perhaps hanging out with other birds with antennae."

The Barrow’s Goldeneyes will be leaving our area in the next few weeks. If you see a duck with an antenna like a long tail, you will know it is one of the ducks that are part of this study. If you get a good photo of the ducks, please forward it to colleenmacd@gmail.com. I will continue to keep you informed about the study.

february storm

clouds dash
  against the mountain
  painting it white
rain smashes
  at the window

on the rock
  waves crash
  dash into tidepools
  and swirl back
    into the pounding waves
whitecaps dance
the wind howls
  in hemlock boughs
a dock creaks
  straining against the constant sea
a busy
gray
day

spring weather

a splash of sun
warms my back
then cools as
a cloud slips over
the house
darkening the room
hail pings on the roof
then pounds
drumming on the deck
a covering of white
but
it stops
and
a burst of sunshine
lights up the cove
a dash of blue
parts the clouds
above
the jet black mountain ...

... spring weather


...

oozing...

slip off the sandals
and step in
up to my knees in mud
squishing between toes
oozing
oozing
mud
in a rice paddy

walk along
carefully
sure don't want to slip
and fall
in the murky water
with polliwogs swimming around

workers laughing
crazy cycling tourists
no one ever climbs right in
a rice paddy!
they laugh
we laugh

and then we get to work
picking sorting placing
rice seedlings
ready to replant
in the next waterfilled field

now that's not
something
you do
everyday...



(click on the pix to see the whole Thailand set...
choose Thailand 2007, Slideshow, set time to 1 second)


...

what's in a name?

oh my ...
I'm in Mueng Thai
bet you don't know
where that is?
Neither did I
'till I got here

Flew into Krung Thep
and spent a few days
before heading to Koh Phanang

Which brings me to a recurring question...
why don't we call places what the
people there call them?

I think we need to change that!
(Since our family is in a name changing phase)


So, from now on, no more anglizing
or francaisizing, or anykind of -izing..
Let's call places by their proper name.

In this, I will need help from
you
who are
somewhere
in the world and
know what the true
name is...

Please email me at
worldnames@gmail.com
and tell me
where in the world
you are!

Where you really are...

Check out the new website: http://worldnames.blogspot.com/
...



...

high five

20090 days
of breathing
so far




...

looking back and looking ahead

2006
a year of surprises
and fun
oh my goodness -- it was fun!
what a year what a year what a year
thank you for being part of our lives
again
and listening sharing being with us
we wish you
good health
happiness
and FUN !
in the New Year
lots and lots of love
Ian Colleen Scott Kyle Dom
2006

and then...

the phone rings
and you say
let's go for a
walk
the up and over trail
through the forest
the trees
the trail
our words
and being with
people like you
fill me with energy
and then all
is great
again

.

.

.

...

snow in the hammock

not every day
is a good day
sometimes things
don’t go my way
birds don’t sing
the phone doesn’t ring
lines start to rhyme
no, not all the time
things run

amok…
why some days there is
just
snow

in the hammock

...

rainbow

I write and write
and lift my head
look outside the window
and there’s a rainbow
touching the rock
lighting up the cove
it lingers and brightens
I run for the camera
and catch it
so I can remember -
then the light changes
the rainbow fades
and disappears.

gecko

there’s a gecko
on the railing
with a moth
in it’s mouth
wings crushed
half in
half out
gulping
slipping
a bulge
as it swallows
the moth
down whole
he turns
looks back in the hole
for more insects
to eat

photo by Teresa Coulter
taken at Kona Hawaii Dec 2006

...

a not so average morning

.

.

.

woke up early
sun just emerging
over Kealakehua Bay
put on a pot of coffee
and sat on the deck
gazing at the cove
spotted a few black fins
.............dolphins!
swimming
jumping
chasing fish
circling the snorkellers
gotta get out there
slide the kayak into the cove
slip out between the rocks
paddle hard
there they are!
drift
watch
so many!
must be 25 or more
arching
swimming
spinning
here they come
towards us!
masks on
snorkels up
slip into the water
dolphins around us
under us
jumping beside us!
!!!!!!!!!
baby dolphins
mother dolphins
et moi
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

did this just happen?

seagull waiting

its tail slaps
on the water’s surface
the seal twists and splashes
a salmon clutched in its flippers
on top
a seagull rides the wake
waiting
for a piece of fish

The Crazy Man

just finished reading
"The Crazy Man"
by Pamela Porter

couldn't put it down
read it from start to finish
cried three times
sitting there by the fire
on a wet November day

written in free verse
not a word wasted
it paints a picture of a life
of a young girl
in Saskatchewan in the 60's

Dom says:
But there is whole lot more...
Everybody should read this book.

Hope you enjoy it
as much as I did...

Colleen MacDonald

The Winter Ducks ~ Goldeneyes are Back!

They’re here!

as the last leaves
fall into the ocean
the winter ducks arrive
on Indian Arm
a November blast of wind
ruffles black and white feathers
the Goldeneye ducks
are back

every day is a show
a gathering
a raft of ducks
one or two
a few
clustered in the cove

they put on a show
a water ballet
making gentle wake patterns
forming a V
trailing in a long line
around the island
rising up with a flapping of wings
strutting across the sand

along rocks and docks
it’s a feeding frenzy
diving
popping up
disappearing
resurfacing
submerging
looking for mussels

startled, the flock lifts off
wings whistling
flying low over the water
they turn and as one
skim the surface
landing feet first
like a troupe of water skiers

on sunny days
foggy mornings
in the wind and rain

the winter ducks perform
until
a warm April breeze
calls them
elsewhere
then they’re gone
to hidden nests
in mountain lakes

I’ll look for you
next
November!

Just a Cat

It’s just a cat
I’ve heard
you say
But was he --
just
a
cat?

In the door
out the door

laying upside down
on
the
floor

curled up under a tree
stretched out on the catwalk

in the door
out the door

sitting beside his dish
waiting (for food to appear)

a little buddy
curled up on your lap
at night
as you watch tv

in …
out …

pawing at my thigh
as I type
walking across the keyboard
-- pay attention to me

orange fur everywhere
on our clothes
in the car
on the bed

tucked up
asleep
inside the suitcase
before every trip

calling out at night
-- is any-one home?
silly cat
we’re trying to sleep

walking across our heads
snugging between the pillows
purring us awake

Mr. Moe
Mr. In and Out
Moey
McOrange
Nacho Moe

our favourite
orange cat
and after
all of that
was he only
just
a
cat?


...

welcome to the world

.
.
.

we drive
for an hour
catching up
on our busy lives --
going to see
Anne’s world

I glimpse
a part
of her passion
and meet
her new baby --
Ambition

a sunny fall morning
and richer for it

...

Kayak Sisters

There are days
when you just have to
stop
and go
kayaking

today was one of those

Cheryl and I
paddled across the inlet
to Strathcona
drifted along edges
ducked under docks

pulled up on the beach

at Deep Cove
carried the paddles to

Honey's for lunch
had a rolly polly donut (of course)
then into the kayaks
along the other shore...
back to our cove



hot hot sunny weather

late in the year
water so clear
we could see 20 feet down

like kayaking in a glass bottom boat

watching crabs clawing along the sand
purple seastars dotted the ocean floor
and spread out on rocks
fish swimming below
like kayaking in an aquarium

very fun!

Smoochin in Munchen

who is that...
smoochin
in
Munchen?

Tour de Hrvatska 2006

limestone houses
red tile roofs
turquoise water
barren hillsides

villages nestled in valleys
church bells ringing
narrow alleys
rocky fields
lavender growing wild

climb the hills
straight up
higher
hotter
keep going
we re going where...
up there...
stop for water
catch your breath
peddle harder
lower the gears
can't believe I'm climbing this
mountain

reach the summit
WAHOO
and down the other side
cruising
flying
riding
and gliding
down
down
down

watching the boat slip
into the port
tucked into a tiny blue cove

I DID IT !!!!

dinner bell rings
laughter
stories
about the climb
and the descent

looking forward to tomorrow

wish you were here !!!!

(click on any of these pictures to see the whole set in Flickr)

One Warm House

words

can’t tell

how much fun

we had

at Saskatchewan’s

BIGGEST

Housewarming party

-- ever

but pictures can help

so here’s a start

and more to come

(click on the picture to link to Kyle's Flickr set)

every picture

has a story behind it…

and in front of it

beside and around it

so maybe one day

I’ll tell you a

story

or two

Thanks to everyone

who made the day

special !!!

love, mom!

...

On Top of the World

Cathedral Lakes
hiking along the mountain ridges
on top of the world

........................................................................ (click on any pix to see the whole set)

hours of walks


like a pocket of Switzerland
tucked inside British Columbia

wildflowers
blues
red paint brush
yellows
and who knew daisies came in mauve?


sitting in a meadow
watching mountain goats

as they ate and wandered
right alongside us

dipping in a glacial lake
fireworks of fish
jumping
leaping
splashing
(of course they're splashing - fish do that!)

Smokey the Bear
marmots
deer
a buck or two
grouse and grouselings
startled in the woods
chipmunks galore

campfires
wearing all our clothes to bed
and still
being cold
but lots of laughs

and
can't wait
to go back
there

again

(click on any pix to see the whole set in Flickr!

and then choose Cathedral Lakes Slideshow...)

Go Dutch

who knew
Holland was
only
one hour away
in Lynden Washington

giant windmill
dutch architecture
wooden shoes
flowers galore

cycling through
raspberry fields
forever
drinking in the scent
as the harvester
picked
raspberries
for
market

fresh blueberries
for lunch

an old farmhouse
kitchen
painted blue !

listening to
calves
lowing
in the fields

a horse
called Ivy

Frankenstein?

and Mount Baker
on the horizon

another great cycle day !

(click on any pix to take you

to the Flickr set)

one red paperclip house Kipling Sask

If a picture is worth a thousand words

then these pictures are billions of words

Click on the picture and that will

take you to

Flickr

and you can scroll through the whole set!

Kipling2 080
Originally uploaded by youwhocolleen.

IF

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!

--Rudyard Kipling

Shoe Shopping in Shanghai

shoes too small for my big feet

laundry at the back of a barge

old carts and straw brooms

staying in the highest hotel in the world


baskets full of fruit and eels and frogs
kids play while parents sleep

narrow alleys and

birds of a feather at the mall

a monk’s robe drying at the temple

Colonel Saunders look-a-like …

fireworks wake us up...

having fun,

wish you were here!

Herring Morning

the water in the cove
looks like it’s boiling
but there is no rain



thousands and thousands
of tiny fish --
a ball of herring
rolls through the cove

seals wait
twin sets of eyes
they circle the school
hind flippers up



a heron stands patiently
on the dock ...
underwater
the cloud shifts
and turns as one

a jab and a catch --
one after the other



a new family of Mergansers
chatters past
looking for other kinds
of food

a Grebe dives
a flash of fish
leap out of the water
the cluster jumps
and shifts --
the ripple moves on

two girls
try to catch
... just one little fish

but look who

went for a swim

with the herring

Rare Sighting on the Fjord!

Heard a loud scree this morning
"What was that????"
Jumped out of bed
and saw
Two Oystercatchers
on the island




Now that's something
you don't see very often
on Indian Arm

Well actually,
I haven't heard of any
Oystercatchers around
these parts
maybe because there
aren't too many oysters?

So it was a great sighting
and not too bad a picture
through the digiscope . . .


Black Oystercatcher Haematopus bachmani
- a jet black shorebird similar in size to a crow
- long orange beak and pink legs
- eats shellfish, limpets, chitons, snails
- pries open shells with its long beak

More pix and info at http://www.racerocks.com/racerock/eco/taxalab/stewartm.htm

Fun on the Fjord . . .

Tiptoe Through the Tulips

Load up bikes
drive to Mt.Vernon
ride west
through
fields and fields
of tulips
red
yellow
tulip heads dancing
in the breeze
cycle to LaConner
lunch with the seagulls
back through the fields
home again



More info about the Skagit Tulip Festival: http://www.tulipfestival.org/

Diva, Kayaking ... and Ducks

Diva really wants
to go kayaking
so maybe one day
she will

Today was windy
and cold
and the water
was choppy

but

there were the ducks

so I went
duck hunting
in my kayak

forty years

forty years
since we met
teenagers
a life time ago

through the years
traveling
university
starting careers
building a house
having our kids
Kyle
Scott
a basement full of Polliwogs
and a few puddles
along the path

stepping over
and stepping up
enjoying this life
with family
and friends

and here we are
still having --

fun !


happy anniversary

The Art of Cycling

Jeannette, Francien, Judi and I 

started up the hill 

at Myrta Hayes pottery studio, 

cycled along Alderside Road 

to Gay Torlay's amazing studio, 

headed up the hill to Tammi Pilon's, 

and followed the creek to Maggie White's. 

La Mercante made a delicious lunch 

and then we explored 

around Queen's Street Square, 

visited Alison Philpott 

at Sheila Francis' renovated heritage office, 

and smelled the flowers at Vivio. 

We found Mr.Glenn Atkinson 

at the Perry Roe building, 

stopped in at the old City Hall gallery, 

the little yellow garage studio 

of Martha Melmetis 

and the saw the Spirit Bear sculptures 

of Ross Agro. 

In time for tea and scones 

at The Muse, 

we enjoyed a Korean concert. 

Over the new bridge, 

a stop at the Electronic Arts 

and back to our cars at the Rec Centre.

Port Moody is now the City of the Art of Cycling.

© Colleen MacDonald 2006

A Stellar Visit (Sea Lion . . . that is!)

At the Steller Sea Lion Open Ocean Research Project in Port Moody, Emily Hicks stood right up close to a 200 kg sea lion, watched it stick out its tongue, roll over, and stand tall on the weight scale. After each activity, she rewarded the sea lion with a fish.



Vance Mercer, a researcher and trainer enthusiastically explained that these three enormous sea lions are the first in the world being trained in the open water. Before they were allowed to swim free, Vance and his team had to first earn their trust so they would return to the boat. “We need them to trust us so they will come back. This trust is developed over a long time.” He spends eight hours a day with the sea lions, during training sessions and then socializing and strengthening their bond. The sea lions jump out of their pen and come to him when he calls their names – Sitka, Boni and Hazy.



The sea lions needed to learn how to swim around boats and jump on and off their transport vessel, the ‘Steller Shuttle.’ They are fitted with a harness and a tracking device so the trainers can follow their movements away from the boat. The trainers run 2-3 open ocean sessions, usually in the mornings – to research and reinforce trained behaviours.



The sea lion breathes in a respiratory dome that measures its oxygen consumption, dives to a target light deep in the ocean, then returns to the surface and breathes under the dome so the scientists can measure the amount of carbon dioxide that built up in the lungs during the dive. This allows them to calculate the energy used during the dive.

Set up by the University of British Columbia and the Vancouver Aquarium, the project aims to understand the energy requirements of sea lions in the wild in order to better manage the dwindling populations of Stellar sea lions on the north Pacific coast.


info from http://www.vanaqua.org/aquanew/fullnews.php?id=1728

© Colleen MacDonald 2006

Duck Hunting

You know how sometimes you are just in the right spot at the right time? Well, that happened to me early this morning. An eagle flew past my window, I grabbed my camera and in ten magical minutes this drama unfolded before my eyes... WOW !



Early morning and an eagle peers out over the cove, looking for breakfast…





It circles and spots a flock of Goldeneye ducks near Belcarra.





It swoops down over the flock -- talons out.





It misses. Seagulls scream and chase the eagle.





Alerted, the ducks scramble, bumping into each other in their haste, eyes up, watching for the eagle.





The eagle tries again, soaring in from the other side.





It misses again. Panicked, the flock lifts off.





… and takes to the air.




The ducks fly south to safety …





. . . and the eagle heads north up the fjord.




Not The End …


© Colleen MacDonald 2006

. . .

One Red Paperclip Book

Kyle and I have been working on a kids book for One Red Paperclip.

It's a work in progress and changing all the time as Kyle makes a trade and writes a story for the book. Now that his book has come out, there's lots of behind the scenes stories to read.
But for simple - how did he do each trade, here's the kids book version.

We hope you enjoy it.... Here's the link: http://oneredpaperclipkids.blogspot.com/

Kyle & Mom!

Lots and lots of ducks...

Well, they are actually hard to count, but estimating I'd say there were about a hundred ducks rafted in Indian Arm today.

I think they are on their migration north and are stopping off along the way.

They were busy munching on mussels on the docks, stirring the water when they dove. "Krawking" as they traveled around the island, trailing a V, flying low over the water.

Does anyone have the Goldeneye ducks in their area?
Anyone have pictures to share with me?

Ducks !

I love ducks
Barrow’s Goldeneyes
Winter ducks
black and white
wintering on our fjord

…more duck stuff to follow!

Life on the Fjord ...

Fjord, fiord
An ocean inlet
Connects to the Pacific
Canal, sound, arm
Steep-sided walls
Carved deep by an ancient glacier
Norse fjörðr (fjorthr) means firth or inlet
Indian Arm
30 km long (18 miles)
Stretching from Vancouver north towards Squamish
Home to harbour seals
Diving ducks
Eagles
Kayakers
And us!

© Colleen MacDonald 2006

Looking at you!

I'm looking at you!

I can see by the Site Meter
where you are
around the world
peeking at my world

It's great to imagine
who you are
and what you are doing.

If you feel like sending me an email,
I'd like to know where you live
and what you call it (send the pronunciation)

Thanks for connecting!

Where the heck is Turin?

Are you as confused as me about where Turin is? If you look on a map of Italy, there is no such place. The town referred to as Turin is actually called Torino. If you travel to the Peidmont region in Italia, all signs read Torino.

Place names is an issue that I have pondered for many years. Why don't we call a city or country by what the people who live there call it?

This issue has arisen lately with the confusion of Turin and Torino. When I heard Turin, Italy on TV recently, I asked people in the room: "...but I thought the Olympics were in Torino?" We were all confused and had to look it up.

In this day and age we don't have any need to anglisize or simplify names. We can call places and people by their real names -- what the name really is. It is a bit insulting, don't you think? We can pronounce any name, even names written in other languages and alphabets. Just tell us how to say it and we can do it.

As a teacher I had many students in my class that kept their real names when they moved to Canada, the names on their birth certificates. No more need to make Man Yee a Mandy or a Sushan a Susan. We can pronounce Kon Woo and Soon as easily as Connor and Sean.

A few years back I traveled in China and visited Guangzhou. I wondered if we were close to Canton. I was already there, they told me -- Canton is now called by its rightful Chinese name -- Guangzhou. Of course it is no more difficult to say Guangzhou as it is to say Canton.

I live near Coquitlam and Tswassen, BC and no one has difficulty with those names.
Some places have changed back to their native names -- the Queen Charlotte Islands are now referred to as Haida Gwaii.

We can say it!

If we can pronounce people's names and place names, why on earth can't we call the city hosting the Olympics by it's real name -- Torino?

And for that matter, why not just start calling every place in the world by what the people there call it.

Let's start a movement.



.© Colleen MacDonald 2006

Yahk Yahk Yahk

Look who wants to go to Yahk!
Got everything packed...
all ready for Kyle's haircut.
In Yahk.

I wonder if Yahk has a barber shop?
or an orange cat?

Hopefully Nacho and Diva (not pictured)
will watch Kyle on Thursday Feb 9 at 8pm and 11pm PST
on CBC The Hour (might be cable 26)

Fun !

Where do you get those ideas?

Someone asked me today where Kyle gets his ideas.

I thought about it and thought about it.

He was a regular baby and did all the regular baby things.
His first sentence was "My duck blanket".

Then I remembered that in the Kindergarten Christmas play,
he was a cow. You have to think outside the box to imagine this is a cow.
Or is it thinking outside the circles?

Maybe, just maybe that's what started the ideas...

love, mom!

Sign, sign, everywhere a sign

Hup two
three four
hup two

Went to Victoria on the weekend to visit our son Scott.
He's going to school there.
On Sunday he took us on a site-seeing tour of the coastline along Esquimalt.
Trees were budding, flowers popping up,
felt like spring was in the air.
Spotted this sign along the way.
As you can see, on this busy stretch of the coast
it's handy to make things clear.
Just in case you want to get through first,
Remember . . .

Ski-s the Day …

Had my list written
the day all planned
Rain was called for
but what is this …. ?
Blue skies,
morning sun bouncing off the snowy mountain.
Gotta seize the day …
might be raining tomorrow.
Pick up the phone,
“Spontaneity check … want to go skiing?”
How could we not?
laugh all the way to Grouse.
The city stretches below us
Sun on our faces
Snow is soft and fast, lots of it.
Wahoo – look at us!
Down the Peak, up the chair
From the top we see
freighters in the harbour
sunshine glistening on Georgia Strait
islands in the distance
over to Blueberry, down Blazes
every run open
every run awesome
found places we’d never been before

… What list was that?


© Colleen MacDonald 2006

Morning Window

Out my window, Mount Seymour catches

the first rays of morning sunshine.

Fresh snow covers the trees.

Glimpses of blue sky beckon.

I wonder if it's a good day to get up to the snow?

Birthday Thanks

Thankyou for

another year

friends and family

laughter and love

hopes and joy

and dreams that really do come true

. . . fun !

Seal and Salmon

Out my window I spot a sea otter pulling a salmon up onto our rock islet. It drags the fish onto a ledge, and tears it apart.
Seagulls and crows hover nearby.

I run for my camera and dash down the stone steps, snapping pictures.
The otter sits up and looks at me, then slides down the rock and into the ocean.

The water is as clear as a swimming pool. The otter glides towards where I'm standing on the dock and slips underneath.

Seagulls and crows land on the island and attack the fish carcass.

An eagle swoops into the cove and clings to the tall fir tree, weighing down the branches.
The sea otter climbs back onto the rock, finishing its catch.

The eagle circles above the otter. The otter looks up then slides away, and the eagle lands and rips the salmon apart. Seagulls and crows scream and swoop overhead. The eagle looks nervous and takes flight. Seagulls chase it in circles around the cove, then out of sight.

Looking out my window at Whiskey Cove.

..............................................................

The Cuban Diet

You’ve heard of the South Beach Diet and the Atkins Diet, Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers. Some of you have had success with these diets, but I assure you there is now new hope with the new Cuban Diet.

What is it you ask (and rightfully so)?

Why it is a simple plan!

Doesn’t take much discipline at all.


PLAN A – The First Week

1. Purchase an airplane ticket to Cuba, preferably stopping in Havana first.
2. Book into a “4-Star Hotel” – looks like most are quite similar vintage and décor, seems like they mixed up numero cuarto with numero dos
3. Order a drink with dinner and make sure it is full of ice or at least mixed with water. If you don’t want a drink or ice, be sure to have a glass of tap water when you take your regular pills.
4. Wait 2 hours.
5. Visit the big white phone all night and most of the next day.
6. Get a shot of gravol in the butt from the hotel nurse who can’t believe you actually ate and drank at the hotel where she works.
7. Sip ‘rehydration salts’ for the next 24 hours … “very slowly por favor, if you sip too much it will come right back up” says the nurse in sign language.
8. For next few days eat only potatoes or a bit of rice or maybe a few tiny tiny sips of soup. She says you must be careful - – no pork, no chicken, no beef, no fish, no vegetables, no alcohol, no water. I’m wondering what else is left?

PLAN B – The Second Week

1. Move to an all-inclusive hotel at Veradero with a huge buffet.
2. Try a small piece of each item … but remember – you must still avoid pork, chicken, fish and beef
3. Look over the buffet and determine what food is there that you can actually eat – there are no real vegetables, only uncooked peas right out of the freezer bag (Ian decides he LOVES them!)
4. Walk over to the bread board, shoo away the birds that are pecking on the loaves, buns and desserts, and cut a slice of bread. Spread on hard butter and enjoy!

PLAN C – The Exercise Component

1. Turn on the shower
2. Wait at least 10 minutes for hot water,
3. Wait another 10 minutes and realize there will not be hot water again this day
4. Hop into the shower
5. Shampoo hair rapidly
6. Rinse quicker than you can believe
7. Hop out onto cold tile floor
8. Rapidly scrub body and head with towel – this brings back circulation and feeling in the extremeties.

PLAN D – The Cleanse

1. Enjoy the rest of your stay at an all-inclusive resort that all-includes free alcohol
2. Out of desperation as you can’t eat any food, choose to drink instead
3. Drink one Pina Colada on the beach
4. Drink another Pina Colada as that first glass was so small.
5. Might as well have another Pina Colada because really, three of those plastic things would hardly be a normal size drink at home…
6. Drink one more Pina Colada before heading back to the room for the exercise component (see above).
7. For your before dinner drink, chose one or two more tropical fruit drinks to ensure a complete cleanse
8. Later that evening, begin the cleansing process and keep it going for at least two days
Remember not to drink any fruit drinks ever again in your whole life (unless on this diet, of course)

PLAN E – The New You

1. As all your clothes are now falling off as you walk, stop by the gift store in the lobby and purchase a new wardrobe to wear for the rest of the trip.
2. Enjoy the new tiny you.
3. Plan to visit Cuba at least once a year for the all new and effective CUBAN DIET (or not!)

Well, I may have exaggerated a bit, BUT NOT MUCH!!!!! ...

© Colleen MacDonald 2006

Bonne Annee

Bonne Annee
Happy New Year
en Quebec

white snow everywhere
blue skies
reflected sunshine
icicles reaching the ground
snow sliding off roofs
looks like a furrowed brow

words swirling in french
grab the occasional word
get the jist
... or not

quebecois christmas trees
no needles or leaves,
sparkling branches

a visit to Grandmere's
homemade donuts
maple butter
-20 outside

lots of relatives at the New Years party
traditional Quebec songs
Dom's aunts singing and playing the spoons
tortierre
Oncle Piero cooking rabbit
and jambalaya
and fruit fondue with maple sauce
a different kind of new years for us
but not for them!
fun to glimpse into another world

and looking forward to coming home
and seeing our world again

Bonne Annee et HAPPY NEW YEAR 2006

Fog lifts

I look out the window...
the fog has lifted slightly
revealing the forgotten shoreline.
A crab fisher drops traps,
drifting in and out of the mist.
Loons circle in the cove.
A mystical morning.

Night Owl

Shakespeare – Belcarra’s Night Owl

We have an owl living in Belcarra. When walking at night its calls echo against the rock cliffs. It is often seen sitting on the gravel near Midden Road or perched in a nearby tree. We’ve named it Shakespeare, as it is a Barred Owl.

The other night we went looking for it ... binoculars, flashlight and camera in hand. We looked for awhile and couldn't see it, but on the way home -- there it was – on a tree branch near Turtlehead and Belcarra Bay Road. We stopped and gazed at it for a long time then it spread its wings and flew high up into a tree.

We bumped into neighbours who were out owl-searching and as we talked, the owl swooped down low over us and we had to duck our heads. It landed in a tree, 10 feet away from us, seemingly as curious about us as we were of it. It wasn’t afraid at all -- it gave us a good show of his head-turning capabilities.

Keep your eyes open, slow down a bit and maybe you will have a chance to see it one day soon!

Wahoo -- or is it Whoo-hoo?

The Barred Owl is a medium-sized gray-brown owl streaked with white horizontal barring on the chest and vertical barring on the belly. It has a round-head, brown eyes, and yellow beak. It is a nocturnal bird and hides in dense foliage during the day, usually high up. The Barred Owl is a highly vocal Owl giving a loud and resounding "hoo, hoo, too-HOO; which is often phrased as "Who, cooks, for-you? A Barred Owl can sometimes be seen hunting before dark for mice, squirrels, bats, and birds.
picture and information from: http://www.owlpages.com/

A boat full of parents.

Now that's funny! Colleen and Ian in a dinghy.
Originally uploaded by youwhocolleen.

Colleen and Ian
in a dinghy
at Belcarra
on the way to the Raven
near Deep Cove
... fun!

blogcouragement

Hy mom, this blogging thing is super-easy to do.

I think you'll have FUN using this for your stories about birds and seals and fun.

It's easy to put pictures up too!

I can change how it looks for you and the URL address too - everything really.

All you'll need to do is write stuff down and send it to a special email address.

anyhow, call me when you're ready to start writing stuff...

kyle

PS
this is a great place for you to post some of your children's book ideas

The Colleen MacDonald Blog

Welcome to Colleen's Window...

The Official Blog of Colleen MacDonald

aka The Colleen MacDonald Blog 

ps. 

I hope you 

enjoy 

one or two

and

maybe a few