Colleen's Window

morning moon

2009-11-03T07:39:00.000-08:00

the moon's

still awake

this morning ~

good morning

moon

Goldeneye Ducks back in Vancouver November 1 2009

2009-11-01T21:49:00.000-08:00

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

2009-08-08T07:54:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-16T23:19:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-16T16:53:00.001-07:00

Newly hatched

and ready

to fly

Cycling in Turkey

2009-06-20T09:23:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-31T14:17:00.001-07:00

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

2009-03-23T20:24:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-10T10:47:00.000-07:00

cormorants dive deep

to catch fish

and need to

dry their wings

Indian Arm, BC

follow your dreams

2008-12-24T08:30:00.000-08:00

farron's snowflake

2008-12-24T08:11:00.000-08:00

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

2008-07-29T11:56:00.000-07:00

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

crows' nest

2008-05-11T10:54:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-11T10:52:00.000-07:00

dog talk

2008-01-07T21:43:00.001-08:00

Dom & Kyle's Tree

2007-12-24T15:03:00.000-08:00

Here's

the first

very Unique

and useful -- I'd say

Christmas Tree from

Dom

...

I like it!

o christmas tree !

2007-12-22T13:23:00.000-08:00

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

2007-12-18T14:05:00.000-08:00

I see hawks
often
surprisingly
a reminder
I think

hawk

2007-12-11T13:49:00.000-08:00

a hawk sits
against the setting sun
watching
waiting

moss

2007-11-27T16:29:00.000-08:00

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

think

2007-11-27T16:26:00.001-08:00

I type
and type
and type

don’t push
send

just don’t push
send

I
pushed...

send

2007-11-25T16:28:00.000-08:00

stop
drop
roll

gone

2007-10-30T17:44:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-28T22:30:00.001-07:00

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

2007-10-21T10:50:00.000-07:00

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.