Category Archives: Ramblings

Two New Websites

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Two new websites have been added to the ones noted on this website.     Both are informal sites on sub-domains (not dedicated domains, but full sites nonetheless.    They fill in niches as offshoots of established websites – A Wildflower Journal and KamloopsTrails.

A Gardener’s Journal features articles on gardening, mostly from a practical point of view of trials, projects, and results from the home garden.    After 52 years of gardening and much research, there is lots to share, but there will be an eclectic approach, not a complete gardening guide.     Articles will feature plants, gardening practices, flower gardens, vegetable and herb gardens, sustainable practices, challenges, and opportunities.

 

On the Trails will feature images from various adventures, similar to Instagram.     Instagram and Facebook  are strong on widespread sharing, but very poor at shelf-life.     Images and shared thoughts are gone, buried beneath other posts or unwanted content, sometimes within 5 minutes.    This site will feature images about twice a week with added information and links.

Feeds are set up in widgets for easy access.    You are invited to check out these websites.

 

 

Pollinators in the Garden

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From early in the spring through to the killing frost in the fall, pollinators arrive in the garden, attracted to the flowers on fruit trees, shrubs, vegetables, annuals, and perennials.  Almost 90% of flowering plants need pollinators for the perpetuation of the plant  species.   Bees are the most important pollinator and there are over 450 varieties in BC.    Other pollinators include flies, wasps, butteflies, various insects, and even birds and bats.   Pollinators collect and move nectar and pollen.     The transfer of pollen is an essential part of the reproductive process, required for the development of fruits and seeds.   Pollination is ongoing in the garden and when we go out to work the garden or to admire the flowers, we can often observe pollinators at work.    A few are shared here.    Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption.

Getting close-up shots of insects is not an easy task.    Getting both the flower details and the insects sharp requires patience and time.    I am still working on it….

 

 

For the Sake of the Song

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Townes van Zandt released an album called For the Sake of the Song” in 1968.    There are some memorable songs on the album like “Tecumseh Valley”, “Waitin’ Around to Die”,  “Maria”,  “Sad Cinderella”, and “I’ll be Here in the Morning.”      The album is named after the first song.     It is a pleading call for understanding from a lifetime of sorrow … Continue reading →

In the Summer Flower Garden

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Some images from the flower gardens of the summer are shared here.   Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption. We have mostly perennials and flowering shrubs and every month we have new flowers emerging.    We take the time to celebrate their appearances each year. We will continue to see a few new flowers until the first killing … Continue reading →

Tangled Up in Blue

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Tangled Up in Blue by Bob Dylan was the first track on the 1975 album Blood on the Tracks.     It was also released as a single.     It is a song about relationships, but the narrative shifts to several different perspectives and refers to several different periods of his life.    Dylan was influenced by an artist who was experimenting with non-linear … Continue reading →

Ripple

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When the Grateful Dead released American Beauty in 1970 I was in San Fransisco (their home base).    I went into a record store and bought it and brought it back to Vancouver.    It has remained a favorite over all these years.   Ripple is the opening song, here redone by an ensemble group:

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Mid-June Garden Flowers

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By mid-June the early flowers have passed and mid-season flowers are emerging.    In the vegetable and herb garden a a few flowers show on arugula, radishes, mustard greens, chives, thyme, chamomile, and others.   The radishes will soon become woody, the spinach and arugula will bolt and produce seeds, thyme and chamomile will continue to flower all summer, tomatoes will set … Continue reading →

A June Flower Bed Survey

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We go out to our garden every day to do some maintenance, but also to enjoy flowering shrubs, flowering perennials, fruit trees, and developing vegetables.   If the light is right and the there is not much wind, the camera captures a few highlights. Various flowering shrubs were either just finished their blooming period, just starting, or were in the middle … Continue reading →

Swallowing the Poison Pill

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Conspiracy theorists, entertaining podcasters, alt-news publishers, and disinformation specialists abound in today’s multimedia world and we are left to sort out what is news, what is info-entertainment, and what is just spin-for-profit.    Critical thinking is the  essential tool required, but some principles/rules can also be used. How Reliable Is the Source? In today’s world, influencers, podcasters, and featured commentators are … Continue reading →

A New Website

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This website is under construction, but soon should be active.   In the meantime, here is a favorite by Robert Frost: “Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow. My little horse must think it queer To stop without … Continue reading →