A Forest Hike

I got to go for a hike on the weekend... the weather was beautiful and it was a crisp morning.

I like hiking in the forest because the paths are so nice and spongy soft. And bears love the forest of course!

These are some weird plants I am keeping an eye on. I have no idea what they are (any ideas Little Fox?)... so I am waiting until they do something - like make flowers.

The sun was shining through the trees, which makes for nice photos - this is a bracken fern just starting to unfurl.

Like Adjin, I like to sometimes sit and do nothing... it is hard though with a Mama like mine!

More ferns - sword ferns this time - they are so pretty.

We are going on a different trail this time - and I think these plants are lamb's ears... but not sure.

It is a beautiful trail, beary cool and quiet - with some ferns and skunk cabbage in a pool of water.

That is the thing when you get up this early - you can have the forest all to yourself.

Another moment to just sit and listen to the birds chirp.

This old stump had a hat made of salal bushes... it looks like it might house a hobbit or something.

Oooh... a flower!!! A yellow violet - beary nice.

This is a beary long hike - for a little bear and I needed to take several rest stops.

But Mama was patient with me because while I was resting she got to take more photos.

I thought I might see some ducks here but... not a single one to be found - or they were being beary quiet sitting on their nests!

Ok... so this is a local shrub, a pink currant - and I want to get one for my garden! It is super cute and would look beary pretty and... attract bees!

A bee was sniffing around these flowers just moments before this photo was taken - so I think it is a good bee-attractor.

This is another cute flower - I had to look this one up - it is called the Pacific Bleeding Heart - beary cute.

I like exploring the forest and finding new things. I am an Adventuring Bear you know!

Ohhh... and finally.. to wrap it all off... a Dragon!!! Do you see it???

Garden Update

Hullo! I thought I would do some buzzing around the garden today and show you what is going on. First up... the Camellia bush - it has beautiful pink flowers that look a bit like roses. It doesn't smell but it is super cute - mind you, it needs pruning all the time otherwise it would soon be a tree.

Which leads to... the magnolia tree... yes, we have magnolias up here - the flowers are getting old now though and all the petals are falling on the lawn - but some are still quite pretty.

Speaking of the lawn... there is a patch of grape hyacinth, which I make sure Mama does not mow over... the lawn is getting a bit long here - but these flowers are so cute.

The hydrangea is not doing much of anything... other than making leaves.

Last fall, I pruned some rose bushes (they are rambling roses) and put the twigs in the ground (like the guy at the nursery said) and... voila... they took root! I made sure Mama moved them to a dedicated rose bed... they are doing beary well...

These are some daffodils and irises that... I adopted from a wasteland area... they too are doing well.

Rhododendrons... nothing doing... some around town are already blooming, but ours are shy.

Oh, the little pansies are doing great - I think they are perennial though, so maybe violas or something. In the background are some monkshood (deer don't eat them!).

This is alium which I brought from Calgary - it is doing well...

And the little horsetail weeds are coming up... everywhere!!! Beary annoying... must get my sekrebearies to do more weeding.

Ah... tulips... so beautiful!

And garlic that I planted in November... the store bought stuff (in the background) is smaller than the heritage garlic from Ontario, which is beary robust.

Let's see.... what else... this is one of the beds in the deer proof garden. We have sweet-peas and peas growing... and are reading to put some marigolds in because they are good for gardens.

A few herbs... chives and thyme and oregano...

With some... let's see... sage and tarragon, I think.

Oh... I forgot to mention... I got some strawberry plants for... $0.10/plant!!! The deer love them thought so we are going to have to expand the deer proof fencing area and build another bed. I looovvveee strawberries.

Parsley.... a nice strong one that I am going to encourage to grow as big as Hammie's... 

Oh... and this is mint on the right and lemon balm on the left - more herbs which are beary good for the garden.

Whew... that was the grand tour - and... before I forget (or my sekrebeary turns off the camera)... the fire pit that got built a few weeks ago... It works beary well...

And... ta-dah!! Plants that we adopted or inherited over the last couple of weeks - lavender, heather, foxgloves, bergenia, phlox, primroses, irises and a South Africa bulb called Crocosmia... I am not sure where these are all going....

Oh and this... but I made Mama buy it - it is one of my most favourite flowers! Do you know what it is?

Oh dear... ah hem... and this... well, this is the slope under the plum tree and somebody's thought putting cardboard down last fall would kill the weeds. It sort of worked. I hear this is going to become a rock garden (rocks grow???) so we shall see what comes out of it.

I hope you liked my garden tour! Apparently we are going to be beary busy this weekend with gardening but I will try to get some pictures of me... because supervising is beary important!

Happy Easter!

OK, so this posting is a bit late for Easter but... I got to go on a road trip! It was to the island I spent the winter on last year - how exciting! I've never been here in the spring or summer so this was a nice treat.

Are those eggs in the tree? Nope... just some flags. I thought maybe Mama had laid out some hidden Easter eggs for me (chocolate ones of course) but no...

Ohh... weird horse tails. They look pretty in the sun.

Actually, most things today look pretty with the sun!

Even an old wooden bench. 

Hmmm... that is a different looking tree. I must go and check it out closer.

Oh my goodness... it is a dogwood tree!!! The Pacific Dogwood is the provincial flower of BC! I've never seen one before and was starting to think they don't grow here at all but... they doooo... so nice!

And there was more to the weekend adventure including a trip down to Victoria but... no pictures of me... actually, no pictures, period! Grumble... those human photographers!

Mail & Chocolate

Hullo!!! I got Beanie Mail today!! In an envelope made out of a flyer... or an "advert" as Beanie would probably say.

Thanks Beanie!!!

The card had a cool Creativity card on it... which I think is beary appropriate. Little bears have to be creative in gardening and hiking and so many things in life.

That same day I also got to go for a walk and I saw... a bald eagle!

And more fawn lilies...

Tonnes of fawn lilies!

But most impressive was.... (Ben - make sure Jerry is sitting down)... a Chocolate Lily!! Yes!!! Isn't it pretty?? It is beary rare.... I think... mostly because little bears tend to eat anything chocolate...