Welcome to Nanaimo

Holy schmokes, folks....it was a busy weekend. Two full days of blue skies and warm weather. Despite my dreamland dreams that Vincent D'Onofrio was going to come and lay the new brick walkway beside my house, he has yet to arrive, so Michael and I put it in this past weekend...most of it. It's not brick and we ran out of the concrete pavers about eight feet short of our goal, but it looks good. And the kitty litter, er, bark mulch, that lined the side of our house is gone. Thank goodness. I didn't take before pictures...what was I thinking? Or not thinking?

We laid in six more feet of garden space, made a couple of dump runs, shoveled 2/3 yards of rock and 2/3 yards of topsoil in and shoveled 48 feet of kitty litter, er, bark mulch, out. I thinned my raspberries out to avoid yellow rust. As soon as I am done here, I am off to plant 48 feet of strawberries along the new walkway, and some more asparagus....some Alyssum to combat the aphids on the rose bushes and two flowers that a friend gave us that we don't know what they are. Michael and I still squeezed in a walk...a new walk, in fact. Another view of Nanaimo....from a different trail on the Chase River Estuary.

Michael and Eemer.....

Look what you find in Nanaimo....the whole town was established to dig coal. In fact, there are mines beneath all the houses in our neighbourhood that neither the Minister of Mines nor the City of Nanaimo will take responsibility for. But let's not rant today, ok?

We'll put up a sign and a flimsy fence instead!

It was a pretty walk...this tree is nearly done for. It grew out of the coal slag left behind from the mines and the loading of ships. It picked the exact wrong place to grow but made a valiant effort.

And toadstools covered in slag and coal dust.

And trillium in abundance.....in white.

.....and purple, magenta and striped.......

There is treasure anywhere. Keep your eyes open.

I found this little piece of drift wood. It looks sculpted by a steady and thoughtful hand. Do you like it better in colour?

Or in black and white?

Either way you like it, it is in my garden now! Anyhoo, I am rambling....there is much to talk about but the strawberries are awaiting transplant and the end of the day is approaching....I'm not going to be around for the next couple of days. Don't worry about me, though, because I will be having a good time.

Talk to you soon!!!!!