hunting lilies

The first year we moved to Nanaimo, when we lived close to Piper's Lagoon, Maggie and I would walk there nearly every day. She loved to snuffle up the scents of the little wild rabbits and occasionally find one to chase(in a slow motion, geriatric sort of way!). That first year, I found a little "grove" of flowers I did not know the name of...had never seen before...fell in love with. So, it's early Spring-ish-ness, when I first found them...and Michael didn't have to work this weekend and I was whiney enough that he came with Eem-er and I...and we found ourselves at Piper's Lagoon hunting Chocolate lilies...and the whole day really was beautiful. Is this not a Norman Rockwell just waiting to be painted? I mean, really?

The walk around the park is altogether beautiful and I have brought you all here many times. It has been a favorite of mine since we came to live here. I have two dogs with me here...Eem-er and somebody else. Sometimes(like yesterday) I cannot keep back the tears...but at least now, they aren't the same kind of tears.

Shack Island. With the TtV technique, it reminds me of the summer houses in the Ya-Ya Sisterhood book...the happy parts, anyway...and the Ya-ya Sisterhood reminds me of my childhood, even the sad and tragic parts...including a cabin by the water.

Spring is here but not yet warm. Snakes are out again...yet still moving. so. very. slow. I actually had my camera barely inches from this poor guy's nose and he just could not muster the energy to move on. I LOVE garter snakes.

Sea Spray blossoms.

Grass wearing a scrunchie.

And Fawn Lilies....not what we came looking for, but a sure sign of Spring, all the same. These will bloom in large blankets around the parks here...so fragile and lovely. So delicate and hardy, at the same time.

The face of Lily.

At the end of the walk, the very end of the walk, we came across these little mysteries, not quite blooming....we're not sure. I am going back later this week to find out for sure....we think this is a Chocolate-Lily-to-be...not quite the extravagant amount I first found here, but then again, that first blooming of numerous lilies has had me coming back each Spring looking for more. Fingers crossed, though. I have been trying to find them again for some time.