Janet Brien's photos

(+10 insets!) (Please scroll down to "Today's Pictures" for image information) Trip Talk: A Much Heavier Trailer Means More Upgrades to the Truck When you buy an RV that's built better, it weighs a LOT more. The RV industry has many tiers of build qualities because they want to have models available for every vehicle out there, whether it's wise or not. They are so focused on making money that they sacrifice safety, quality, and common sense to get customers. A large number of the trailers out there are marketed as being very light so that lower-end, less powerful vehicles can pull them. We learned the hard way what that really means: flimsy construction using materials that cannot handle the stresses of being on the road and the countless issues that come up along the way. Our Forest River Cherokee Grey Wolf 26DBH only weighed about 6200 pounds when empty and had a maximum capacity of about 7800 pounds. That lightweight, shoddy construction translated into a trailer that crumpled with the stress of travel (isn't that what it's supposed to do--TRAVEL?). In comparison, our new Keystone Avalanche 365MB is about 13000 pounds empty--more than TWICE the weight of the Grey Wolf!!--and a cargo capacity of 2500 pounds, which would be 15500 pounds if fully-loaded! Everything about this trailer is much more substantial and better made (Not saying we haven't found tons of janky workmanship as we've gotten to know it. However, unlike the Grey Wolf, there haven't been any missing screws, bolts, framing or lowest-tier options). This being said, our new trailer is HEAVY! The good news is that our truck is easily powerful enough to pull it and got the trailer home just fine, and up our hill too. However, there are a couple of issues we weren't comfortable with. First of all, when the RV is hooked up to the hitch, the truck suspension is pushed down more than it should be--it's a weight-based stress that's called "squatting." Eventually this would ruin the suspension and makes for a rougher ride. The solution for this was a suspension addition called truck air bags, which Steve installed one afternoon. They can be inflated to the desired pressure so when we're not hauling the RV Steve will deflate the pressure, and when we are towing the RV he can pump them up. You should have seen the beaming expression on Steve's face when he tested them out and saw that the truck no longer "squats" when the RV is hooked up! We were so happy. Steve also took the time to show me the affect the RV had on the truck when the airbags weren't installed. I could clearly see the place where the suspension was bottoming out. Not a good thing at all. So now our truck will have the proper suspension to handle our big trailer! The other problem was much more serious: our brakes. Yes, the RV has its own brakes and they engage when the brakes in the truck are used. However, it's still not enough. We can't tell you how many stories we've read about people burning out their brakes on long hills, having accidents or near misses because their brakes couldn't handle the weight of the RV in an emergency. A normal combination of RV and truck brakes would be fine if you didn't factor in all of the hills and mountain passes. It's the long, continuous need for braking that causes the problems, but here too, there are solutions: compression release engine brakes or exhaust breaks. If you've ever noticed the loud "machine gun/jackhammer-like" sound of a semi when it's going down a hill, you're hearing what's called "engine breaking." Instead of the normal method of slowing down a vehicle with friction or magnetic brakes, the compression and release of pressure of a running engine is used to slow the vehicle down. Another version of this system is exhaust brakes. This type of engine braking is better for an engine and more effective. It works by closing off the exhaust path from the engine, creating backwards pressure which then slows the engine and thus, the speed of the vehicle. I don't know about you but I never understood the whole deal about big-rig trucks and the methods used to slow them down. I knew that with a manual-shift car, you can downshift to slow your car down instead of/in conjunction with normal breaking. However, I didn't realize how important and effective engine breaking was for extremely heavy vehicles. Steve's known that non-commercial trucks can have an engine brake installed but didn't need to consider it for our first trailer. However, the story changed once we got our new trailer. Thinking about the countless mountain passes we've gone over gave us the heebie-jeebies and it was obvious that if we hoped to travel around the country, we needed to make sure our truck was able to handle those hills without wearing out the brakes. So, a couple of days ago we brought the truck to a shop that installs these brake systems and now we have the security of Pacbrakes ready for our next adventure. As pricey as such a system may be, we will actually save a lot of money over the long run because the normal brakes on both truck and trailer will last much longer, and the wear and tear of our truck will be better as well. Today's Pictures On the third day at our first "hub" of our Vancouver Island, located at the southern end, we went to a place called East Sooke Regional Park. Wild and rugged, there are 31 miles (50km) of trails to enjoy there. We decided to go on part of their Coastal Trail and it turned out to be one of the most incredible hikes we'd ever been on. This main picture shows a beach at the start of the coastal trail and gave us a clue on the level of beauty we'd be seeing. One aspect of that particular spot was a huge surprise. My phone, which was supposed to have zero Canadian cell coverage, had extremely fast internet there because the beach pointed directly at the northern edge of Washington in the United States! Once we left the area though, I lost the connection. It was really fun to have awesome coverage for that brief moment though! :) Inset 1: The coastal views were spectacular and this panorama looked out on a breathtaking waterscape. Pay attention to that little islet. You'll see Secretary Island on display in seven pictures among my 3-part presentation of this remarkable place. Inset 2: This little bridge crossed a tiny creek that emptied out at one of the many little beaches along the Coastal Trail. The thick, healthy forest you see was typical of all the trails along the ocean's edge and we were so happy to be surrounded by so much lush foliage. Inset 3: The Coastal Trail couldn't follow the edge of the land at all times because of the rough and rocky terrain. Instead, it was more of a beautiful forest trail which popped out along the edge whenever possible. Here's another pretty scenic shot with Secretary Island accenting the view. Inset 4: You can just make out the trail in the lower left in this forest image. Densely packed with a huge variety of plants, this was the usual terrain and it never got old! Inset 5: There weren't a lot of boats in this area but this sporty fishing boat got my attention as it sped by. Inset 6: At the half-way point in our hike we had lunch at this rock-strewn hillside spot which looked out over the ocean. I remember a tasty highlight which Steve came up with…you take a barbecue pork rind, spread liverwurst on it and top with a slice of hard sausage. DELICIOUS!! (Stop wrinkling your nose, pork rinds are AWESOME and 100% keto!) The yellow-jacket wasps in the area were very keen on our offerings too but after we smacked a few into oblivion the others gave up and left us in peace. Inset 7: I was delighted to find fungus of various types along the trail. I think this is a type of bracket fungus and I just love the texture of the pores. Inset 8: This group of mushrooms looks like they have decorative edging! Inset 9: Imagine my excitement when I looked down and saw an ORCHID! I instantly thought of my good friend, Ron Hanko, who's dedicated a large chunk of his life to these beautiful flowers. This is the Elegant Piperia Orchid (Piperia elegans), a flower which can be found in Canada's British Columbia and south to central California and as far east as Montana. Inset 10: Elegant Piperia is also known as Coast Piperia, Hillside Rein Orchid, and Hillside Bogorchid. The tall spikes are composed of many dozen tiny, tightly-packed blossoms which deserve a close-up to really show lovely they are. Pam, were there pretty coastal hikes you used to frequent when you lived in England? I have certainly learned that England has a gamut of terrain types so I wouldn't be surprised if you used to walk on trails similar to this one. This hike was exactly what we'd been hoping to experience--and then some. The incredible beauty of this trail could not be properly captured In pictures but I did my best! Here's hoping all is well with you my dear! I have played around with the Circle demo you told me about and once I get one that really floats my boat, I'll post it for you! :) Explored on 11/09/19; highest placement #1.

(+11 insets!) (Please scroll down to "Today's Pictures" for image information) Trip Talk: Victoria Butterfly Gardens…one last set of pictures, and the latest on our new RV! Well, I've finally managed to get through all of the Butterfly Gardens pictures! I'm glad I took the time to process what I could from because there was such an interesting variety. It sure would be nice to live near a place like this, as, just like Butchart Gardens, one could never run out of fantastic subjects to photograph! The latest on our new RV: We've been tweaking it like crazy…adding this and that, purchasing some necessary items, and building a few things. There will be some new shelves but for the most part we've only needed to buy plastic bins in various sizes. The cabinets are lined with non-stick matting now, doors protected from banging with little felt dots and stoppers. We've had to figure out where everything goes, and one thing's for sure, there's a LOT of ROOM! What a difference from the Grey Wolf. If all goes well, we'll be able to go on a short trip in a few days! Today's Pictures I simply had to post this picture first, even though I have some wonderful butterflies to share as well. I am crazy about lily pads and lotus blossoms, and when I saw the gorgeous display in one area of their pond, I was beside myself with happiness. Looking through my images, I took a look at this one and was really surprised. It's not always obvious what dof you should choose for an image like this so I took a handful at different settings. As it turned out, a shallow dof created some wonderful bokeh but exacting, crisp detail just where I wanted it: the buds and the edge of the lily pad leaf. It wasn't something I planned and so I was really delighted to get this shot! Inset 1: I managed to get a very good picture of this unidentified butterfly as it sat on a nearby leaf. If you know what it's called, I'd love to find out! Inset 2: Here's a cropped-in close-up of the previous picture! Inset 3: This colorful Bird of Paradise was the most brightly-colored I've ever seen! These are such bizarre-looking flowers and I simply can't resist taking pictures of them whenever I find one. Inset 4: A nearly-neon-colored Blue Wave butterfly enjoys some banana at a feeding station. Inset 5: A delicate beauty in shades of brown with white markings, this is the Blue Moon Butterfly. Thanks to Jakob Bärfuss for the positive identification! :) Inset 6: Lovely Blue Porterweed flowers growing along a green stem...thanks to Ron Hanko for the positive ID on these lovely blossoms! He got a picture of his own when he and his wife went to Australia one year! And, a past ipernity member, Fizgig, identified the flower for him when Ron posted his picture! :D Inset 7: Another picture of the Greenwing Macaw, what a beauty! There was a time when I considered getting a macaw and in my studies, I learned that Greenwings are known for being gentle and tend to be much better companions than Scarlets, which can be extremely feisty, the females in particular. Inset 8: I couldn't resist another abstract picture of the canna lily leaf that I found. I just love the combination of lime green with rusty browns and all that cool texture! Inset 9: I spotted this pair of Zebra Finches gathering nesting supplied and managed to get one picture to share! Inset 10 and 11: This lily pad and Yellow Pond Lily blossom close-up were photographed on an earlier trip when Steve and I wandered up and down the Oregon coast. Considering the main pictures, I thought this pair would be a perfect addition to this presentation. While we were at Devil's Lake State Park campground a few months back, we went on their boardwalk trail. It led us through a marsh and ended at a pond. There I found a bunch of lily pads with flowers! Steve supported me on the soft mud so I could take pictures! Pam, are you a fan of water lilies too? They are so exotic and beautiful and whenever I find them I absolutely must take pictures! HAH! This reminded me of some pictures I took a while back and I have processed them for this presentation, yay! I would love to see some of those ridiculously huge lily pads that can hold up a person! :D I'd just HAVE to give it a try! :D "Lunatic woman is hauled away after she is found in a pond laying on the lily pads!" Heh…well, I hope you are having a good day! It's another warm Indian Summer day and absolutely beautiful! Explored on 11/05/19; highest placement #2.

(+10 insets!) (Please scroll down to "Today's Pictures" for image information) Trip Talk: Victoria Butterfly Gardens...The Show Continues! Visiting a butterfly garden is something everyone should do if you have the chance. Have you ever done a Google Search to find out if there is a butterfly house nearby? You may find yourself surprised! In my case, by including "Near Me" along with "Butterfly House" I learned of a place just two hours away! It has butterflies during summer months, along with other attractions in the area for us to enjoy when visiting. What fun! It will be something to look forward to right in our own backyard! Steve and I spent about an hour or two at the Butterfly Gardens and every time we walked around the enclosure we'd see many things we hadn't noticed the last time around. It's just so profusely planted and filled with animals to discover, it was wonderful. Today's Pictures My main picture today features a Red Postman butterfly, which can be found in Mexico, Central and parts of South America. It's named for the way it follows a daily route, just like a mail carrier! :) There are between 20-40 subspecies which often interbreed because of overlapping territories. The resulting hybrids are an interesting blend but are often sterile. If you'd like more information, I found a fascinating web page which has many pictures of these butterflies and includes their locations. Inset 1: Check out this gorgeous Zebra Mosaic Butterfly! I am crazy about its pattern! Inset 2: I got some very nice details on this otherwise unremarkable and unidentified brown butterfly. I cannot help myself from trying to figure out what species each butterfly is but it's often a lost cause. Did you know there are over 17,500 species around the world? It's no wonder I rarely find the exact species when I look! Inset 3: There is a wonderful display at the Butterfly Gardens where their caterpillars are raised. This one was enormous and I enjoyed watching it move along the underside of a stem, munching leaves as it went. What a crazy shape and color…and if you can see, there's another small caterpillar at the top of the image too. Inset 4: A lovely pair of butterflies feeding on a slice of grapefruit. The more visible butterfly is a Malachite--thank you Anne Eliot for the positive id!--but the other one? Nope, can't tell you what species it is, though I looked and looked! It's so hard to resist searching, even though it's usually hopeless! :D Let me know if you come up with something! :) Inset 5: There was a pair of macaws to admire, a Blue-and-Gold and this one, the magnificent Green-Wing. Are you surprised I didn't say it was a Scarlet Macaw? I have a link here, which shows a picture of a Blue-and-Gold, a Scarlet and a Green-Wing Macaw so you can see the difference! Inset 6: These Guzmania Bromeliad flowers got my attention where they bloomed next to the main path in the Butterfly Gardens. I had some fun changing the path's color to something more attractive! Inset 7: A trio of Blue Sky Vine flowers that hung down from where they were growing on some tropical trees. These beauties are officially called Thunbergia grandiflora and part of a group of about 100 species. These plants are fast-growing and if the conditions are good, will establish themselves easily, often becoming invasive. Inset 8: Imagine my delight when I found an area of a pond that was covered with lily pads and flowers! They are one of my favorite water plants and I think this one is an Egyptian Lotus. Inset 9: This Blue Sky Vine tendril turned and began twining up itself, creating a natural green hangman's noose! In the background you can see a group of flowers in bokeh. :) Inset 10: The textures of this leaf were too much for me to resist! Sadly I didn't get any crisp pictures of the entire leaf but I believe it was from a Canna Lily plant. Pam, I'm not at all surprised to learn that you've gotten pictures of 53 species where you live, but WOW!!! That's just amazing to me!! I don't dare count the species I've captured but it's probably only about 20 or so I reckon. I'd hoped to find more butterflies this season while we traveled around but unfortunately there weren't many opportunities where I could just chill out and wait for butterflies to visit. We're hoping that our future travels will include much longer stays here and there so I can correct this extreme frustration. Truly, I was pretty unhappy that we couldn't just BE more often because we felt we needed to maximize on each location. I had visions of sitting by a moist place where butterflies gathered for minerals and water and spending an hour just taking pictures. Or finding an area full of flowers which had bunches of butterflies to capture images of. However, I did get a few pictures which made me really happy! We'll accommodate for Being In the Moment as we work out the kinks of our travels! :) Oh--and it sounds like we're both experiencing the same chilly mornings! *BIG HUGS from southern Oregon* :) Explored on 11/03/19; highest placement #4.

(+9 insets!) (Please scroll down to "Today's Pictures" for image information) Trip Talk: Victoria Butterfly Gardens...The Joy of Wandering Around an Artificial Jungle How often have you gotten the chance to walk around a real jungle? I'm going to guess that it's not been too often! Steve and I are pretty lucky in that regard. Together we've been to Costa Rica and Belize (with a short visit to Guatemala's Tikal Pyramid) and Hawaii's Maui too. The incredible diversity of flora and fauna is staggering, and I'd have to say that the Butterfly Gardens did a fantastic job filling every nook and cranny with plants. One of the things that I really liked was the mix of plants and animals that didn't normally live together. Whenever I've seen displays of various plant locals or animals, the installation has always been as true to life as possible. But at the Butterfly Gardens, their concern only seemed to be what grew well in the warm, humid conditions there. Hibiscus and pitcher plants rubbed leaves with cactus and ficus! Orchids and daisies mixed happily with bromeliads and philodendrons! I enjoyed it all I was delighted to learn that the larger animals that lived there were all rescues, which made it extra special. And it was obvious that everything was very happy and healthy there. The feeling in there was just wonderful. :) Today's Pictures The main image today shows a butterfly that I believe is called a Mimic Kite Swallowtail. Showing smokey black with pink and white accents on the outer wings, the inside featured gleaming black and red wings with white spots. Their juicy red and black bodies were so striking and I wished I'd been able to get more pictures of this beauty. However, this one turned out great and that's really all that I needed! :) Inset 1: This is a lovely pair of Red Postman butterflies…can you believe I managed to capture one in flight?! WOOT! The background was busy enough that I spent some time to fade the background a bit with some added texture. Inset 2: This beauty is a Red-Footed Tortoise, which is indigenous to South America. They can grow to be 16" long and can live 30 years or more. Inset 3: This tortoise shell just screamed to be a close-up texture, so here it is! Inset 4: A single blossom from the Thunbergia grandiflora, also commonly called Blue Sky Vine, Bengal Trumpet, Blue Trumpet Vine, Royal Clock Vine or Indian Sky Vine. Though I can't figure out what everything is, I've had fun trying to identify all the plants and animals I photographed. It's always so much more meaningful to know what it is you've got a picture of! This beauty is native to China, India, Nepal, Indochina and Burma and widely naturalized elsewhere. Inset 5: I was amazed to discover these huge peace lilies with their towering flowers. I had no idea that some species grew to six feet tall! Another surprise was learning there are 40 different species! Inset 6: A close-up of a peace lily's stalk and its white flower behind. In truth, the stalk is actually called a spadix, which is a type of blossom made up of many small flowers on a fleshy stem. The white "flower" behind isn't actually a flower at all! It's called a "spathe", a modified leaf known as a bract that forms a sheath around the spadix! Inset 7: Another image of a peace lily's spadix. These flowers were named for the similarity of their white flowers (spathes) to the white flags of peace. Another interesting fact is that they aren't lilies at all and are instead a tropical perennial. Inset 8: An Owl Butterfly resting on what I believe is a red pinecone ginger flower. And yes, they are edible--but it's the leaves you can eat--the red blossom can be gently squeezed and the liquid which comes out is used as a shampoo! Amazing! Inset 9: On the large maps found around the main garden, this was aptly named the "Turtle Log." What fun to see all of these happy guys enjoying their safe resting spot! Thanks to Pam for the positive identification of these Red-Eared Terrapins! *high five* Pam, have you ever counted the number of butterfly species you've photographed? I bet it's quite the total and I've always admired the number of different types you've gotten pictures of. I'm going to guess the number of wild species I've photographed is probably about a dozen or so. You have certainly been blessed with good luck and awesome patience to have captured so many varieties! :) Well, I'm hoping all is ok in your world…it's turned into an Indian summer here, though the mornings are frosty! *BIG HUGS FROM SOUTHERN OREGON*! Explored on 11/01/19; highest placement #7.

(+9 insets!) (Please scroll down to "Today's Pictures" for image information) Trip Talk: Victoria Butterfly Gardens...the Main Exhibit! Steve ended up pulling me out of the Insectarium by my ear because I was totally entranced by all of the unusual critters! Still dazed, I went through the next set of doors into the main exhibit and stopped in my tracks. Listed as being the size of three basketball courts, this indoor jungle was also at least two stories tall and filled with sky lights to add illumination. I didn't realize how tropical and lush this place would be! Everywhere I looked there were plants and vines, flowers and thick, leafy undergrowth. And there were butterflies…everywhere! Flying around, resting on plants and feeding at the various fruit and nectar stations, you couldn't miss them! Steve and I immediately lost ourselves behind our cameras as we focused in on one subject after another. We read there were up to 70 species of butterflies on display at all times and we were dazzled by all of the different colors and combinations, sizes and activity levels of the countless "flying flowers". Next to the entrance was a small building which housed rows of cocoons and picture of some of the species. However, apparently they gave up trying to keep track because there were images for only some of the butterflies that we saw. There was a cement path that meandered around the entire enclosure, crossing over bridges and tucking into nooks and crannies. A map showed the many highlights that you could visit—various butterfly feeding stations, the "emerging window" that I shared pictures of yesterday, a caterpillar viewing area, but there was so much more to see than just butterflies! A pair of flamingoes, tortoises and turtles, a dart frog exhibit (which I didn't notice, boo!), a pair of macaws and many free-flying birds of various sizes and types. The plants and accompanying flowers growing there could be their own attraction—I couldn't begin to count the vast number of tropical species from around the world which thrived everywhere I turned. In one area of the path they even had a host of carnivorous pitcher plants which hung down from many vines. I was totally enchanted! Today's Pictures My main picture today shows the closed wing formation of a Blue Morpho butterfly! It's hard to believe that the other side of these wings are a dazzling metallic blue! These incredible beauties are among the largest species in the world with wings that stretch from between five and eight inches wide. I was surprised to learn that there are actually 29 different species and 147 subspecies which are found in the Americas as far north as Mexico. When Steve and I visited Costa Rica many years ago, we visited the Monteverde Butterfly Gardens and saw Blue Morphos for the first time. There were many other butterflies there but the Blue Morphos stole the show with their amazing size and gleaming color. Inset 1: This is a cropped close-up portrait of the previous Blue Morpho image. Inset 2: Closer still, the wonderful scales of a butterfly's wings is remarkable to see! Inset 3: I tried to get some good pictures of open-winged Blue Morphos but they were too active and skittish, or else they were too far away. This bedraggled beauty was definitely in its twilight hours as it sat exhausted on the ground but I was happy to immortalize it in a picture and delighted to share it with all of you! :) Inset 4: A pair of very content flamingos make their home at the Gardens and reminded me of the trip we took to a bird sanctuary in Camargue, France when we went to Provence a couple of years ago. Someday I'll post some pictures but this pair of flamingoes do the job quite nicely for now! :) Inset 5: All around the Gardens were bushes bristling with beautiful "red boas" and I discovered they are aptly called Chenille Plants. Chenille is French for caterpillar and it's also a type of velvety yarn. A perfect name for this lovely tropical bush, and I couldn't get enough of them! If you're wondering, they are just as soft as they look and I probably looked like a weirdo because I kept petting the flowers! :D Inset 6: The lovely plants were everywhere, including this colorful Croton. What a beautiful leaf! Inset 7: This is a pitcher plant, which hung down from vines that streamed all over one part of the Garden's path. Did you know there are over 170 species of these fascinating carnivores? Most are found in the tropics but there are some that grow here in Oregon! (Here are pictures from my visit to Darlingtonia State Natural Site …clicking on a picture opens the gallery.) Inset 8: This is another picture of a pitcher plant with a lovely russet tone. (The "tail" I pointed out is actually the cap to the pitcher that's folded back...but all I can see is a tail! :D) Inset 9: Finally, here's a group of pitcher plants hanging down, aren't they cool?! :) Pam, have you gotten the chance to see a Blue Morpho butterfly when you've been to a butterfly garden? They really are completely breathtaking. When we saw them at an exhibit in Costa Rica, we just about fell over because there were so many of them! They landed on us and slowly opened and closed their wings, crawling around. Exhilarating! Here's hoping you are having a good day--it's starting to get frosty on some mornings, SO COLD! Then the sun warms everything up and by the afternoon it's hot if you're standing still in the sun! CRAZY! Explored on 10/29/19; highest placement #1.

(+10 insets!) (Please scroll down to "Today's Pictures" for image information) Trip Talk: Victoria Butterfly Garden's Mind-Blowing Insectarium If you can believe it, the next five sets of pictures I'll be showcasing from our Vancouver Island trip are also from Victoria! You may be wondering if we ever left the city after the zillions of pictures I've been sharing from this lovely city and its amenities. Trust me, we did. But I cannot leave this place until I've shown just a bit more! As you know, Steve and I spent the day staggering drunkenly around Butchart Gardens as we did our best to capture the beauty that overwhelmed us everywhere we looked. What you may not know is that we weren't actually there all day. We took a break! Mid-day we left the park and had a picnic lunch at the Mediterranean Garden, situated next to Butchart's vast parking lot. Then we hopped into the truck and drove about 10 minutes to the other attraction of the day…the Victoria Butterfly Gardens! I've been to a captive butterfly exhibit once before when Steve and I visited one at the local county fair. The experience surprised me and left me feeling totally delighted because it was so much better than I ever expected. (Here is a link if you'd like to see pictures from my visit to Butterfly Adventures ) Knowing that a temporary butterfly exhibit could be such fun, I was sure that Steve and I were going to have an incredible time at a year-round establishment…and I couldn't wait!! Entering the building, the warm, humid air threatened to fog up my glasses and I began to wiggle with excitement. We were greeted warmly as we paid our entry fee and soon pulled open a glass door to slip into their new exhibit, the Insectarium. Do you know what a leaf-cutter ant is? Steve and I were lucky enough to see them when we went to Costa Rica many years ago and I remember how transfixed we were while we watched them carrying bits of leaves along a trail that went on and on, disappearing into the forest and out of sight. The second I stepped inside the Insectarium I was faced with what reminded me of the world's biggest ant farm! Measuring about six-feet tall and long, it was about two feet wide and made of clear glass. Inside was a colony of leafcutter ants and they were busy! A steady stream was carrying large pieces of leaves along a branch and eventually into their nest which we had a view of as well. I was totally transfixed by the show and did my best to take pictures but the lighting was dim and I was using my older Canon 5D Mark II so the results were mostly garbage (This otherwise incredible camera isn't fantastic in low-light situations if you want to do macro...too much grain!). I did manage to get one picture to share so you get an idea of what we saw. I could have watched for an hour but there were other exhibits to see and Steve was finally successful at peeling me away from the ants. Only to find the next display full of the largest stick bugs I'd ever seen! They were so cool as they stood motionless and nearly invisible with their exceptional camouflage. What fun to see them up close. Steve pointed out a baby one so small it was climbing on the leg of one that was more than 10x its size! Sadly my pictures didn't turn out but maybe Steve's pictures did, in which case I'll post one at some point down the road. Suffice to say, it was really cute! The insectarium had metallic-colored insects too, which seemed made of plastic they were so bright and shiny! There were all sorts of other insects, arachnids and other creepy-crawlies to see as well. I took lots of pictures with the hopes that at least a few would come out and that was a good idea. Most were garbage but I did get a few to share today! Today's Pictures Today's main picture was taken shortly after Steve and I entered the enormous butterfly exhibit. I'll tell you more about that wondrous place in my next post but for now just trust me when I say that it was incredible! :) The butterfly I captured was sitting on a leaf near the entrance and I was so happy to discover the picture turned out so well. I don't know what species it is though…if you've got a name for me I would love it! Inset 1: This is a Malaysian Wood Nymph stick insect! (Thank you, Maeluk, for positive identification of this insect!) Looking through all of my Insectarium pictures, I was delighted to find this one with its shallow dof and cool bokeh. Just enough focus to work, hooray! Inset 2: This was the only leafcutter ant picture that came out well enough to share…the depth of field is just a bit too shallow, what a shame! You can see its impressive spines though, how cool is that? These ants are found in Central and South America and to my utter surprise, as far north as Texas, Arizona, western Louisiana and southern California! Interestingly, the high altitude of New Mexico does not support this normally tropics-based ant. Inset 3: A pair of amorous metallic-green beetles of unknown species. I spent some time trying to identify these two but I had no luck. If I'd been clever, I'd have taken a picture of the signs on the insect displays but it didn't even cross my mind! Boo! Inset 4: This is a praying mantis that looks a lot like a stick bug! I'm not sure what species It is, maybe a Ghost Mantis but I don't know…the head's not right for that one. Inset 5: When Steve and I entered the butterfly exhibit, we saw a building that was brimming with dozens of developing cocoons in all stages. Butterflies were in the process of hatching, drying their wings and crawling around the enclosure. The facility has as many as 70 species on display and unfortunately they didn't have identification of many butterflies I got pictures of. Inset 6: This is a close-up of some of the cocoons that were developing…aren't they cool?! Inset 7: This is a view of one of the butterfly feeding stations. They placed sliced fruit of many kinds on a table and the butterflies were ravenous for the offerings! Inset 8: I wish I'd thought to have Steve stand next to these leaves so you could see how ginormous they are. The larger of the two was probably as tall as I am (5'4" or 64")!! I knew they grew very large in the wild but I don't remember ever seeing plants like this grown in an exhibit! Inset 9: These are Golden Trumpet Vine blossoms which grew on a huge vining bush! Inset 10: A dainty purple blossom of the bromeliad, "Neoregelia carolinae ‘Tricolor’" Pam, I don't know what your feelings are about insects other than those that land on flowers but I am going to bet that you'd go hoggggggggg-wild over the Insectarium exhibit that Steve and I saw at the Butterfly Gardens. It was hilarious to listen to other folks coming through. They simply could not keep their voices down because they were all so blown away at everything they saw. It made me giggle, but at the same time, I was busy oohing and ahhing myself! Talk about being transformed into a little kid, that place was incredible! Here's hoping that you're feeling a little better today…*BIG WARM HUGS* Explored on 10/28/19; highest placement #6.

(+8 insets!) (Please scroll down to "Today's Pictures" for image information) Trip Talk: Monumental Road Trip What a crazy couple of weeks we've had! First Steve drove 750 miles from our home in southern Oregon down to Fontana, California, to go to the West Coast RV Show. He then spent several exhausting days researching nearly 100 different RV coaches (out of over 1,000 spread out over 1 million square feet of sprawling show area). He narrowed down the RV choices to about three that fit our needs and finally we decided on the one that fit us best. He then drove all the way back home with a whole lot of education regarding RVs and a game plan for the future. Originally we planned to wait for at least three-six months before making a purchase on a new rig. However, our Grey Wolf sustained structural damage on a past trip (because it was basically a horribly-built, flimsy aluminum can) and we were uncomfortable using it anymore. Amazingly, we were offered the chance to trade in our Grey Wolf towards the price of a new RV! The deal was so sweet that we couldn't pass it up. So suddenly we were thrown into another whirlwind of commotion! We needed to empty the Grey Wolf, remove all of the things we'd added, and do any cosmetic repairs we could. At the same time, Steve needed to research and order a new hitch for the truck because we were moving from a bumper-pull to a 5th-wheel trailer (Did I mention that Steve's never pulled a 5th-wheel before?!)! Instead of having a shop install the hitch, Steve decided to take on the project himself (because he's that amazing!)! There were a few bumps along the way but Steve was successful and our truck was adorned with a fantastic hybrid hitch that was ready to pull our new trailer! This past Sunday, Steve, Pumpkin and I hopped in the truck and left with our empty Grey Wolf. We drove down to the dealership in Downy, California, over the course of two grueling days. The first day's distance was eight hours but we were on the road for about twelve when all was said and done. We dragged our exhausted bodies into a KOA campground to fall face-first into bed that night. The next day we drove another four hours' distance, plus a few more for various stops along the way. Let's not forget the numbing southern California traffic...the last eight miles took us two HOURS! Have I mentioned how much I hate Los Angles? It's unbelievable! We pulled into the dealership late Tuesday and dropped off the Grey Wolf and Steve showed me our new coach!! It was AMAZING!! It was SO BIG and BEAUTIFUL!! I could hardly believe that it would be our new home on the road...it really was a dream coach and the type that Steve and I had walked through before just wishing we could have something like that someday. Looks like that day had arrived...wow! That night we stayed at a fun Air BnB residence and enjoyed leftovers from home for our dinner. The next morning we presented ourselves at the RV dealership at 9am and spent the next five hours going over everything and being shown all the details. Steve crawled all over the coach checking off an exhaustive list to make sure everything was as it should be. Finally we went into finance and spent an hour getting the reams of documents signed. It was actually more intensive than when we bought our house and that's because we were basically purchasing a house on wheels. By the time we got out of there our heads were spinning. Just crazy. Because of California State Tax laws, we couldn't actually drive away with our new trailer and instead, our trailer would be driven to Ashland, which is the first big town in Oregon after you cross the border. We coordinated with the driver and made plans to meet there in a couple of days. We pulled out in our truck and watched as the driver pulled away with our new baby...Steve and I could hardly believe it. We had a brand new RV!! To be honest, we were very happy that we weren't driving the RV all the way home. Dealing with insane traffic and crazy drivers in southern California is really not a good way to start pulling a 5th wheel trailer for the first time! Along our drive back to Oregon, we passed our driver twice which was such fun! Once on the first day as we headed up the "Grapevine" out of the Los Angles area, and then again as we entered Oregon on the second day! Actually, when we caught up to them in Oregon, we merely pulled in behind and followed them to Ashland where we parked in a large parking lot to make the switch from their truck pulling the Avalanche to ours. Once the drivers left us with our trailer, Steve spent about an hour doing final preparations of the hitch. At last we were ready to take on our new behemoth! Confident as Steve was, he couldn't deny being nervous. He didn't even get to practice. However, everything went as smoothly as can be! The hitch worked perfectly. We did our customary "brake check" and all was well. There was a very nervous moment when the truck gave a brake error regarding the trailer, but everything was working properly and Steve felt it would be ok to drive. We pulled out with our colossal rig behind us and what do you know? Our truck pulled it just fine! Steve wasn't sure if we should try to avoid the freeway for now but I pointed out that there would be some traffic so it wouldn't be too hectic of a drive and might actually be a lot more stressful to drive on surface streets. Back onto I-5 we went...and it was no problem at all!! Just as we'd read, hauling a 5th-wheel was indeed much easier than a bumper pull! To Steve's great relief, the break error resolved itself and as the miles passed, we both started to relax. We were doing it!! We got to our exit and with every turn we made, our smiles grew and our comfort increased. The trailer pulled like a dream! Soon we were pulling up to our gate, I opened it wide, and in came Steve and our new RV!! We stopped there and walked up to our house to make sure everything looked ok. Our hill is fairly steep and both of us were pretty nervous about this last part. But we needn't have been worried. Steve walked back down and minutes later, our truck was easily hauling our ginormous trailer right up the hill as if it was nothing special!! Not long after that, the trailer was backed into position and the two of us were beside ourselves with joy! WE DID IT!!! STEVE DID IT!! And Steve couldn't stop exclaiming how easy it was to maneuver the trailer! HOORAY!!!! *HIGH FIVE TO US* Today's Pictures This is going to be quick because I need to get this posted!! The main picture was a lovely view on our way down through northern California, at a place called Shasta City. Other pictures include views of Mt. Shasta and the devastating wildfire damage from the horrible Redding Fire a couple of years ago. Also a picture of a part of the endless, vast almond orchards of Merced County in central California...did you know that 80% of the world's almonds are grown in Merced County? You would be totally blown away by the miles and miles and miles of almond trees that grow there. I cannot even wrap my mind around all those 100's of miles of trees!! Explored on 10/26/19; highest placement #11.

Steve and I are busy getting ready to go down to southern California to pick up our new RV! It's all very exciting and we are in the last stages before we go. That being said, I'm going to step away for a few days but I'll be back soon! I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for stopping by and taking the time to look at all of my insets and leave comments. It means the world to me. Have a lovely week and I'll check in once things settle down around here! Explored on 10/21/19; highest placement #8.

(+10 insets!) (View Large!) (Please scroll down to "Today's Pictures" for image information) Trip Talk: The Installation of our Pullrite Continues! I am married to the handiest man I've ever known--other than my father of course! It's said that men marry women that most resemble their mothers and women find those who have traits of their fathers. Think about it…is that true for you? I always considered my father to be a superhero…he could do anything, fix anything, create anything, and he was my personal hero, protecting me and teaching me as I grew up…he was the most amazing person to me, so it's no wonder that I found Steve. He shares so many of my father's most admirable traits! With the same caliber of brilliant mind as my father, Steve is totally amazing with creative solutions and problem-solving. In regards to our truck's hitch, Steve seized the opportunity to research and zero-in on exactly the right hauling solution for us. He learned that it would cost $500+ to have the Pullrite installed--on top of the expense of the hitch itself. Wondering if it was possible to do the installation himself, he watched a number of videos which showed exactly how a handy person could do this job and save the money. Though tricky and requiring some exacting work, Steve was totally confident that he could do this himself. As he expected, the job has been more difficult than what he learned in the videos and installation how-tos. Nobody ever talks about the physical weight of the various parts, nor does anyone mention the awkwardness of working around a truck's underpinnings. We were both overjoyed that the most critical--and unforgiving--step of the job went perfectly! He had to use a hole-saw drill to cut a round hole through the bed of the truck, which needed to line up perfectly with the installed underparts of the hitch. There could be no error. The strength of the truck's bed depended on this cut being exact, and he nailed it! What he didn't count on was the poorly added suspension bar that he encountered when he came to another critical point in the installation. An important part that needed to slide into place…couldn't. There was something in the way and upon scrutiny and comparison to videos and pictures, Steve learned that the previous owner put in a bar as part of their own hitch setup--it needed to go! This removal project added hours to the installation but he was successful and very pleased when he was able to complete the important step he'd been working on initially. The Pullrite is nearly 75% installed now and Steve's delighted at how things are going. Yes, it would have been a much faster job for a professional mechanic to do, but being able to do this himself is incredibly gratifying and satisfying for Steve. Don't we all feel best when we can achieve a very challenging and important goal?! Down the road, as we pull our trailer around the country, we'll have that extra glow of knowing that part of our hitch solution came because Steve is such a handy guy! Hooray! :) Today's Pictures Among flowers, few are as popular as the rose. With over 300 species and well-over 1000 cultivars, the variety of these flowers is completely mind-boggling. You may be surprised to learn that roses are native to most areas of the world, though the largest number of native species are found in Asia. Here are a few other things you may not know: not all roses have a scent! The act of hybridizing new cultivars will often kill the scent in a rose, which must then be carefully re-hybridized to get the fragrance back! Also, did you know that a rose's fragrance is strongest in the early hours of the day and fades as the hours pass? (I found a really neat page with a list of interesting rose facts if you'd like to know more about these wonderful flowers. ) Naturally, Butchart Gardens had an enormous area devoted to roses of all kinds. Specifically, they have 7 types of roses, 280 varieties, 2,500 rose plants and 30 rose arches! Upon arriving, you sort of have to just stand there and gawk with glazed eyes, while drool gently trickles down your face. Preposterous! The rose in this main image is one that I particularly liked because of the wide panorama view as it looks out over the splendiferous (Thanks, Keith! *high five*) view beyond--which includes a lattice fence covered with more roses! By the way, my many presentations of Butchart Gardens has finally drawn to a close. Truthfully, I could process another 25-50 winners but honestly, 100 pictures is enough already! Believe it or not, we actually visited more than just this incredible place on our 5-week adventure around Vancouver Island! :D So for now, I hope that you enjoyed the show. If you ever had a question about the high price to visit (US for Summer was $27 for the day; www.butchartgardens.com/rates prices are less at different times of the year), I hope my pictures and commentary have convinced you to build a trip with Butchart Gardens in mind as a delicious destination for you. Without question, we will be back. It was an incredible experience and I'm so happy that I could share a small taste of what it was like to be there. Inset 1: this shaded-cotton-candy-pink rose is totally perfect in my opinion with its elegant petals and marvelous details! I'm so happy I found it so I could share it with the world! Inset 2: a classic open rose in tints of pink and white with a warm glow of gold in the center, you have to wonder how in the world it was developed this way! Inset 3: an unusually-shaped peach rose with pink outer petals leaned down from its bush so I could freeze its beauty for immortality. Inset 4: glowing like a beacon, a bright red and yellow rose beams radiantly in the fading afternoon light. Inset 5: Steve posed for me in one of the many arbors around the rose garden. Inset 6: Wait! This isn't a rose! No, it's a gorgeous yellow and gold rudbeckia! (I would have filled this last presentation with roses but I had extra pictures from the rest of the Garden so here they are!) Inset 7: what a wonderful surprise to find a Bucket List Bug! :D This little beauty is a Candy-Striped Leafhopper sitting on a golden rudbeckia…what a beauty! Unfortunately I wasn't able to get the best pictures but this one turned out pretty well. Inset 8: this is the other picture I got of a Candy-Striped Leafhopper after it hid on a shaded petal. The image is dark and grainy but I wanted to share it anyway because I'm so happy I found one of these marvelous insects! Inset 9: you may remember the coleus leaves I shared on the first day of my presentation. That one was highly filtered, but this is the original; I'll include the filtered version below this picture for comparison. Inset 10: last but not least, this is the entry sign for The Butchart Gardens. It, like everything else about this park, is lavish and beautiful! Pam, do you have any roses on your property? We have a number of them out front and one in back, but I'll admit that I don't care for them at all. They're rather a mess but the flowers are wonderful! I love to step out in the morning when their fragrance is strongest and bury my nose in their petals. Thanks for all of the great comments you've been leaving for me, I'm so glad you've enjoyed the Butchart Garden show and I'm with you--I'd LIVE THERE if I could, lol! Here's hoping you're having a good day! *BIG HUGS!!!* Explored on 10/19/19; highest placement #6.

(+10 insets!) (Please scroll down to "Today's Pictures" for image information) Trip Talk: Upgrading From a Bumper Pull to a Fifth Wheel Trailer...or is that a Gooseneck Trailer? Our Grey Wolf is what's called a "bumper-pull" trailer. They aren't ideal in a towing sense because a truck cannot utilize its full power. Also, maneuvering is much trickier and they are not as stable. However, they are the usual type of trailer people start out with because most trucks have a bumper hitch and if they don't, installation isn't a big deal. Our new trailer is the higher-quality version called as a fifth-wheel. It gets the name because of the type of hitch it has. There's another type of hitch called a gooseneck but those are more commonly found on livestock and commercial trailers. Finally, there are hybrid hitches which are a blend of the two. TERMINOLOGY: bumper-pull, fifth-wheel and gooseneck (because you know you're curious!) Bumper-pull (also known as a "drag-along") : a trailer that connects to a towing vehicle usually by a square, sliding receiver located below a truck's rear bumper. Fifth-wheel: The term comes from a similar coupling used on four-wheel, horse-drawn carriages and wagons. A more-detailed answer, including a diagram is found on this page: Why is it Called a Fifth Wheel? Gooseneck: arched like a goose's neck and swiveled to the motor unit. Wait. Aren't fifth-wheels and goosenecks the same thing? That's what I thought, but there's a big difference. The trailers themselves are the same--it's the connection to the truck that's different. Trailers with a fifth-wheel hitch slide forward into a heavy-duty, jaw-like coupler seated on the bed of the truck. Trailers with a gooseneck hitch connect by lowering onto a ball socket coupler. Each type works extremely well, though goosenecks are reputed to be slightly better. To see pictures and read more detailed explanations, this article is perfect! Goosenecks vs. Fifth-Wheel Hitch Since our truck is only set up for a bumper pull trailer, we need to add a hitch that will accommodate a fifth-wheel trailer. That meant a lot of research to understand the difference between each hitch type and ultimately, which was the safest and most reliable. In the end, Steve learned that hybrid hitches have the best aspects of fifth wheel and gooseneck hitches without the negatives, so right now he's outside beginning the install of our new SuperLite Pullrite hitch. When we get down to our RV dealer to pick up our new trailer, it will only take about half an hour to upgrade the trailer's hitch to work with the Pullrite. Then we'll have a marvelous hitch that is capable, quiet and safe! Today's Pictures We were staggering around Butchart Gardens when I happened to look up at one of the countless hanging planters that resembled a burst of fourth-of-July fireworks. I stopped in my tracks and exclaimed, "STEVE, LOOK! BLACK PETUNIAS!!" I gazed in disbelief. I've seen "black" flowers before. They're dark purple. These flowers were a rich, velvety black and only where the sun shone through the petals could you see a hint of their deep purple origins. Absolutely phenomenal. Steve and I took pictures with reverence and attracted a small crowd when each person saw what we were so excited about. I don't know about you, but I've never seen a truly black flower like this before! Incredible! Inset 1: a gorgeous ring of deep pink blossoms ring a lacecap Hydrangea. At the top you can see the tiny fertile flowers--the larger blossoms are actually infertile. In fact, the petals are sepals--the tiny buttons in the center are the flowers! I didn't know that this kind of hydrangea doesn't become a ball of flowers. Those are called "mophead" or French Hydrangeas. Inset 2: a macro of the jaw-dropping Stargazer Oriental Lily, showing the beautiful burnt-orange anthers which are brimming with pollen for visiting insects to carry away to other flowers. Did you know that the pollen can cause very hard-to-remove stains?! I had no idea! Inset 3: here is an entire group of Stargazer Lilies that we saw at a glassed-in garden. There were several large observation openings for eager photographers which we thought was really cool. It was no surprise there was a line of people taking turns to stare at and take pictures of the lavishly planted conservatory! Inset 4: These remind me of tiny purple Brussels Sprouts! I don't know what they are, but you cannot deny this is a pretty sight as it arced over many more behind it! :) Inset 5: a spike of lovely deep ruby-pink flowers overlooks many dozens behind it! Inset 6: I nearly passed by these clusters of white flowers before I stopped and took a closer look. WOW! Aren't they sensational? I thought they might be a kind of "Pussy-Toes" but no, these white beauties are called Ageratum and come in lots of different colors! Inset 7: this magnificent ruby-centered golden hibiscus was on a bush that was totally covered with flowers. All around it were dozens of planters, each with its own ridiculously profuse display of hibiscus! Inset 8: an elegant pink and purple fuchsia with a background dotted with purple-flowered bokeh! Inset 9: I ask you: have you ever seen such an incredible planting of flowers and ornate foliage in your life? Try counting all of the species…I found 22 types of flowers and foliage plants. Outrageous! Inset 10: finally, this is a pristine lawn found in the Sunken Garden. I'm glad it's off-limits to people so that we can see these amazing swaths of color without anyone in the way. Here you can see what I was talking about when I mentioned the huge carpets of flowers…it's all just mind-boggling! Pam, I know that you have a gorgeous collection of bearded iris but I don't remember if any of them are a "black" variety. I've tried to grow various species of black flowers before but every time I'm disappointed because the flowers are just a dark purple at best. Still, they're gorgeous and I was very happy to have them! I hope all is well with you, it's just starting to rain…a big storm has finally rolled in as forecast, and it's going to be here for several days! We're hoping that things dry out a bit by the time we drive down to pick up our RV! (It's hot and dry in LA…as usual!) Many *BIG HUGS* from southern Oregon! Explored on 10/17/19; highest placement #2.

(+10 insets!) (Please scroll down to "Today's Pictures" for image information) Trip Talk: Great Timing, Tub Transfers and Preparations! The RV we chose for our home on the road is so popular that only a few are available across the country. In fact, the one that Steve got to walk through wasn't even at the RV show! The manufacturer, Keystone, had only just delivered the rig to the RV seller that morning. It was still at their receiving facility, waiting to be shuttled to the show for display. After Steve described the sort of trailer we were after, the lady he was talking to took him around to a few units that fit our needs but she couldn't find the one she really wanted to show him. Eventually she realized that it wasn't on the grounds yet, but told Steve it was only 15 minutes away if he'd like to check it out. It was the first day of the show so Steve made plans to go see it the following day, which he did. He was totally delighted and sent me lots of pictures--I was immediately smitten as well. When the best choices were compared, we decided this was the winner. The reason this is cool is because our RV was not at the huge show, though it would have been. The show was so popular that instead of getting a few thousand visitors each day, they got over 10k every day! That translates to a lot more people tromping through units with potential damage and wear. When we made our decision to buy that model, we learned that we'd be getting the very unit that Steve walked through at their receiving facility! Totally pristine and unmolested by the hoards, hooray! It's extra cool that Steve has physically been inside our new trailer—how excited and happy we are! Within two weeks, all of the financial and prep work will been completed. Then we'll be able to drive down to pick up our new RV and since it will be a trade-in (hooray! ), we'll be taking our Grey Wolf, dropping it off and switching over to our new RV. We are so excited! It's also going to mean moving everything from the old trailer into the new, so we'll be getting a bunch of tubs to help in the transfer. We'll put everything into these containers before we leave and when we arrive, we'll just carry them into the new trailer, easy as pie! Happily, we don't have any excess junk with us so we won't have to spend any time going through our stuff and pulling out the excess clutter. The pieces will soon be coming together! :) Today's Pictures You may not know the love affair I have with echinacea, but let me tell you...this flower and its zillions of hybrids totally steal my heart. They are so photogenic and have such lovely details that I lose my mind when I find a garden brimming with blossoms. My first introduction to echinacea was years ago when Steve and I were on a bike and rode past a garden full of hybrids. I nearly flew off my bike for lack of attention to the task at hand! We did an about-face and returned, where I proceeded to spend the next 20 minutes going crazy with my camera. Since then I am always on the lookout for these beauties and of course Butcharts had bunches of species to swoon at. What can I say about this crimson beauty?! ALL BOW BEFORE ITS RADIANT BEAUTY! It's even got a "sweep of hair" to add to its loveliness. I got many pictures of others around it but this one is the queen of all she surveys. The moment I saw this picture, there was no question about her presentation...and now she has stolen your heart too. :) Inset 1: a magnificent golden echinacea with others in bokeh behind...oh my heart... Inset 2: this purple petunia was glowing like neon with the afternoon sun shining through its petals. The background is added candy that makes this a favorite for me! Inset 3: on the way in and out of Butchart Gardens is a pathway lined with decadent plantings including a parade of hydrangea that would knock your socks off. Here is a stunning trio of blossoms paving the way for the enormous ball of flowers to come. Incredible! Inset 4: cascading down from their hanging planter, these begonias were lit by sunshine that warmed their petals and made them look like Mother Nature's most beautiful lamps! Inset 5: I was lucky enough to get a nice picture of this pewter-colored damselfly as it sat on a golden echinacea! Inset 6: the sun shining through this begonia's petals made the original image look so overly saturated that I decided to turn it into art instead, muting the colors and giving a richer and darker background. Winner-winner-chicken-dinner!! Inset 7: a lovely lavender bud stretches up before a field of coral zinnias, what a sight! Inset 8: what a lucky day I had with insects! Here is Pine White butterfly sipping eagerly on a stalk of yellow blossoms...I don't know what species they are though. (do you know??) Inset 9: another plant that makes me fall over and float away are hostas! So many varieties, colors, textures and sizes, the only bummer about them is the required shade they need. As Steve and I headed up a path above the Sunken Garden I turned and looked into an inset area next to us and couldn't BELIEVE the vast carpet of hostas and other gorgeous plants growing pristinely below. Are they not breathtaking?! *swoon* Inset 10: Butchart Garden has their own incredible computer-controlled fountain, which mesmerized all who gazed upon it. Cycling through many formation of elegant displays, Steve and I couldn't help but wish we could see it lit up at night in a rainbow of colors, accompanied and tracking some beautiful classical piece. If you have ever been to Las Vegas's Bellagio Hotel, you will know the incredible fountain show they have. The experience left me sobbing from the incredible beauty and emotional performance and every time I see this show (they have many), it threatens to reduce me to tears once again. Please, do yourself a favor and end your visit with me by clicking on this link to see Bellagio Fountains: Time to Say Goodbye show. Bring tissues. Pam, have you tried growing echinacea in your garden? The native species is supposed to be quite hardy but I wouldn't know...the few I've had are merely deer and squirrel food! I hope this bright and sunny day is the same for you my dear! *BIG HUGS* from southern Oregon! Explored on 10/15/19; highest placement #1.

This lovely, undulating fountain was quite the spectacle to watch! You can find out more about this beautiful water feature here: Ross Fountain

(+11 insets!) (Please scroll down to "Today's Pictures" for image information) Trip Talk: OMG We Bought a Brand New RV, Are We Certifiable???! Yep. We did it. I am the first person to tell you that buying a new vehicle is a total waste of money because the second you drive off the lot, it's worth a lot less…and it only plummets from there. So WHY in the world would we drop such a chunk of change for a new trailer, when we know full-well that we're throwing crazy amounts of money into the wind? We did it mostly because the RV industry is notorious for hiding damage, flaws, problems and issues. It is nearly impossible to find these faults and everything that comes up must be repaired by the owner or by a shop. It's expensive and time-consuming no matter how the issue is fixed. If you buy a new RV with a good warranty, it's not our problem. It's theirs. What I haven't told you is that on our Vancouver Island trip, we suffered an extremely frightening and potentially dangerous frame failure while on the road. When we were arriving at Campbell River--exactly two weeks into our six-week trip--Steve noticed with great concern that the trailer was leaning to the left. We pulled into a Walmart parking lot to take a closer look. Crawling under the trailer revealed a badly bent frame that was so warped and crumpled that both of us thought our trip was over right there. I'll talk more about this on a later post but long story-short, a local welding shop saved the day and allowed us to continue our trip and get home safely. That being said, the underlying worry of developing more structural damage made an indelible impact that was never far from our minds. Every "travel day", where we drove from one camp spot to the next, was filled with worry and tension because we could no longer trust our trailer. We were so relieved when we finally got home without any incidents! And yet, our trailer had totally let us down. We initially thought the build-quality was good enough for at least a year of use while we wrapped our heads around long-time RV travel. Instead, we got a serious reality check about the difference between a "weekender" RV and a "full-time" RV. Thinking about what might have happened in a worst-case scenario made us realize that we needed to get away from that trailer as soon as we could. Truthfully, our plans were to upgrade to a full-time trailer within a year or two. We were going to use our Grey Wolf for at least another six months or so but our narrowly avoided disaster changed everything for us. What price do you assign to the lives of you and your family? What's that? "Priceless" is your answer? Exactly. And THAT is the real reason why we bought a new trailer. Today's Pictures Today's main picture showcases one of my favorite things to photograph: shadows. I am forever stopping to gaze dreamily at dappled shadows on trails we walk on, and leaves captivate me when I see shadows creating lovely shapes on them. As Steve and I slowly made our way along one of the many explosively colorful paths of Butchart Gardens, my eye was immediately drawn to the shadows of a fern cast upon a richly-colored peach geranium (Thanks to Neira-Dan for identifying the species!) I don't know about you, but I find it very difficult to capture nhe magical quality of shadows because I think you need to see them in person to get the diaphanous effect that's happening. I was able to capture some of what I saw, though the reality was even more spectacular! Inset 1: this is my last lucky hummingbird picture, and it's feeding on gorgeous blue penstemon blossoms. Be still my beating heart you pretty little thing! Inset 2: I used to think that "ordinary" wax begonias were so boring. These dazzling red flowers which resemble coins to me, totally vindicate themselves of a description of blasé! Inset 3: how is it that I've never realized that begonias have such incredible foliage?! I've noticed their pretty leaves in the past but Butchart Gardens knocked me to the ground. This picture is just one example of the outrageously gorgeous leaves these plants can have. The park was overflowing with countless shapes, sizes and color combinations of leaves…I couldn't believe the variety! Inset 4: what a gorgeous group of fiery orange impatiens! This group was part of a huge plot completely covered with blossoms! Inset 5: here's another picture of a punch-drunk bee pigging out on flowers and not caring at all about the huge black thing hovering so close to it! Inset 6: this enormous pair of Elephant Ears was growing within a massive planting at the Mediterranean Garden. I just love the wonderful shape and texture of the leaves! Inset 6a: I made another version of the Elephant Ears with a darker background. It's more dramatic but maybe too distracting? Which version appeals to you more? Inset 7: I think this lovely blossom must be a white begonia, as there is a crimson one in the background and there are plenty of white begonias that look just like this one! Inset 8: in addition to having a staggering garden, Butchart also has their own little harbor! In fact, half of the park is surrounded by waters from Brentwood Bay, called the Tod Inlet. This is a view of the Butchart Cove harbor through a natural window created through a thick hedge! Inset 9: this is a view of Butchart's dock. If you can believe it, the docking area that leads out to the bay is designed for the pickup and drop-off of sea plane passengers! Inset 10: this is Butchart's little fleet of cute little tour boats. They offer 45-minute ecological trips around the Tod Inlet during the summer and if lucky, passengers might get to spot sea otters and many kinds of birds and other wildlife. Pam, one of the things I most admire about you is your creativity. Seeing the shadows cast upon the begonia in the main image makes me think about you because I'm sure you would have gone crazy if you'd seen the lovely shadows on these flowers! I sure do hope that you're able to get back to the point where you can once again create the marvelous artwork that comes from your heart, because it's part of what makes you complete. Maybe you'll need to change how you do things but I have a feeling that it will be possible! *BIG HUGS FROM SOUTHERN OREGON* Explored on 10/12/19; highest placement #1.

Trip Talk: We Will Need Another RV… So Steve Went to the Largest RV Show on the West Coast! Steve and I are serious about going on the road full-time, but what that also means is that we need a better RV (Recreational Vehicle). We've learned so much since we got our RV and a critical point is that we have a "weekender", not a "full-timer" RV. Industry companies have several tiers for each of their models and they vary DRASTICALLY in quality. The businesses themselves are also vastly different in policy, quality, and customer support. From the frame to every last detail, a trailer can be a "low price-point" build that is utter and complete garbage (not that first-time shoppers would have the slightest clue!), all the way up to substantial and extremely high quality across the board. However, RV companies are notorious about hiding bad workmanship behind the shiny exterior. It may be hard to believe but spending more money does not mean you are guaranteed a better RV. Steve and I learned that even the most luxurious RV can be a total lemon because every single RV is hand-made by an industry starved for a workforce which is ultimately a hodge-podge of labor which ranges from literally "never-held-a-hammer" to wizened professional. In other words, each trailer must be scrupulously inspected from top to bottom and anyone who plans to get an RV seriously needs to do their homework before buying. Bottom line: these companies are all about making money and most don't care if they're putting out actual road hazards as long as they make bank. Buyer beware. This being said, we found out about a 10-day RV show here on the West Coast and thought it would be the perfect opportunity for Steve to get some serious first-hand research done. The hope was to narrow down the choices and figure out which trailer(s) would be right for us as a full-time rig. We decided it made better sense for me to stay home with Steve giving me the important details, so this past Sunday he drove down to the show and on Monday he started his research. The California RV Show was totally overwhelming! Over 1,000 RVs of all sizes, shapes, price-points, 37 dealers selling them, and bunches of other companies selling all things RV-related. You'll want to click on the link above if you want a tiny idea of what that crazy place is like. Let's just say that Steve's eyeballs have been rolling around in his head from the enormity of it all! Steve went with a job at hand so he didn't look at anything that didn't fit in our criteria, and even still, it took him two whole days of looking, scrutinizing, hours of talking, and figuring out what made sense for us. However, after all those long and exhausting hours of focused energy, Steve has been successful in his research! There are a couple of different models from a pair of companies which meet our needs and now it's just going to be a matter of time. Much needs to happen before we get a different RV but finally we have a real understanding of what's out there, which companies are total crap, and which are more trustworthy than others. Even though we have plenty of RV dealers around here, it's been amazing to see, first-hand, the offerings from just about every last RV company out there. Yesterday Steve spent his last day at the show with his sister, who just recently bought a new (used) trailer to replace her old one. They had a great time looking around and checking out all of the fun trailers and options out there. And this evening Steve will be home! Hooray! :) Today's Pictures The begonia in my main image was part in one of the hanging baskets that we found in the main courtyard inside Butchart Gardens. So outrageously colorful, don't you think?! I think this is called "Glowing Embers" and certainly comes by the name perfectly! Until we came to this park, I had absolutely no idea that begonias came in so many varieties! They are truly remarkable flowers. :) Inset 1: here's another glorious banana leaf. Just can't get enough of these beauties! Inset 2: such a lucky shot of this bee in a purple haze! Inset 3: this is another one of the hummingbird pictures that turned out well! Inset 4: did anyone say, "breathtaking begonias"? Sheesh…what a bunch of divas. :D Inset 5: I'm such a sucker for pond lilies! I believe this is Nymphaea 'Andreana' Inset 6: another jaw-dropping begonia, this time in variegated red and white! Inset 7: this golden echinacea was just one of dozens that glowed brilliantly in the sunlight! Inset 8: I noticed movement when I was leaning in to take a picture and look what I found! This is a Northern Alligator Lizard! :D This species is also found in Oregon but I think the only kind on our property is the Southern Alligator Lizard. Inset 9: a single lavender blossom against the bokeh of a pair of cream-colored zinnias! Inset 10: a small army of lemon-colored marigolds looks out on a vista of beautiful flowers as far as they can see! Pam, have you ever been to an RV show or a really huge RV lot? They are so overwhelming! When I was a kid my grandparents would take us kids to the San Francisco Sports and Boat Show every year and I remember going into every single RV and boat, pretending that I was picking out the exact one I would have as my own. What about you? Did you do that as a kid? I have to say…it's pretty exciting when it's for real! :) It's our plan to eventually end up on your doorstep with our new on-the-road home so you can see it for yourself! :) *sending all my love* Explored on 10/10/19; highest placement #4.

Where did I go? I've been busy with my metal detector! You may have noticed that I'm not posting as often as I usually do. At one point I was posting every day when I was working on my Pictures for Pam project. Though I'm still dedicating my pictures to Pam I'm not posting every day. I'd like to but I'm just too busy with other things going on around me. The biggest culprit is my new metal detector, a wonderful present which I got a few weeks before my birthday. With that, my attention has been pulled away while I go snooping around our property looking for treasures. I haven't found many special items but I have found a few things: my year-lost bracelet, a fancy chrome show collar for a dog, some old tools, a quarter one of us dropped in our meadow years ago, several corroded pennies and even an old rusty motorcycle chain! The majority of what I've found is metal junk: nails, screws, bolts, washers, wire, and…exploded bombs. STOP THE BUS! WHAT-WHAT-WHAT?!! DID I SAY EXPLODED BOMBS?! YES!! I kept finding these chunks of totally corroded metal all over the place and couldn't figure out what they were. So I searched online for any information I could find. I posted a picture of the metal shards on a metal detecting forum and of all the odd luck, a fellow who lives less than two miles away replied and told me exactly what I was finding: artillery shrapnel circa 1942-5 from Camp White, which was a temporary WWII training camp. At one point there were over 50,000 soldiers there in training. The US government purchased the entire area around we live, including about 10 miles in total, which they used for training. The whole area is littered with the results of their artillery fire. A lot of what I've found is buried several inches down or deeper, and that's because when Camp White was disassembled, crews went around and turned the soil over the whole area to bury the majority of the shrapnel. Is that crazy or what?! So anyway, my attention is severely split. I have, however, been working on my pictures and the bottomless pit of amazing images from Butchart Gardens is just unbelievable! Looks like I'll have a sixth set of images to share because I can't stop processing them! Today's Pictures My main picture today was a wonderful surprise! Steve and I were wandering around and suddenly I saw a hummingbird zoom in for some nectar! I believe it's a Rufous but I'm not positive. I did my best to take a bunch of pictures but I really had no idea if any would come out. SURPRISE! I have four winners to share, two of which I'm posting today and the others in my next presentations. :) Inset 1: another winner from my hummingbird attempts! Inset 2: a very busy bee, delirious from the amazing flowers, is an example of the vast number of happy insects there at Butcharts! Inset 3: a gorgeous banana leaf glowing in front of translucent greenery at the Mediterranean Garden where Steve and I had our picnic! Inset 4: this lovely hydrangea looks like a mini pink tree! Check out the shadows!! :D Inset 5: a leaf abstract showing the glowing, translucent details of some of the foliage at the Mediterranean Garden Inset 6: an artistic view of the whole leaf and another in its mature form…these may be two different plants though! Inset 7: this is not your ordinary begonia! I saw this and nearly fainted! Who ever SAW such an incredible begonia?! Soon after we began walking along the first path leading into the heart of Butchart Gardens, we saw a covered area that had about a billion flowering planters hanging from the structure. This was "Begonia Bower" and I was utterly blown away by the mind-blowing collection. I didn't get a picture of the area but I found one for you to see at Butchart's Facebook page. Seriously, I could spend days taking pictures in that lovely little spot! Inset 8: mottled magenta Lobelia (I think) with a red petunia glowing warmly in the background…this is a picture of some flowers from one of the outrageous flower baskets found everywhere in the park. Inset 9: although this isn't the best picture, it shows one of the hanging baskets I've been telling you about. If you want to have some fun, just try counting the different flowers and decorative plants that you can see. Mind you, the other side is equally stuffed with more species! Can you even believe it? Now, consider what I've been saying…the park has literally hundreds of these hanging baskets and planters totally overflowing with these explosions of color, shape and texture! Every single one could be studied and photographed for hours. Getting an understanding of how ridiculously amazing Butchart Gardens is? Trust me, you have NO idea! :D Inset 10: this is a stunning pond that, like the Mediterranean Garden, resides outside the main park, bordering the parking lot! It gave a tiny clue of what we were about to see inside! Pam, what species of hummingbirds live in your area? We have quite a few species, though I think I have pictures of Rufous adults and juveniles. They are so darn cute. And each is a flying jewel which is so very special! You've been on my mind and I hope all is as well as can be! *BIG HUGS* Explored on 10/07/19; highest placement #2.

Trip Talk: Eavesdropping and Fun Conversation at Butchart Gardens While Steve and I were enjoying our day at Butchart, I noticed a young girl concentrating on aiming her phone camera at a flower. Next to her was an older man and I heard her say, "Oh, look at this one!" The older man, I guess her grandfather, was watching with a smile on his face. "That's a beauty!" The girl replied, "Do you think mom and dad are going to be worrying about us?" Leaning into a flower for his own picture, he answered, "No, they knew what would happen if both of us went off with our cameras, there's only one Butchart Gardens!" I had to laugh as I meandered on…they got that right! While Steve and I were stumbling around in the Sunken Garden, Steve saw a couple taking pictures of each other. Whenever he sees this, he walks right up and offers to take the couple's portrait, and this pair was very happy that he offered. Steve gave them modeling cues and made a joke to get them to laugh for their photo. I was focusing on the imageI was taking but couldn't help overhearing their snickering and the happy chatter from the couple. We wandered down the path together and talked about the park and pictures until parting company at some point. Later on we ran into them again and it was fun to say hello. What an amazing place to be. Today's Pictures I had a really hard time choosing which picture should be my main one--they are all such a bunch of screaming divas! I finally just closed my eyes and picked at random. It turned out to be another Candy-Striped Gazania, this one in yellow and red with a very shallow dof. The enormous patch of gazanias we found threatened to shackle me to the spot…I just couldn't get enough of these ridiculously colorful flowers! (I've included an inset of the other gazania picture I shared) Inset 1: a pair of purple-blue Lobelia against a sea of flowers transformed into colorful bokeh Inset 2: a brilliant orange and red Marigold in front of many others Inset 3: a perfectly pink Impatien Inset 4: an ornate coral and white Impatien with a group of back-up beauties Inset 5: a hot-pink Impatien in a pack of others Inset 6: here's a punch-drunk honey bee crawling around on Lantana…there were so many insects enjoying the bounty offered by the Garden's millions of flowers! Inset 7: another glowing abstract of a Canna leaf Inset 8: more lovely curls from the succulent I saw when entering the park Inset 9: a carpet of colorful Coleus Inset 10: a human-sized chess set! I enjoyed watching this boy heft pieces around on the board. Apparently one of the pieces wasn't there judging by the sign, "We apologize for the missing chess piece. It is currently being repaired." Pam, have you ever tried growing flowers like gazanias? I'd like to at some point but won't bother until we can have a garden in a cooler setting and without critters I have to fight with! I hope you're having a good day. It's rainy and cold here today, not lovely like Butcharts! Explored on 10/04/19; highest placement #11.