local bounty

Finally, I fulfill my destiny as an Australian and throw veritable shrimp on a veritable barbie. In 4o years I have never done this before so I was delighted when Guy, whose wife was in the city, let me practice on him and a pound of local prawns I had procured at the market. He brought a trout that Carl had caught at the afore-mentioned Duck Lake (so it does happen, even if this fish does not qualify as a "monster") and we threw on a dozen oysters just to round things out. Now I know how bears feel with their bellies full of seafood, although I have to say they are missing out by not char-grilling.

the new batch, canada geese on duck lake

I've never seen a duck on Duck Lake, but apart from these guys there have been otters, mergansers, kingfishers and, lurking around the shoreline with an eye for fish remnants, turkey vultures. Not much chance of a free fish-feed while I've been there though; the other thing I have yet to see at Duck Lake is a fish on the end of my line, although Carl tells me he has caught some monster fish up there. Yeah, yeah.

late afternoon, from my window

hummingbirds

Traditionally associated by Coast Salish people with healing and happiness. Not hard to see why, although seeing them as anything other than a tiny helicopter blur can be quite a challenge. I sat outside by the feeder for a looooong time to get these pics. Now they are so used to me that the feisty males will hover in front of my face if I get too close, defending their precious nectar source in the kind of David and Goliath show of bravery you have to admire.

These are Rufous Hummingbirds; the greenish one is the female. The male has a spectacular patch of glistening ruby-orange feathers on his throat but I wasn't able to get him in the right light for them to show up.