The First Day Lily!

We have lots of Day Lilies in the garden, so once they start blooming they will go on for a long time.  They are the main source of colour over the summer season.  And we have quite a few different colours, as you'll see.

Here it is, a bright orange day lily, shot through the living room window.  At least it was turned facing me!

The first of the Echinacea are out; there will be many more.

The big Mullein we left to grow by the corner of the shed is now blooming.

We have one Lupin.  In spite of the drifts of them we saw along roads in the Maritimes, Mrs. F.G. is eradicating them as they attract aphids.

These are four Foxtail Lilies, one of the most interesting flowers to me.  They should be 6 feet tall, but they're just not getting enough sun, tucked in under other plants at the front of the house.

A close look at one flower head shows you how it blooms.  One flower head has a hundred or two tiny florets that take their turns opening, running from bottom to top.  Only a narrow band, about one inch high, is in bloom at any one time (the tiny stamens with light brown tips).  It takes about two weeks for the entire plant to bloom.

One day a pair of Red Admirals were flitting around, spending most of their time on the Red Valerian.  I took a lot of pictures to get this one!

Canada Day Car Show

I never did find the list of what was on for Canada Day, but I decided to just ride downtown anyway and boy, was it hopping!  There were crowds, an old car show and music and on the far side of the harbour was more music as well as games for families, and food.  I met people I knew and enjoyed the car show.  I avoid the far side of the harbour 'cause it requires me to cross a field of course gravel! 

They closed Bayfield Street, and cars were parked down both sides.  I would have enjoyed that little yellow sportscar.

My favourite are the older cars, but I can't tell you a thing about them, sorry!

Sone were 'souped up' a little, like this very bright green truck.  I tended to ignore the cars from the '50s and early 60s, which you can see in the background.

Some interesting pickup styles.

This is a 1947 Plymouth the owners call 'Blue Thunder'.  It is a little updated, as it does have a/c!

And across the harbour are all the craft and game tents, as well as a fire truck, ladder extended, to provide a flagpole.

Happy Canada Day!

Wishing everyone who reads this a happy Canada Day!

This is my all-time favourite picture for Canada Day, taken a few years ago

at Big Bay, north of Owen Sound.  It stands on the end of the pier beside the

'World's Best Stone Skipping Beach'

Georgian Bay is beyond the flag.

We also remember our province of Newfoundland, 

for whom this is Memorial Day, in honour of about 700

soldiers who died on the first day of the Battle of the Somme in WWI,

long before Newfoundland and Labrador became a province of Canada in 1949.

This year is particularly memorable for the repatriation of the unknown

soldier, representing 820 Newfoundlanders with unknown graves.

And to my American readers, Happy Independence Day.

better known I think as simply July 4th.