Magnolias

I'm out of hiking pictures to post and since winter arrived  haven't had much time anyway for posting on any of the blogs or much opportunity for photography.  November and December were mostly rainy and grey and we managed only one excursion for photography

Magnolias do well in our climate and many folk have in their yards and the city has also planted many of them in the city park.  We often go out in the spring just to photograph them and these are some of the pictures we've taken over the past years here and elsewhere.

These were taken around Lynden, the town where we live, in the city park, but also in the city of Vancouver during our many excursions there to see our daughter who lived there for two years, to see the 2010 Winter Olympics and just to enjoy that beautiful city.

 

 

 

Note: these are posted with little regard for order of any kind and with no attempt at identification.  My identifications would be tentative at best and incomplete.  Those who know what they are can label them in their own minds and those who don't can just enjoy the pictures.

First Snow

This week we had our first snow of the year and what a week it has been.  Schools were closed all week and everyone pretty much stayed home unless they had to be out.  We probably didn't have more than a foot of snow in all, but we are not very well equipped here to deal with it - roads don't get plowed for days and the plowing, when it is finally done, is poorly done.  We also had high winds Wednesday which made for white-out conditions in some areas and for drifting, and now freezing rain.

Tuesday, my wife and Edward and I got out with our cameras and took a walk to see the snow and get what photos we could.  The day was still and the branches, even the smallest twigs, were carrying their load of snow.  We walked through the little park that follows Fishtrap Creek near our home and then walked on through the neighborhood.  Edward has posted some of his pictures on Flickr, http://www.flickr.com/photos/8686966@N02/, but these are some of those my wife and I took.