Gardening with a Paintbrush II

Finished in yesterday's monsoon! I started this one, inspired by a quote by Eduardo Galeano, a fearsome South American writer I've never read, save this quote:

"Deep root, lofty trunk, dense foliage: from the center of the world rises the thornless tree, one of those trees that knows how to give themselves to the birds. Around the tree whirl dancing couples, navel to navel, undulating to a music that wakens stones and sets fire to ice...The tree of life knows that whatever happens, the warm music spinning around it will never stop. However much death may come, however much blood may flow, the music will dance men and women as long as the air breathes them and the land plows and loves them." Eduardo Galeano


One Love I


This is a collage of tapestry fabric, quince leaves, acrylic gel medium, and acrylic paint on stretched canvas. I included the serpent to culture-jam the meaning of the "evil serpent"---the serpent is an ancient symbol of kundalini awakening and the divine knowledge in every human being. That changes the story a bit!

I added a "Fresh Paint" section to the sidebar so this remains on display 'til the next one!

Bless.

Other Life Cycles Of Note

An appropriate outing for Thanksgiving weekend--because Wild Sockeye Salmon* is up there on the Thank-You List.

(*Salmon are not plants. I know. I digress. However, observe the algae on the rocks. It never used to be on the rocks in the Shuswap. I have now discussed an item of botanical significance.)

Below:
Adams River Sockeye Salmon, esqu., RIP: looking a little green around the gills.
And his wife, Ms. Rotty, RIP: in the advanced stages. My apologies to the squeamish.




The Adam's River Sockeye Salmon run is slim this year--the every-fourth-year big run is next year.

There was a huge local (and national--i.e., made national papers) controversy in the last couple years to try and stop development next to the park. The provincial government said it would purchase the adjacent lands but didn't, so the developer is going ahead with a massive high-density lagoon-type condominium/marina development. Everyone who knows anything about fish fry life cycles in river estuaries tried to stop it. The Shuswap Environmental Action Society http://www.seas.ca/ continues the good fight--Jim Cooperman has been active since I was in high school twenty years ago. O my that makes me feel ol--wise. Wizened.

Could be worse...





O, see below--there's the river mouth, and waaay across the lovely Big Shuswap there--that's where our family did a few generations of the pioneer thing. Basically, we've genetically evolved to climb hills.


So, another point being: I started out Back to the Land.
...Then I went downriver to the ocean...
...Maybe I'll hang out with all the fish in the sea (funny expression, that) for forty years or so...
...Then I'll buy a nice red winter coat, and I'll get this feeling...

Oh, for a gorgeous weekend for out-of-towners, stay at Quaaout Lodge on the Little Shuswap. Alas, it's gone all golfy, but still an amazing site/Shuswap Nation culture centre--totally reasonable prices. Walk through all the fall colours along the Adams, count fish. Breathe. One of many Sunday drives goes up the North Shuswap, through crafty coffee-shop territory. Lob dead fish over the plywood fence around aforementioned condo/marina development. Do this soon: fall colour prime time in next couple weeks.

Get High on Colour

(Do other people do this, or just me?)


I don't think I'm alone...


3-D Rose Bomb comin in...



Are you feelin it yet??

Colour therapy. Just inhale.

_________________________________________________________
Garden credits (taken today and yesterday):

1st photo: Deb & Dan's Miscanthus 'Morning Light', Echinacea 'Razzmatazz', Rudbeckia

2nd photo: John & Margot's Crimson Flag/Schizostylis & Asters

3rd&4th photos: Anne & Peter's Miscanthus & Dahlias w/Verbena bonariensis (little purple flowers on tall sticks) and my favourite Aster--'Monch' (little purple daisy-flowers spangling around randomly)

Park and Tilford Gardens

Thought I'd pirate some beauties from the public gardens, since the sun is still shining, the Datura's still blooming (sigh, that's what overwintering in a greenhouse will do for it! What a beauty.) This blossom is intoxicating and, unbeknownst to JJBean-imbibing customers in the vicinity, emanating mysterious powers only known to South American shamans. Shamen. Inhale if you dare.


Now I've finally got a photo of ...


...a relative of the common Burning Bush--Euonymous alata--but enormous, and bearing a lovely show of fruit-escences (my word for something that is half-way between a fruit and a flower) this time of year. So beautiful! Why don't we see this around more often? I want to plant them in my gardens!

And last of all, an electric combination of a red Abutilon (not hardy, sorry) and the famously invisible-until-its-berries-appear Callicarpa bodinieri. So beautiful. (Have I used "beautiful" too often in this entry?)

Thank-you, Park and Tilford Garden folk.

Glorious Day Count-Down??

Whether or not you are a bicycle-gardener, there is a certain morose contemplation that accompanies the decline of summery weather. (Photo above for dramatic effect.)

Oh, the freedom of cycling and gardening and roaming, unfettered by rain gear, tuques, and woolly socks!

Wait a second. At precisely the moment captured in time above, a whiff of distant mountain air scythed from the peaks into my valley-dwelling, lake-pondering brain. And in one instant, I Remembered Skiing.

So I Nikwaxed my raingear, bought a svelte little stainless steel thermos and a svelte little ear-covering fleecy hat that fits under a bike helmet, and I do believe I have successfully navigated my annual episode of Seasonal Transition Syndrome.

A little premature. We've got another week of glorious weather..