Sunday 30 December 2012

No Ordinary Pigeon Being Tracked

THIS BIRD WEARING two different colored leg bands could be a pet or perhaps is being tracked by a breeder. No ordinary pigeon, its pretty display of feathers has me wondering if it is a Rock Dove.

It seemed completely unafraid of me, although it did puff up its chest a little reminding me of a chubby robin.

Could this showy creature be a version of the bird having a bath in this video? I didn’t get a good picture of my bird from the front but the white marking on its beak could be described as heart shaped. Such birds are always looking for love in the form of a meal it seems. Their presence can be an annoyance for folks eating at outdoor tables of restaurants.

Pigeons with all white feathers, on the other hand, are adored as a symbol of peace and are often called doves. In truth "pigeon" and "dove" are interchangeable terms for some 300 types of the species, despite differing perceptions based on appearances and centuries of good public relations. The pure white kind tends to get far better press than the bird with the rainbow hued ring around its neck and wearing its heart on its beak.

To see more creatures from around the globe visit Camera Critters.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

See more BC scenes at Penelope Puddlisms: BC Life Is A Whale Of A Ride.

Friday 28 December 2012

The Youth That Once Was

AS IF RIPPED from the earth by a tornado and randomly tossed into a tree, this playhouse was a surprising discovery on a recent walk in Crescent Beach. Painted the aqua shade of a tropical sea the house was easy to spot with no leaves to hide it. Its dark window was an eye to enchanted places from where children peered out in the summer months when their imaginations flourished. Perhaps birds and squirrels now find shelter in the treehouse since the youth that played there have become more grounded.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

See more BC scenes at Penelope Puddlisms: BC Life Is A Whale Of A Ride.

Saturday 15 December 2012

Staying Clean In A Muddy World

IT SEEMED LIKE MAGIC how the feathers on these geese remained white even as they waddled through the muddy puddles of an unkempt farm in Surrey. With the exception of a bit of dirt (or perhaps natural markings) at the tips of their wings the birds were as pristine as new fallen snow.

Only one took obvious notice of me when I parked the car by the side of the road to get a better look and to take some pictures.

I guessed they were wild Snow Geese that flew in from distance shores and not homegrown and raised on this farm by the highway.

The geese didn't care about the trucks and cars whizzing by. They were intent on nibbling at whatever lunch they could find in the sopping grass.

It is true that their luxurious downy feathers have waterproof abilities and can end up in duvets to keep people, instead of the geese, warm. When feathers get plucked some birds even land on dining room tables for Christmas dinner. I do not think these birds were slated for such a fate, however. After they had their fill of food they most likely flew over the wire fence by the muddy field ... as Teflon and stick-free as when they started.

To see more creatures from around the globe visit Camera Critters.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

See more BC scenes at Penelope Puddlisms: BC Life Is A Whale Of A Ride.

Friday 14 December 2012

Blue Blue Day At Connecticut Elementary School

CLOUDS PARTED and a pure blue sky broke through reflecting on the water at Crescent Beach. My mind was on the tragic events of this morning at a faraway elementary school in Connecticut. When I left home there was talk that three people had died. By the time I returned twenty-seven, mostly very young children, were said to have perished in the school shooting. That such horrific events are possible shakes the confidence of everyone and even from a distance we search for meaning. We already know there is too much faith in weaponry and too few solutions for the deranged, powerless, angry and disconnected. One day societies will have their fill of violence and all its imagery and be so repulsed by it that the meek truly shall inherit the earth. Until then we will mourn and lament the irreversible heartbreak.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

Monday 26 November 2012

Waiting For Santa In Our World

'TWAS THE MONTH before Christmas when all through the mall little children were gathering to see Santa Claus at a brightly decorated stall. The jolly old man who grants wishes kindly posed for a picture before returning to his big chair near where a lineup was building.

Although the Santa at my local shopping center had a delightful authentic flair, I wondered if the wavy locks under his cap were real and if curious children would tug at his hair.

A break in the weather was granted later when I went to Crescent Beach for a walk. The steady rain had washed the sky a clear blue.

Clouds of white flowed like the curls on Santa's head ...

and made watery reflections that tugged at a forgotten time in my childhood when I knew that wishes came true.

To explore sights from around the globe, link to Our World at the sidebar.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

See more BC scenes at Penelope Puddlisms: BC Life Is A Whale Of A Ride.

Wednesday 14 November 2012

Sunday 11 November 2012

Monday 29 October 2012

Hanging On A String In Our World

HALLOW'S EVE is soon upon us and ghoulish scenes mingling with images of autumn have crept into our West Coast lives.

This is the season of fields sprouting pumpkins and pumpkin paths. The orange melons rest like bloated balloons on haystacks and overflow the huge boxes that house them at stores where they are sold.

A type of squash that seems like a vegetable but isn't, the fruit spills out onto the streets and into our homes. As a child I loved the fun of carving pumpkins and eating the delicious salted seeds my mom roasted in the oven as a treat.

Halloween has grown like pumpkins in popularity perhaps because it gives people a reason to get creative. There is a range of costumes to check out, from sweet to sinister, at my earlier post here. A Halloween event would not be complete without characters like the Grim Reaper, a harvester of souls.

Fascination with faux danger and hints at our demise are fostered early. The Grim Reaper's skeletal hand waved a realistic scythe at kid's on a ride at the local garden centre recently.

A gigantic spider also lurked on the train with toddlers inside. Since humans seem to innately fear spiders, lookalikes of the creepy creatures appear in odd places this time of year.

I sometimes wonder ... why do we fabricate frightening images when there is plenty of real horror to see in the world? Homes that are normally cheery like this one at Crescent Beach ...

get into the Halloween spirit with decorations that are comically eerie.

Many people have at least one grouchy hollowed out pumpkin with a candle inside called Jack-O-Lantern sitting on their doorstep.

Some lawns are littered with skeletons ...

and headstones.

It is not uncommon to see bats, witches and goblins swaying on tree branches.

Someone is peering out the window of this home. Is he crying for help to get out or waiting to pounce on someone who goes in?

This leggy spider draped over the mailbox seemed to wink as I walked by.

A real spider looking for warmth dangled outside my own window.

A small chill crawled up my spine when the flash went off on my camera and transformed the spider into a fuzzy ghost in front of my eyes.

Life seems to hang on a delicate string sometimes. As I conclude this post my thoughts are with the people that were shaken on Saturday by a 7.7 earthquake in Haida Gwaii in the northwest coast of BC as well the people hurt by a hurricane now threatening the east coast.

As children plan to go trick-or-treating on Wednesday night, it is not the little ghosts but a monster storm named Sandy that is howling through towns giving people much more than a fantasy fright.

To explore sights from around the globe, link to Our World at the sidebar.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

See more BC scenes at Penelope Puddlisms: BC Life Is A Whale Of A Ride.