Don't Bug Me!

The Cats are Back!

2011-06-13T09:20:00.000-07:00

That's it, I have had enough! Everytime I come to my blog, I see those same old photos over and over again. OK, so they might be nice photos, but I really don't want to look at them forever. So, the time as come to post something new. And can anyone possibly think of anything more beautiful to look at than my cats!?! I haven't been around for quite some time due to a little bit of surgery I

Some Soothing Photos.........

2011-03-31T19:56:00.000-07:00

Well, my surgery was cancelled yesterday, so I thought I would pass some time looking at some old photos........ a few soothing photos to keep you readers happy in my absence......... A goose on the Fraser River near Steveston, British Columbia Gansbaai, South Africa - a stroll at sunset Sunset at the waterhole, Etosha National Park, Namibia I shall be back soon......even sooner if they

Macro Monday - Northern Flicker

2011-03-27T16:44:00.000-07:00

The other day, I was sitting at my computer, staring out the window, daydreaming working really, really hard, when, all of a sudden, someone decided that it would be a good idea to start using a pneumatic drill on my roof. I was not impressed and neither was my cat. "What the bloody hell!" I declared "Prrrrruupppp!!!" she declared. We both craned our necks out of the window and what should

Supermoon..........

2011-03-24T21:09:00.000-07:00

.......and no, I am not talking about my brother! Nope, I am talking about this: A supermoon is, and I quote astrologer Richard Nolle, 1979: "A new or full moon which occurs with the Moon at or near (within 90% of) its closest approach to Earth in a given orbit (perigee). In short, Earth, Moon and Sun are all in a line, with Moon in its nearest approach to Earth." This happened on the

Macro Monday: Woodlice

2011-03-20T16:36:00.000-07:00

Woodlice, aka "armadillo bug", "carpenter" (Newfoundland), "cheeselog" (Reading, Berkshire), "cheesy bug" (North-West Kent), "doodlebug" (also used for the larva of an antlion), "pill bug" (usually applied only to the genus Armadillidium), "potato bug", "roly-poly", "sow bug", "roll up bug", "chuggypig" or "chucky pig", "slater","gramersow" (Cornwall), "butcher boy" or "butchy boy"

Macro Monday : Grass of Parnassus

2011-03-13T15:27:00.000-07:00

Last week, I posted what I thought was a fiendishly difficult Macro Monday Mystery. Obviously, I was wrong, since nearly all of you guessed what it was. Sooo, I thought that I would skulk off back to my archives to find something nobody could ever possibly guess - mwah-ha-ha! But then I got sidetracked and found this delightful flower instead. So, you are spared from the agony of a macro mystery

Macro Monday : Mystery # 10 - The Answer

2011-03-11T16:35:00.000-08:00

Funny really - whenever I think a Macro Mystery is easy, hardly anyone gets it, but when I think it is a difficult one, nearly everyone gets it!?! So, well done all of you that correctly identified the photo as a macro shot of some coral. Here is a shot of a simlar coral from further away:

Macro Monday : Mystery # 10

2011-03-06T15:13:00.000-08:00

I know, I just did one of these, but as I was scanning through some of my photos I noticed this one. It is an unusual photo and I think that it will be quite the challenge for you this week. It almost looks unreal, or perhaps it looks so macro that it could be a component of one of your cells. Now, while I do like really macro and I like to get really close, even I don't have an electron

I Had a Little Nut Tree........

2011-03-01T21:04:00.000-08:00

And the answer is............hazel! The first photos are photos of the female flower of the hazel - very small and very sticky, to catch any pollen drifting by. The third photo is the end of one of the male flowers - the pollen-producing catkin. Well done Jane!

Macro Monday - Macro Mystery #9

2011-02-27T16:44:00.000-08:00

I know, Macro Mysteries just annoy people, but I am going there again anyway. See, I got my macro lens out today, then I got my macro slider out, and my flash and my (actually Cortes' - thanks Cortes!) inverted 50mm lens and then I spent quite some time taking photos, thinking all the time that I really should set things up properly and perhaps find somewhere to set the camera where it wouldn't

A Log at Sunset

2011-02-21T18:56:00.000-08:00

I have lots of photos.....I know, we all do. I was thinking of starting up a separate photography blog, but hell, I can't even keep up with this one, so I thought that I would just start posting a few photos here from time to time - just as I did last week with The Ghost Ship. So, for no other reason than I like it - A Log, at Sunset.

Macro Monday : Night-time in the Jungle

2011-02-20T15:28:00.000-08:00

I am not known for getting things done quickly. I will nearly always get things done on time, but rarely quickly. So, if I have a deadline, I will get whatever needs doing done. But if it is just up to me to get things done whenever, well, whenever can be a very long time. Take these photos, for example. They are from my "recent" trip to Ecuador - back in August! Oh well, better late than never..

The Ghost Ship

2011-02-17T07:35:00.000-08:00

Where did it go?

Macro Monday : Galapagos Lizard

2011-02-13T16:48:00.000-08:00

I seem to have found a little downtime this week, between marking, writing lectures and hanging doors. So, here is a cute little guy from the Galapagos - not one of the more famous marine or land iguanas, but just one of the many little lizards that dance around your feet as you rock hop your way amongst the pitted and gnarled volcanic rocks. They nod a greeting as you leap gracefully by and

Macro Monday Mystery #8

2011-02-06T17:25:00.000-08:00

So, did anyone miss me? Has anyone noticed my absence in the blogosphere over the past few weeks? Probably not....... And I wouldn't get too used to me being back since I might not be around all that much for a while. Things happen you know. Sometimes a blog just seems more like a chore than it should and it just gets lost in all the crap that is life. But, I am here, at least for one week, and

Macro Monday: No Time!

2010-12-12T16:30:00.000-08:00

Sorry, no time for Macro Monday this week - I have Christmas cards to write, doors to spray and install, essays to mark and exams to give. Oh yes, all that Christmas baking has to be done as well. Still, while I am here, I might as well share this little cutie with you......... Isn't he adorable? This little chap was one of the smaller critters that I saw on my trip to Alaska this summer. We

Cat

2010-12-05T14:31:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, I posted photos of my cats not that long ago. But what the hell, she is still pretty darn cute isn't she? Oh, and this is her other side! For more Macro Monday, go here.

Macro Monday: A Very Small Meal

2010-11-28T17:00:00.000-08:00

It has been very cold here recently and I suspect that this great blue heron was greatful for his catch, even if it is rather small. Catching fish when your pond is all frozen over must be quite challenging. Perhaps this is a lesson for us all, especially me. Life can most definitely be worse! So chin up, best foot forward and be grateful for every little morsel that comes your way. For

Macro Monday: Grass

2010-11-21T17:04:00.000-08:00

I feel the need to apologise. Now that the excitement over Wayne's Weather Window (apparently a Global Gift Pack is on its way), has started to wane (insert groan here), I am feeling rather deflated and uninspired. Perhaps it is the cold seeping into my bones? Perhaps it is the renovation despair that hangs like a smog over the entire DBM household? Perhaps I just need to pull myself together and

Wayne's Weather Window

2010-11-18T19:50:00.000-08:00

Now, I am generally not one to toot my own horn, but what the hell, fame, if very, very fleeting, is mine at last! "Now we go to Steveston - this beautiful sunset was sent to us by Don't Bug Me!" The photo is of Steveston Harbour in British Columbia and it was shown on the Global News Hour this evening. Oh, and Wayne didn't actually call me Don't Bug Me!, he used my real name. But, of

One of Life's Moments

2010-11-16T12:10:00.000-08:00

You know the kind of moment that I am talking about, don't you? Where everything, if only very briefly, slides into place, everything clicks, everything is just the way that you want it to be. If only for a moment, a brief, fleeting moment. It can happen anywhere, sometimes when you least expect it. Sitting on a bench looking out over the sea, as the sun shines on your face, a slight breeze lifts

Macro Monday: Feathers

2010-11-14T16:20:00.000-08:00

Well, you are all going to be very happy with me this week. I was going to give you one of my Macro Mysteries and get you to try and guess the animal. But then I thought, why bother? Everyone will know that it is a bird and then nearly everyone will be stumped - except of course Susannah over at Wanderin' Weeta, she will know what it is, since she just did a post on them. So, instead, here is

It Makes Me Want to Cry..........

2010-11-11T13:54:00.000-08:00

Let's get this straight right from the beginning - I am not talking about my renovations. Yes, they do make me want to cry, but the less said about them, the better. What we are talking about here is friendship and its complete breakdown into a vicious rivalry in a matter of seconds. We are talking about two bezzie mates, two BFFs, one minute strutting down the road, shoulder to shoulder,

Behind the Scenes - The Dripping tap

2010-11-09T07:45:00.000-08:00

I wasn't going to do this, you know. I quite like getting all of those comments about how wonderful my photos of dripping taps are. I love the feeling of knowing how to do something that others don't. I delight in the praise. I bask in the glory of being a photography goddess. So, why would I want to tell you how I did it and spoil the illusion of my great skill and photography prowess? Do I

Macro Monday: Drip

2010-11-07T16:53:00.000-08:00

Make it stop! Somebody, please make it stop!!! For more Macro Monday, go here. Apparently many of you are wondering about how I took these photos and have asked for an explanation. If I have some time tomorrow, I shall do a little tutorial on how to shoot dripping taps - but just a word of warning - the taking of the photograph will probably drive you as insane as the dripping tap does!

Macro Monday: Creepy Crawlies

2010-10-31T16:49:00.000-07:00

For most of you, it is now Monday November 1st. But I am on the wet west coast of Canada, and here it is still the 31st - Hallowe'en. So, I should be at my door, handing out candies to all those grubby, grabby, diminutive kids, but I am leaving that task to Mr. DBM - he actually likes children (well, most of the time). Perhaps I shouldn't, since he also actually likes the cheapy chocolate that we

Spoilt or Not?

2010-10-27T20:45:00.000-07:00

Picture this: Big open house, no doors (due to renovation issues, obviously), no heating except the gas fireplace. I walk in, ensconced in five layers of clothing (thermal underwear, thermal long-sleeved t-shirt, light fleece, heavy fleece and poofy down jacket - stick with me, this clothing inventory is important for the storyline). I sit down on the couch and wrap a duvet around me. I just

Macro Monday: It is all Rather Seedy.....

2010-10-24T16:51:00.000-07:00

Apparently, I have my lazy-arse hat back firmly on my head. I was going to go outside and take some photos this week, but then it rained, then it was cold, then, well, it was sunny for a while, but I decided that I really ought to try my hand at drywalling instead. Turns out that I am crap at drywalling - where on earth has all my patience gone? I thought the young were supposed to be the

Geese Come From Barnacles - Who Knew!?!

2010-10-21T15:15:00.000-07:00

This week, my Macro Monday posting was a Mystery - a close up of an organism with a challenge to guess said organism. In this case, there were two organisms and, as it turns out, two people who were spot on with their guesses - well done Dave and Susannah, who both correctly guessed the identities as gooseneck barnacles and a purple sea star (Pisaster ochraceus). And, yes, before anyone points it

Macro Monday Mystery #7

2010-10-17T16:53:00.000-07:00

So, the time has come for another little Macro Mystery. Now, I suspect that these might be a little easy for you, so I am not going to give you any clues. Nope, you don`t need them, I know you can do this without any help. The one thing that I will tell you is that both were found and photographed in the same habitat, so if you can get one, that will be a good clue for the other. I would also

Seeing Red - or Should That be Vermillion?

2010-10-14T17:34:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago, Mr. DBM and I spent four months galavanting around South America with the trip culminating in a visit to the Galapagos Islands. Now, I have waxed lyrical ad nauseam about these magical and mystical islands here, here, here, here and here. I think there were a couple more posts, but I am sure that you have got the picture by now. I loved this place, I adored this place. It

Macro Monday - Ericaceae

2010-10-10T16:41:00.000-07:00

** STOP PRESS ** The voting has begun!!!!!! Please go here if you would like to vote for me. I can't afford to bribe you or anything, but I will appreciate all the votes I get. Thank you. Normal blogging service will now resume. Ericaceae - the family of plants including the heathers, azaleas, rhododendrons and all of those beautiful berry bearing plants such as cranberries, blueberries and

Jewels of the Forest

2010-10-07T18:51:00.000-07:00

Enough with the cute and furry, it is time for some fabulous feathered friends. So today, say hello to some hummers. Not those humungous ugly brutes of the vehicular world, but the darling, sweet and oh so gorgeous hummingbirds of the Ecuadorian cloud forest. What can I tell you about these flying jewels of the forest? These diminutive birds are usually first heard rather than seen. They

Macro Monday: The Spider and the Fly

2010-10-03T17:19:00.000-07:00

I didn't want to have to do this, but it seems that my loyal readership has let me down. And so there will be no more cute and cuddly critters. There will be no more floral fancies or beautiful birds. Nope, we are back to the grotesque and ugly, the macabre and morbid, the ghoulish and ghastly. Hmmmmm, maybe I should have saved this one for Halloween? Oh well, I feel the need to display my

A Cuteness Factor of Ten!

2010-09-30T09:49:00.000-07:00

The time has come. I can resist their cuteness no more. After those disgusting posts on the repulsive botflies, I need a little cute and fluffy. I need adorable and endearing, delightful and charming, cheeky and cheerful. So, I give you the Columbian ground squirrel. And no, they are not part of a drug cartel and no, they are not FARC revolutionaries hell bent on kidnapping you and

What, More Insects?

2010-09-26T15:45:00.000-07:00

Insects just lend themselves so well to macro photography, don't they? They live in their own miniature world that we rarely even stop to think about, let alone look at. Even if we do stop and look, we are just not on their scale and we do not see them in all their minute, exquisite detail. This is why I love to take macro shots of insects. That, and the fact that they are always beautiful,

Better......Better Get a Bucket.......

2010-09-23T17:10:00.000-07:00

WARNING: You might not want to click on the videos below - they are just a tad icky (and that is the biggest understatement of the year!) My last Macro Monday post was a bit of a challenge - you had to identify a disgusting looking specimen that one of my colleagues at work had found. Now this beast is not one of the ugly ducklings of this world, destined to metamorphose into a beautiful

What is in Your Fridge?

2010-09-19T21:39:00.000-07:00

So I get this email the other day that starts like this: "I found this really disgusting thing the other day and I thought of you." Well, really, that is quite the insult, is it not? As it turns out, it is not quite as insulting as it first sounds. The reason this person thought of me is that they hoped, due to my vast sum of knowledge and experience with disgusting things, that I might be

A Moment of Crisis - the Bear Truth.

2010-09-16T21:04:00.000-07:00

Since I have many, several, may be one or two? astute readers out there, I am sure that most of you have noticed that I have a new header for my blog. Just look at those lubbly jubbly bears up there. And look at the face of the poor, long suffering mother bear. You can almost hear her thinking "Don't make me come over there..........if I have to come over there......." Alternatively, she could be

Macro Monday - Drop

2010-09-12T16:52:00.000-07:00

Hola amigos! Yes, I am back from Ecuador and, before you ask, no the renovations are not complete. In fact, if you value your life, you will not venture down that topic of conversation. We still do not have a functioning bathroom. Enough said. So, I have decided on a nice peaceful, zen kind of photo this week. One to calm my nerves and soothe my spirit. I need a lot of calming and soothing,

And the Winners Are .............

2010-09-06T20:07:00.000-07:00

The cloud forest lies before me, like a woman reclining in a steamy bath, filled with foaming water. All curves and hollows, hills and valleys. The mist collects in the valleys, like the foam enveloping the woman, moulding itself to her shape. The water gently laps against her body, constantly shifting and changing, never still, just as the mist ebbs and flows against the hillsides, swirling in

Feel the Earth Move in Ecuador

2010-08-30T05:58:00.000-07:00

Imagine that you are gazing out of your window. A blanket of trees drapes the mountainside in front of you, catching the wisps of clouds in its branches like a child grasping at tufts of candy floss. A lightning flash of yellow streaks across your vision as a golden tanager flits from one tree to another. The vibrant blue wings of a morpho butterfly float aimlessly in front of you before dancing

It is Finished!

2010-08-06T20:19:00.000-07:00

No, not the renovations. They won't be finished until the cows come home, and only then if they have sold all their milk, exchanged themselves for some magic beans, climbed a bean stalk and plundered all of the giant's treasure and robbed a couple of banks on their way home. So no, not the renovations - they aren't going so well. But the baby blanket is done. Finished and completed, all made and

Macro Monday: Please Don't Kill Me.

2010-08-01T16:29:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am back. Obviously, I did not get eaten by any bears in Alaska, although it was pretty close - luckily, I can run faster than my mother. However, I did get eaten, one very small bite at a time, by some nasty little blackfly. I am not going to tell you the locations of all my bites, but really, how on earth did they get there!?! This week's macro marvel is a little guy that will not bite

Macro Monday - Messy

2010-07-18T17:15:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, this post is not about me. Yes, we all know that I am lazy and OK, I can be a little messy too (except for the insides of my cupboards, but we don't need to talk about that now, do we?). But today's messy macro subject is this little guy here: This is a flower longhorn, a beetle belonging to the family Cerambycidae. It is known as a longhorn due to its extremely long antennae

Macro Mystery #6 - Can You See What It Is Yet?

2010-07-14T06:44:00.000-07:00

The challenge has been made, the gloves are off and the macro lenses are on. OK, OK, so I admit it, I can be just a little bit competitive, so when I got the email from that shining star of wonderful gorgeousness that is English Mum informing me of a little bit of Macro Madness emanating from Tara, over at Sticky Fingers, how could I possibly resist!?! So, off I go, camera in hand, hunting high

Macro Monday - Lazy

2010-07-11T16:12:00.000-07:00

I think that I may have mentioned, at some point, perhaps more than once, that I can be a tad lazy. Well, just to substantiate this claim, I decided to head out into my garden with my camera and macro lens, plop myself down in a chair on my patio and only take photos from that one, sitting rather comfortably, position. You really can't get much lazier than that, can you? I took a few photos - not

The Cats Are Not Helping!

2010-07-08T10:04:00.000-07:00

I sometimes have to wonder why I do some of the things I do. Why on earth am I spending ridiculous amounts of time crocheting a baby blanket? Why don’t I just pop into Babies are Us, grab a readymade and pre-packaged blanket, with the only effort required on my part being to try to prise my credit card out of my purse and then suffer the anguish and mental exertion required to recall my PIN? Well

Macro Mystery #5

2010-07-04T14:24:00.000-07:00

I have the blahs this week. Is it because I am always cold? Is it because England got knocked out of the World Cup? Is it because I have an almost continuous headache due to all the spray foam insulation that they are putting into my house? Is it because I have no sink? Or is it just because I am so very lazy? Who really knows, but it does mean that I am going to give you another Macro Mystery,

Macro Monday - Forget-me-not

2010-06-27T14:35:00.000-07:00

"The blue and bright-eyed floweret of the brook, Hope's gentle gem! The sweet forget-me-not." I just love this flower. So small and so simple and so easily overlooked. You have to slow down to appreciate their beauty. You have to stop to see their diminutive blooms. The skyblue flowers with their sunny yellow centres always put a smile on my face. Back in the English Middle Ages, it was

Macro Monday - Hound's-Tongue Seed

2010-06-14T10:08:00.000-07:00

So, last week things did not go according to plan. Even though I actually got off my lazy, lard-arse behind, even though I actually put some effort into getting a marvellous Macro Monday shot, even though I really, really tried, my efforts were in vain - fruitless, barren and unproductive. But, the seed had been sown, and this week, the rewards are being reaped. And so here, ladies and

Macro Monday - Yellow

2010-06-13T18:16:00.000-07:00

So, today I took off my lazy arse hat. I went through boxes in the garage. I found my 50mm lens. I found my reversing ring. I found my tripod. Five boxes later, I even found my macro slider, as yet unused. I even went to the trouble of downloading software so that I could take multiple photos and merge them so that I could get an unlimited depth of field. I even read some blogs and help pages on

The Waved Albatross

2010-06-09T08:52:00.000-07:00

Well, it was not a stunning performance by anyone with this week's Macro Mystery. One of you got it right, but that was only by cheating, while a few of you were getting quite close towards the end. Well done to those of you who guessed a baby bird. In this case the baby bird is a waved albatross, aka the Galapagos albatross (Phoebastria irrorata). When I first saw this rather furry looking

Macro Monday Mystery #4

2010-06-06T16:36:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, these kinds of posts just annoy everyone. But, quite frankly, I have been up since 3am (stoopid birdwatching - why on earth does anyone think it is a good idea to get up at stupid o'clock, stand around in the stupid rain and watch, well mostly nothing really, since I can never find the the stupid bird since I am always looking in the wrond stupid tree). So, we are going for

Macro Monday: Green

2010-05-26T20:16:00.000-07:00

I am off on a nerdy birdy weekend at the moment. So, no long winded post this week - phew, what a relief for us all! Just some soothing photos to, hopefully, please your eyes. That always assumes that I can get online to post them whilst in the wilds of the B.C. Interior. Sword fern (Polystichum munitum) Bracken (Pteridium aquilinum) Anyone know? My ID books are in Box 4 somewhere in the

My Heart Nearly Broke.

2010-05-26T12:28:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, the biggest fear that I had about moving to a new house and a new neighbourhood appeared to becoming a reality. My little Tessie was lost. As I wandered around my garden and the surrounding area, calling her name, my heart leapt every time I saw a white flash that could be her face, every time I heard a noise that could be her mew. My calls became more urgent and then more

Macro Monday: Look Into My Eyes........

2010-05-23T16:45:00.000-07:00

Last Monday slipped by under a mountain of boxes and in a haze of drywall dust. Yes, we have finally moved - 155 boxes in total, 36 so far unpacked. The rest are happily ensconced in the garage, waiting for their contents to be rediscovered once the renovations are complete. We are now living upstairs, sans kitchen or washing machine, and we have been reduced to washing everything in the shower.

Suckers!

2010-05-12T11:10:00.000-07:00

Oh no, not you dear readers, I would never refer to you as a bunch of suckers. I am, of course, referring to the subject of this post - the answer to Macro Mystery #3. What we have here is an ochre starfish (Pisaster ochraceus), or sea star, if you prefer, since it is not a fish, but then a whale shark is not a whale and a jellyfish is not a fish, but that doesn't stop us from using

Macro Monday Mystery #3

2010-05-09T15:18:00.000-07:00

Since I am a little busy at the moment (box 105, if you are interested), I thought that I would leave it up to you to write my blog this week. Well, really, why should I be the one to do all the work around here? So, here is my macro photo for this week. All you have to do is tell the story of what on earth is happening here. Marks will be given for the names of the organisms involved and for

Macro Monday - Feeling a Little Bit Crabby.

2010-05-02T16:24:00.000-07:00

Today, I am feeling a little bit crabby. It might have something to do with the fact that I was up at 4:30am to go birding (why, oh why do birds have to get up sooooo early!?!). It might also have something to do with the fact that I am now up to box number 93. Or perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I was up at 1am worrying about what faucets I should be installing in my new kitchen

Macro Monday: Box 72.........

2010-04-25T16:34:00.000-07:00

OK, so I admit it, the title of this post has nothing to do with the subject. The subject is not a box, it is much prettier and is in fact a geranium. The whole box thing? Well, that is just because I am slowly being buried by a mountain of boxes (72 at last count) as I pack up all my wordly possessions in anticipation of moving in a couple of weeks time. And the reason I am telling you this?

Macro Monday: Things That make Me Go...... Ahhhh......!

2010-04-18T10:28:00.000-07:00