Remembering Oliver during a bike, bloom and bird week

Sometimes, I think this blog should have a clearer theme, but in the end, I realize that each post is just a gathering together of my thoughts (job and personal life mostly excluded) over the days since the previous one.

This week, after hearing the sad news about Oliver's passing and then reading Jean's beautiful post about Why the Sky Turned Orange, Oliver's joyful spirit has lurked in the background throughout my daily comings and goings. It hurts a lot to lose him, and my heart goes out to Jean and Kelly, but at the same time, I am so grateful for having had the opportunity to know him through Jean's stories, photos and videos. You will not be forgotten, dear little Polar Bear.

On Monday, there wasn't a bird photo to be had, but a long, evening walk with Black Jack, after a very rainy bike ride home, yielded bloom after bloom that I couldn't pass by. The sun was all the more magnificent after that full-out soaking, and it seemed the flowers were celebrating with me.

We sat for a few minutes at Kits Beach, and I thought a bit about the different kinds of energy that propel us across the water,

and, the land.

These blooms carefully arranged themselves after falling to the ground.

This was a branch of a tree, photographed from almost directly under. Bill commented that it could have been turned "right side up" and taken for a complete tree.

On Tuesday, there was more rain, and only time for a quick look by the osprey lookout in North Vancouver. I took this to be Lawrence, but am wondering now if I was mistaken, and that it was actually Olivia. The behaviour was slightly different than usual, but my shots were not really clear enough to be certain.

On Wednesday, there was a little more time after school, and the rain held off. Robert, a photographer, and long time observer of the area, was there, and we both enjoyed the rare sight of these two Harlequins (I think). They were standing on a log by the pylon next to the nest.

The expression on this Merganser's face made me smile.

She had quite a struggle here,

but the bulge in her neck is testament to her triumph over the poor fish.

All the while, we had been watching Lawrence, sitting on a mast a long distance away. Suddenly he began one of his sky dances.

He called and called, and I knew

Olivia had to be nearby. She did a short fly-by and I was happy for Lawrence.

I left for home, and stopped on the Lions Gate Bridge. Looking down, I could see cyclists, perhaps inspired by Bike to Work Week, going around the seawall. Bill doesn't like this picture because of the port-a-potty and the graffiti on the lighthouse, although he agreed with me that the arc shape at the bottom was quite appealing. The bottom line is that he is saddened when human touch mars natural beauty.

The Valendam Rotterdam cruise ship passed under the bridge, on its way to Alaska. I would love to see Alaska, but I'm not sure this sort of cruise would be my choice method of travel.

On Thursday, I was outside quite a bit with my camera. A walk during a school break showed Jonny (I think), very high in the sky, carrying something (maybe a fish or a crab?) in his talons. Lots of questions. It could possibly have been Lawrence, perhaps still trying to entice Olivia.

I took a moment to admire this rose, and the next moment..

I saw Jonny in the nest with Jewel. You can just see her to the left of Jonny, low in the nest, sitting, I'm quite certain, on eggs. In this photo, Jonny is just about to fly off again.

In the distance, I caught a glimpse of another favourite critter. I have learned from Vera, another longtime observer, that the otter is a she. I believe I will call her Frankie.

Head up, and fish down the hatch.

On the way home, I stopped at the Stanley Park heronry. It is bedlam there. No other way to describe it. Young ones screeching, fighting with each other, and demanding food - NOW!

Walking in the evening through a lane near Jericho, I stopped to admire this flower,

and captured my first hummingbird photo ever! A poor photograph, but it made me happy. I'll be looking in that lane again soon.

On the way back from our walk, this snippet of beauty caught my eye.

On Friday, there was only time for a five-minute stop by the osprey lookout. I was quite sure this was Lawrence, but now am second-guessing that id. Could it be Olivia! Could she be just about ready to lay some eggs? Sorry that I cannot give a definitive answer, but I can promise that I'll be watching the area closely, when I travel over to North Van tomorrow.
As always, thanks for reading. May Oliver's happy dance follow you through the weekend.