Sunday Signage > Free Couch

Free couch. Cat pissed on it so you might want to wash it.

I find Gabriolans to be an honest, straightforward and generous lot and this sign certainly reinforces that assessment. They seem to have a sense of humour too.

Fantasia Chromatica

Taken after a concert by the Gabriola Recorder Ensemble. It was a crazy weather day. We had both warm sunshine and blowing snow showers during the performance. The glove on the left seems to be pointing to the last note.

Leica M3, 50mm Summicron, 1/125s @ f4

Gavin's Hands

Gavin Molloy playing the banjo during the shoot we did for his family band, The Molloys. Except for the photo of their hands on the neck of the bass, there wasn't much staging. They just played everything in sight (piano, guitars, banjo, harmonicas and as you'll soon see even a thumb piano) while I snapped away taking advantage of both their spontaneity and the gorgeous natural light in their living room.

Number 23 in the Musicians Hands series

Japanese Maple

After yesterday's slugfest, I thought I'd post a something a little more traditional. This beautiful tree is over by the Twin Beaches shopping area and I photographed it TTV so as not to be too trad.

ABC Wednesday > S is for Slugfest

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Green Green Green

My pal Ken Wur has just opened a new B&B and today's photo was taken last week on his beautiful 5 acre property down at the south end of the island.

Oddshots Monday > Beast

A carving by Rick Cranston photographed TTV-style

Katney hosts the Oddshooters and the Monochrome Monday maniacs are here

Penny's Hands

Penny bought a $5 guitar with allowance money when she was 11 years old and she's been a folkie ever since. Her specialty is ballads, she teaches Singing For The Terrified and lately she's become a songwriter too. You can read all about her musical journey on her website. The set list is from a recent show at The Roxy and the bracelet is an heirloom that she wears to every gig.

Number 22 in the Musician's Hands series

RCMP Anniversary

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police was first formed on this day in 1873. The Mounties were called the North-West Mounted Police then and were established by Queen Victoria to deal with trouble in the region, specifically rowdy American whiskey traders at Fort Whoop-Up.

Fortunately, we have no rowdy American whiskey traders here on Gabriola (though more than once I've been asked if I know how to make Tennessee moonshine - I don't) and not much in the way of crime so I suspect that being a cop on Gabe is a pretty easy gig these days.

Just After Sunrise

The daffodils have come and almost gone and I've been meaning to post this TTV image for a while so here ya go. The sun was barely above the horizon which made for great lighting. The monochrome version is here

Tim's Hands

Tim Harrison is fairly new to Gabriola, having relocated here from his native Grey County, Ontario but he's no rookie in the music business: He released the first of his eight recordings back in 1979. A singer/songwriter of the highest order and cut from old-school folk music cloth, you can have a listen here. Welcome to Gabe Tim.

Number 21 in the Musician's Hands series

ABC Wednesday > R is for Rainwater Reflections

On the roof at Suzy's

The global portal for ABC Wednesday is here

Green Thumb

It's been a fairly dry Spring so far which is great for walkers and bicyclists but not so good for Gabriola gardeners who are all watching the sky and hoping.

Oddshots Monday > The Soninos

A sloop out of water photographed TTV-style to accentuate the oddness.

Katney hosts global Oddshots here and the Monochrome Monday Maniacs are here

Ken's Hands

Ken is the island handyman. Well, maybe not THE island handyman but let's just say everyone knows Big Red, his GMC work truck. I wanted to photograph him tuning his homemade two-string garbage can bass which he does with a wrench but he insisted I shoot his real wooden instrument. I shot both and he was right, this one was best. We used the skylight in his wife's studio and it was perfect. I particularly like the shadow his left pinky casts on the face of the bass.

Number 20 in the Musician's Hands series

Leica M3, 50mm Summicron, 1/15s @ f2 with beanbag for camera support

Grinder In His Light > RIP

Since I started this blog last June I've mostly avoided posting photos of my cats but today is different. My old buddy Grinder passed on over to the other side yesterday afternoon. RIP

Cob Wall at The Commons

Built last fall by Pollen Heath and a team of volunteers, this beautiful cob wall has become a real centerpiece for The Commons.

Cadillac Hydro Shed

I have a tiny house fetish. I own both editions of Lester Walker's book, I pretty much have the Tumbleweed website memorized and I even follow the blog. Gabriola has hundreds of small buildings but this custom-built beauty is my favourite. I stop by and admire it every time I am in its neighbourhood. Check out the door which was designed to echo the curvature of the arbutus tree just in front. Talk about natural symmetry! I photographed it TTV-style to further enhance the storybook proportions. The 8x12 footprint means the structure comes in under 100 sq. ft. and therefore didn't require a building permit but the loft area and big windows combine to make it feel much roomier.

Our house is huge, around 900 sq. ft. which is of course way more space than two people really need but in all honesty, I doubt Mrs. Snapper and I could squeeze into a mini-mansion like this one. But I can dream can't I?

ABC Wednesday > Q is for Quilt

When my parents passed, they left an 11 room house that was full to the brim with stuff. I couldn't keep everything but I had a hard time letting go of some of their things. A few years later, as Mrs. Snapper and I prepared to leave Tennessee for British Columbia, I had to pare down big-time. There wasn't room for furniture so what I ended up with was a very few smaller items and in choosing them, I focused on stuff they'd had their hands on: My dad's tools, some of mother's kitchen gear, things like that. This quilt was one of mom's last projects. She got the cover sewn but then her illness won the battle and she never completed it. Shortly before we were to start packing up the big yellow truck, I bought some batting material and found some church ladies to finish it. This isn't the only quilt we brought to Gabriola but it's the one we sleep under every night.

The ABC Wednesday global portal is here

Jazzy Juxtaposition

Two technologies: One as old as humanity itself and the other shiny and new.

Oddshots Monday > John's Hands

An odd Hands picture but one of my favourites.

John played his first professional gig as a trombonist in 1953 and received a whopping $2 which was pretty good money back then. A cashier in a grocery store was getting fifty cents an hour at the time. So the light went on in his head that maybe there was something to this musician thing. He's just released a new CD engineered by his very musical son, Jesse.

Number 19 in the Musician's Hands series

Katney hosts the global Oddshots portal and the Monochrome Monday Maniacs are here

Sunday Signage> H

It's a sign of sorts, I just don't know what it means. TTV image made on Berry Point Road.

Rachel's Hands

Rachel studied classical violin back in her native Devon (SW England) but she also played in a ceilidh band (pronounced KAY-lee) which she said was a lot more fun.

Number 18 in the Musician's Hands series

Leica M3, 50mm Summicron, 1/125s @ f2.8, cropped square

Real Islands Don't Have Bridges

A couple of people favor the notion of building a bridge between the island and Nanaimo. The other 3,998 Gabriolans don't seem to think it's such a great idea.

Frost On The Strawberries

Hopefully, we've seen the last of the frost til fall. But one never knows...

ABC Wednesday > P is for Patio Pots

Here's another image from the Cottage Gardens, an honour system nursery at the end of Berry Point Road. It's my first colour TTV picture.

The global portal for ABC Wednesday is here

Hiromi's Hands

Hiromi is the organist for one of Gabriola's largest churches. We did the shoot right after Sunday service and there was incredible golden sunlight pouring in the windows behind her. Between the gorgeous light and the wonderful music she was playing, it was tough to concentrate on the photography.

Number 17 in the Musician's Hands series

Leica M3, 50mm Summicron, 1/125s @ f2, Ilford XP2Super

Oddshots Monday > Boat At Berry Point

The through-the-viewfinder technique makes this image look like it was taken 100 years ago. For the curious, I've posted a small portfolio of TTV photos here

Katney hosts Oddshots from round the world and the Monochrome Monday Maniacs are here

Sunday Signage > Rumi

Let the beauty we love
Be the beauty we do
- Rumi

I have to admit that I've not read much of the 13th century Persian poet's work but Rumi really nailed it on this one.

Fairies and Butterflies

Dancing 'round the May Pole: Spring Fair today at The Commons

Global Theme Day > Shadows

A shadowy variation on a photo from last September

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