I still haven’t posted photos taken on Vancouver Island during July, but here are some of them. Arbutus trees, first photo, only grow in the Pacific Northwest, particularly on Salt Spring Island, B.C. and in parts of China, nowhere else in the world. They are a popular carve-your-name-in-the-trunk tree because the bark heals into a soft clear scar. A few trees on the island have been abused like this. Still, they couldn’t take the beautiful away!
Groups of three and four Fluted Swallowtails spiraled in and out of the sunlight as I walked down the mountain road on Salt Spring Island. I tried very hard to photograph them dancing around like that - so pretty - but their flight pattern was too rapid and unpredictable. Got lots of blurs if you wanna see ‘em! Fortunately one settled on a fir tree.
For the next two weeks I’ll be stopping to photograph every interesting tree between here and the Giant Redwoods then back. I’m so thrilled to go see them. My pal Chris says Pray for Peace, and that’s what I think of every time I see the fourth photo here.
