Black Swallowtail

Add beauty and life to your garden with the inclusion of flowers and plants that attract butterflies. There is a range of specific plants that entice butterflies, are easy to care for and are attractive for the garden. It is important to include "Host Plants" to ensure that the butterfly larvae (caterpillars) have a home and "Nectar Plants" for the butterflies to feed upon.

Good Morning you beautiful people!!!

Yes again it is hump day.   Above Buck is enjoying it by chillin in the studio.  

(the star of some of my paintings hehehe)

But if you can overcome Wednesday you are just a hop skip and a jump the the Weekend!!!   YaY!!

Oh it is happy on the bright side of the street.  

Yes I would like to give a shout out, "HEY!!"

to the Artist Makoto Fujimura

As you can see above he is showing right now in the NYC at Dillon Gallery.   I really admire Makoto because he uses his faith to inspire his amazing work.  

His current works in the words of Dillon's Press Release:

"Makoto Fujimura’s exhibit “Charis” which is primarily composed of three monumental gold compositions completed over the last 10 years in New York, shows the significance of his most powerful work; December Hour, Golden Fire, and Charis.

In painting December Hour, he navigated between thoughts of life and death. Dedicating the piece to a dying friend, he prayed desperately as he layered gold over gold, struggling to understand God’s wisdom in taking someone so young."

I can't wait to see his new works!!!

Well today I plan to frolick over to The New York Botanical Gardens & I am I will try to hit

The Bronx Zoo Today too!!

WHY???  Do you ask am I so adventureous today???

Well today is the free day at the Gardens & The Zoo.

WHOOOO HOOO!!!!   FREE!!!

I love free stuff!!  :O)

If my plans are successful I will have pictures tomorrow! Promise!!

Here is one of my works that is inspired by the Butterfly Garden at The Bronx Zoo

 This work is entitled, "Kingdom of the Monarch"

SHOUT OUT TO WISDOM!!

"The LORD looks deep inside people and searches through their thoughts"

PROVERBS 20:27

Thank you so much for spending some of your precious day with me!!!

Have a Wonderful Sunny Day!!

Love

Chiz :O)

Vancouver, chapitre 25

Vendredi, le 4 juillet. Pendant que les Américains viennent de fêter leur 4 juillet, le lendemain que les Québécois viennent de faire sonner les cloches du 400e anniversaire de la ville de Québec, Danielle et moi planifions notre dernière journée de visite personnelle dans la région de Vancouver.

Nous avons opté pour l'Île de Vancouver. Attiré par le Butchart Gardens, les soeurs de Danielle nous avaient parlé du Afternoon Tea. Un restaurant à l'intérieur du Butchart Gardens qui servent du thé avec des sandwichs et des desserts, comme il se faisait à l'époque.

Il faut vraiment vouloir y aller. Surtout quand on fait le voyagement dans la même journée. En partant à 7:00 heures le matin, nous allons arriver à 11:00 heures. La route de Surrey au Ferry, qui lui prendra 1:35 pour faire la traversée et une dernière demi-heure pour se rendre au Butchart Gardens.

Ce périple méritait d'être fait. Le Butchart Gardens a su nous épater. Des arrangements floraux bien présentés. Le jardin est éclairé pour une visite de soir. La visite du jardin prend environ une heure. Pour le Afternoon tea, il faut calculer une autre heure. Deux heures de visites pour 8 heures de voyagement aller-retour. Le moindrement que je n'aurai pas été satisfait, vous l'auriez su.

C'est évident que le touriste conventionnel qui prend une chambre sur l'Île de Vancouver va prendre le temps faire d'autres visites dont la ville de Victoria, la capitale de la Colombie-Britannique.

En sortant du Butchart Garden, nous avions aperçu le Butterfly Garden. Un jardin intérieur avec des milliers de papillon bien vivant. Des canards, des cailles et des perroquets se promènent en toute liberté à travers ces papillons. Est-ce que la visite en valait la peine? Danielle a  demandé de refaire le tour une deuxième fois avant de repartir. Après avoir pris plus d'une centaine de photos, Danielle a manqué de pellicules virtuelles dans sa caméra.

Au retour de l'Île de Vancouver, avant de quitter le ferry, nous voulions trouver un restaurant. Je cherchais quelque chose d'original et de différent. J'ai fait le tour des gens présents pour savoir s'il y avait entre le Ferry et Surrey un bon restaurant. Personne ne semblait le savoir. La seule référence que nous avons est au coin de la rue ou nous demeurions.

Pourquoi chercher au bout du monde quand on a tout au coin de la rue?

Histoire complète sur le voyage à Vancouver.

PUBLICITÉ
Soutenez le Café-Graffiti, affichez vos couleurs.

Votre T-shirt Café-Graffiti pour seulement 9,95$. Disponible en rouge, noir ou blanc.

Par téléphone: (514) 256-9000, en région: 1-877-256-9009
Par Internet: cafegraffiti.net
Par la poste: Reflet de Société 4233 Ste-Catherine Est Montréal, Qc. H1V 1X4

Vancouver, chapitre 25

Vendredi, le 4 juillet. Pendant que les Américains viennent de fêter leur 4 juillet, le lendemain que les Québécois viennent de faire sonner les cloches du 400e anniversaire de la ville de Québec, Danielle et moi planifions notre dernière journée de visite personnelle dans la région de Vancouver.

Nous avons opté pour l'Île de Vancouver. Attiré par le Butchart Gardens, les soeurs de Danielle nous avaient parlé du Afternoon Tea. Un restaurant à l'intérieur du Butchart Gardens qui servent du thé avec des sandwichs et des desserts, comme il se faisait à l'époque.

Il faut vraiment vouloir y aller. Surtout quand on fait le voyagement dans la même journée. En partant à 7:00 heures le matin, nous allons arriver à 11:00 heures. La route de Surrey au Ferry, qui lui prendra 1:35 pour faire la traversée et une dernière demi-heure pour se rendre au Butchart Gardens.

Ce périple méritait d'être fait. Le Butchart Gardens a su nous épater. Des arrangements floraux bien présentés. Le jardin est éclairé pour une visite de soir. La visite du jardin prend environ une heure. Pour le Afternoon tea, il faut calculer une autre heure. Deux heures de visites pour 8 heures de voyagement aller-retour. Le moindrement que je n'aurai pas été satisfait, vous l'auriez su.

C'est évident que le touriste conventionnel qui prend une chambre sur l'Île de Vancouver va prendre le temps faire d'autres visites dont la ville de Victoria, la capitale de la Colombie-Britannique.

En sortant du Butchart Garden, nous avions aperçu le Butterfly Garden. Un jardin intérieur avec des milliers de papillon bien vivant. Des canards, des cailles et des perroquets se promènent en toute liberté à travers ces papillons. Est-ce que la visite en valait la peine? Danielle a  demandé de refaire le tour une deuxième fois avant de repartir. Après avoir pris plus d'une centaine de photos, Danielle a manqué de pellicules virtuelles dans sa caméra.

Au retour de l'Île de Vancouver, avant de quitter le ferry, nous voulions trouver un restaurant. Je cherchais quelque chose d'original et de différent. J'ai fait le tour des gens présents pour savoir s'il y avait entre le Ferry et Surrey un bon restaurant. Personne ne semblait le savoir. La seule référence que nous avons est au coin de la rue ou nous demeurions.

Pourquoi chercher au bout du monde quand on a tout au coin de la rue?

PUBLICITÉ
Soutenez le Café-Graffiti, affichez vos couleurs.

Votre T-shirt Café-Graffiti pour seulement 9,95$. Disponible en rouge, noir ou blanc.

Par téléphone: (514) 256-9000, en région: 1-877-256-9009
Par Internet: cafegraffiti.net
Par la poste: Reflet de Société 4233 Ste-Catherine Est Montréal, Qc. H1V 1X4

Another flower bed.

And the butterfly garden flower bed.

Quite a difference a few days makes! Stay tuned for the next post. I want to show the before and after pictures, right atop each other.

Click here to see the DRAMATIC before and after pics!

We try to recycle, but I'm not consistent with it.   We are starting to buy the swirly light bulbs.  We turn off lights and fans when we leave the room.   I turn the thermostat up during the day, but I need it cold for a good night sleep.   I LOVE my Tassimo coffee maker, but the discs are not really recycle-friendly.   So, I try to make a difference in some ways and hope every little bit does help.

This weekend we finally built the clothesline I've wanted for a long time.   I have to be honest though.  While I know this is a little greener and will save electricity, I mostly wanted it for the pure pleasure of the smell of air-dried clothes.  I love sun-dried sheets and stiff jeans!   I also love the whole process of hanging my laundry and seeing it flutter in the breeze.   And, yes, here in Florida, my laundry is drying much quicker than if I had put it in the dryer.   

While we were in the yard, we also decided to work on some landscaping and we created a butterfly garden.  It came out even better than I had expected.  I cannot wait to see the butterflies in our little garden.   I still need to add some parsley  because I know we have swallowtails in our area and they love to lay eggs in the parsley! 

So, all the work outside created the shades of red.  Even as native Floridians and 45 SPF sunscreen, DH and I are both shades of red!  And now a little more green after our work was complete!

So, I'm making this one short and sweet.

***

Today I had the day off as Annual Leave so that I could take Gma to the doctor's.  It is her last appointment before the big surgery on 30th June.

We get there and are early as she was anxious and wanted to leave early so that we would be there on time.

Hudson's have opened up at the hospital so we buy the New Idea and Women's Day and sit there and peruse the magazines and sip our Hot Chocolates.

We then go up to the Day Surgery rooms to find that they haven't actually booked Gma in for her appointment on the computer!  But the doctor does want to see her.  So we sit and wait 30mins until he can fit us in.

He give us a run down of what is going to happen and what she can expect.  We are then passed to the nurse who goes into it with more detail.

In terms of whether she comes home the week after surgery or to a respite home well, it is up to her and we won't know what she is wanting to do until the Monday after the surgery.

If she wants to come home then that's ok and I won't stop her.  If she feels that she would be better off at respite then that's ok too.  It just means that I'll have to take the Monday after off and then not know if I'm going to work on Tuesday or not till then.  Hopefully, work will be understanding and flexible with me.  But to be honest, I don't know.  I'll talk to them tomorrow about it.

After the hospital we took a scenic detour to Quiltaholics so that I can get some light grey fabric for the butterfly block (middle one) of Butterfly Garden.

Then we dropped into Arndale to grab lunch (starving!) and a coffee.

Once home I put my head down and bum up to finish this first monthly portion of the BOM.  Do a few posts on here and at 5pm decide that no, I'm not going to the gym as I can't be bothered and I have my quilting groove back!

I then go and join Gma to watch some TV - Sea Patrol - and handsew the binding for Asian Pinwheels down.  I haven't touched that quilt in a while and didn't realise that I hadn't done that much on it at all!

And then it was off to bed with good intentions of getting up early to go to the gym.

Well...

I know that I said I wouldn't.  But I have.

As you know I got a package from Foothills Fabric and Threads on Friday night and I did have really good intentions not to start it.

However...

I was looking at the pattern and then I looked at the fabric and choosing which bit to go where just seemed too hard.  So then, I remembered a post Leanne had done about some of her student's work on Butterfly Garden and how Phena is doing it in black, white and orange and it looks really good!

So I went and looked in my stash and pulled out my favourite fabrics - the asians, jinny beyer and brights.  I also pulled out the black and white fabric that I bought in December for a pattern that I've now decided not to do and thought that this would be perfect for them.

And then I went to work.  Whilst I was working it out I decided that I'm going to do all the flowers, hearts and butterflies in the same fabric.  I also decided in order not to overwork my brain (ha!) that for each mini block I'll use the same black and white fabric the whole way round.

I quite like how my version has turned out and now can't wait until I get next months pattern so I can keep working on it.  Although that's probably a good thing cause if I had all of the patterns now I don't think I'd stop to do other stuff!

At this stage, I still planning on doing it with the florals but we'll see how that one goes.

So, I'm guessing you want to see what I did?  The original by Leanne can be found here.

And then here's mine:

I have talked about it before and I wasn't planning to do it but it hit me over the head Friday night and got my creative thoughts happening once again so I thought "who am I to turn it down?"

I will hopefully have enough to show you later today (after the gym).

I'm hoping when it's done it will turn out like it is in my head!

I'll catch you all later :D

***

I came home last night from a bad day at work - I didn't agree with what my Team Leader was telling me so I went to another one who agreed with me, hence, overiding my Team Leader and mine found out and went "we'll talk about this" and left it at that!  Grrr.  I also stayed back another 50minutes to help a customer and hence missed the gym class that I was really looking forward to that is not going to be on at that time anymore.  It also helped me talk myself out of going to the gym as well.  So it wasn't a good day.  I really need to find a new job.

I then decided to go give blood so that something good could come out of it!

***

Anyways, enough about work, this is a happy blog!  Back to coming home from work....

Well, there was this package waiting for me!

It was the fabric for Butterfly Garden and Month 1 of instructions :D

I'm sooo happy.  It really made my day.

Leslie, from Foothills and Fabrics in Melbourne, and I have been talking - well, I've been telling her that I want the Butterfly Garden and she was only too happy to help!  And so she sent the fabric that I needed - like Leanne's, 'cause I'm a copycat - and the first pattern.

Yay!

Now, I need to learn something other than backstitch and cross-stitch and find the time to learn.

Hmmmm....

***

I do have a catch up post in the works but for now I need to go have a shower and then take my Nanna out for coffee and cake to cheer her up.  And then I might go for a swim.

I also have to study for my test on Tuesday and learn a squat track for Pump that I promised I would present on Thursday.  Yikes!

Dad was here last weekend and visited her every day and so she also saw me and my brother more often.  Now that life has gone back to normal she is missing the contact.  That and the other week she fell over and hit her head and is now in a lot of pain.  At the moment it is a "will she get better?" or "if she gets better"  She's 94 (end of June) so she's had a long life and she misses her husband a lot.  Doesn't mean I have to agree with the "if" version though!

Here's a really good photo of me, my brother and Nanna:

Gianni Versace created a fashion dynasty imprinted with a Versace vision. Every inch of his home, Casa Casuarina, an opulent, ocean-fronted Miami mansion, was covered in the Versace Medusa head. His sister Donatella Versace, who was famously also his muse, took over the fashion house - continuing to make impeccably constructed dresses for glamazons.

Gianni Versace was credited with creating the supermodel by agreeing to pay high sums to Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington. He was taught by his dressmaker mother in Calabria, Italy and he made his first dress aged nine in 1955. He presented his first Gianni Versace collection in 1978, aged 32. In 1999 he presented his first haute couture collection. He also designed costumes for theatre, opera and ballet

Versace had an eye for talent and worked with top photographers such as Helmut Newton, Herb Ritts, Bruce Weber and Steven Meisel, and his favourite - Richard Avedon. In October 2002, he was honoured with a retrospective of his work at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. The exhibition featured 138 of his most famous designs, as well as five by his sister Donatella.

Beautiful 24% Austrian Lead Crystal wine stopper by Rosenthal and endorsed by Versace.  The crystal stem has the Versace Rosenthal signature.  The top of this amazing stopper is the traditional Versace Medusa. The Versace Rosenthal Crystal wine stopper comes in a padded black box with the Versace emblem embossed on the cover. For more details visit http://www.etabletop.com/

Other examples of Bemidji State University's commitment to an ecocentric environmental worldview are detailed in these press releases from the university on November 29, 2007:

• Otter Tail Power gift completes sustainable campus endowment
• Bemidji State University named a Green Power Partner

Other campus projects I find to be equally important, if not on the same scale as the above mentioned movements of environmentalism, then on the measure of what can be done by the individual or small group to renew and improve our campus and community are:

• The Shoreline Habitat Restoration Project performs the following benefits for our local ecosystem and our downstream neighbors:
  • Restores a buffer zone using native plants
  • Provide habitat for a wide variety of wildlife
  • Filter out pollutants and runoff that degrade water quality
  • Prevent shoreline erosion by absorbing wave action
• The implementation of a Rain Garden to reduce runoff and naturally filter storm water.

• Landscaping with Native Plants such as a Butterfly Garden provide multiple benefits:
  • Native plants have evolved and adapted to local conditions over thousands of years.  Once established, they require no irrigation or fertilization.  They are resistant to most pests and diseases, and require no mowing.  Thus, native plants, conserving water and fossil fuels, and requiring less work to maintain, are less costly in the long term.
  • Native plants have longer root systems than non-native species which helps rainfall percolate into the soil, reducing erosion and runoff, and recharging ground water and improving water quality.
  • Native plants provide food and shelter for birds, butterflies and other desirable wildlife.

This little tour around campus inspired me to begin planning some improvements to my own property's landscape.  I have always favored native plants for their simplistic beauty and minimal maintenance.  I especially have affinity for trees.  After discussing the question of why we mow and manicure our lawn with Professor Bailey-Johnson when a thoughtfully landscaped native plant ecosystem provides habitat for beneficial species, such as dragonflies - which prefer longer grasses while mosquitoes do not and dragonflies eat mosquitoes, I would rather have more habitat and wildlife on my property than an aesthetically pleasing keeping-up-with-the-Jones'-look.  Also, there is the consideration of time spent mowing - three hours per tour for me, but I have plans to cut that in half - and the incredible fact that 5% of all emissions in this country come from lawnmowers.  I mean really - why?

Elegant porcelain Rosenthal Versace miniature gold gilded coffee pot designed by Paul Wunderlich with the decoration designed by the late Gianni Versace. This item is probably a salesman sample or display piece. The Rosenthal pattern by Versace is "Les Tresors de la Mer" which translates to Treasures of the Sea. The shape is known as "Ikarus" and is part of the Rosenthal Studio Line.

The Versace porcelain designer, Paul Wunderlich, was born in Berlin in 1927. He gave up a successful career as a professor of art to pursue his own talents. Although he still lives and works in Hamburg, his exhibits and travels abroad have brought Wunderlich international acclaim. Wunderlich's designs are influenced by mysticism and most are characterized by the use of precious metals and rare materials. He has been a designer for Rosenthal since 1978. His works show how light porcelain is and what shapes can be created by his steeply curved handles.

This excellent example has a wing detailed gold gilded finial. The shape created here seems well suited to the decoration which Gianni Versace designed. Ann Kerr wrote in her book, Rosenthal Excellence For All Times, Treasures of the Sea suggests Mediterranean waters, the scent of sea breezes, blue skies. Sea creatures, mythic and actual appear on different items as if cast up by the tides.

The Versace decoration is very Italian, very mysterious, very wonderful. Gianni Versace (original spelling), Italian by birth but internationally claimed by the fashion design and theatrical worlds brought luxury to the Rosenthal family of excellence. His details are sumptuous, intricate and involved, his colors so important, so clearly ones which he seemed to own. Colorful in life, Versace's work remains so. There are no chips, cracks or damage to the wonderful design or gold gilding. Please purchase on online http://www.etabletop.com/

The Vegetable Garden is looking good, too - but it just seems like it's not growing nearly as fast as last year's. The peas and carrots are getting big, as well as the pumpkins. I'm really surprised the cucumbers and sunflowers aren't farther along. Jason says that the tomato plants are already getting blooms on them - but they're not that big yet? We are supposed to have rain Thursday night and Friday night, so hopefully that will get everything a boost in the growing department. Here's a picture of the Vegetable Garden and the pumpkins:

The Butterfly garden is a collaboration between The City of Elgin and NENA, the North East Neighborhood Association . A grant from the City of Elgin and many donations of residents, organizations and businesses made it possible, concerned and dedicated residents of Elgin gave their time to make it happen.

As much as I would have like to heed the call for volunteers to help on Saturday, I was unable to because of an arm injury I suffered last weekend moving 4 yards of dirt off of my driveway (I know, excuses, excuses)...However, Mike and I did go over and check it out. I grabbed a couple of snap shots to show the results of the efforts of good people making their neighborhood a nicer place for all of us. Thank you.

Saturday, May 17, 2008 was one of those picture perfect days. Not only for visiting butterfly gardens but also for selecting garden plants. I bought a number of nice tomato and pepper plants from Kleins on the west side. I also bought a plant called a "Curly Wurly"...a little plant with curly spikey foliage that was so cute I just had to have one....I always find something special at Kleins...as long as I had my camera...I grabbed a shot of some of the offerings there.

12 Day Luxury Family Vacation
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Itinerary at a glance:

Day 01 Arrival in San Jose Costa Rica
Day 02 Journey to Sarapiqui, Poas Volcano & La Paz Waterfalls
Day 03 Sarapiqui River Float Tropical Rain Forest Excursion
Day 04 Journey to Arenal Volcano Discovery Tour
Day 05 Arenal Volcano, Up Close and Personal
Day 06 Magical Monteverde and the Children's Eternal Forest
Day 07 Monteverde Canopy Bridge Eco Experience
Day 08 to 10 The Sun Kissed White Sands Beaches of Tamarindo
Day 11 San Jose, Costa Rica's Vibrant Capital
Day 12 Departure

Day 01 Arrival in San Jose Costa Rica

Arrive by air into San Jose. Upon arrival a representative Eco Interactive will meet you at the gate and provide you all the information for your vacation along with providing you a transfer to your hotel. Transfer to your Hotel for your first night in Costa Rica. Soak up the tropical breezes and relax. You have arrived in Costa Rica.

Breakfast included. (Costa Rican Cuisine)

Day 02 Journey to Sarapiqui, Poas Volcano and La Paz Waterfall Gardens

Following a hearty Costa Rican breakfast, a representative of Eco Interactive will meet you at the hotel and provide a private transportation for your days adventure. The first stop will be the famous Poas Volcano followed by the amazing La Paz Waterfall Gardens.

As your climb in elevation you will experience the first of the varied micro-climates of Costa Rica. The temperature dips as you enter lush cloud forest of the Poás Volcano. The Poas Crater is stunning in both its magnitude and its appearance. Nearly a mile wide and a thousand feet deep, you will experience the thrill of standing at the abyss of one of natures most powerful vistas.

The next stop is the amazing La Paz Waterfall Gardens and Nature Park. Here you will encounter one of the most spectacular Butterfly Gardens in all the world. Costa Rica has more species of butterflies than the entire continent of Africa and here you will be amazed at the overwhelming variety. Next you will have an opportunity to explore the spectacular trails of La Paz that will lead you to the magnificent Magia Blanca Falls. Following your explorations of the park, enjoy lunch before continuing on your adventure.

Sarapiqui is one of the most diverse regions in Costa Rica, oferring a mosaic of mountains,plains, volcanoes, lakes, rivers, forests, fruit farms and cattle ranches. Afternoon free to relax in the pool or take advantage of the hiking trails.

Breakfast included.

Day 03 Sarapiqui River Float Tropical Rain Forest Excuretion

After breakfast, a representative of Eco Interactive will meet you at the hotel and provide a transportation to your Rio Sarapiqui Adventure. Ease into one of the more quiet sections of Río Sarapiquí. Soak up the ambiance of the tropical rain forests of the Caribbean climate. These dense forests are surreal in their lush density as you descend into tropical world unlike any other. Upon arrival to Río Sarapiquí, your river guides will outfit you with life-jackets, paddles, a safety orientation for the river along with a little Costa Rican hospitality known as Pura Vida (Pure Living). You will begin rafting where the Class III trip finishes and continue down to Puerto Viejo. In some parts of the river you will pass green pastures and farmland, and delight in the sight of local children frolicking along shore. Rio Sarapiqui winds along the borders of the La Selva Biological Reserve - one of Costa Rica' most important and diverse habitats.

For lunch, you will enjoy a picnic Costa Rican style in the lush tropical rain forest.

Day 04 Journey to Arenal Volcano Discovery Tour

Your adventure continues to La Fortuna, home of the Arenal Volcano. Along the way you will take in the sites and sounds of yet another of Costa Rica' varied and diverse habitats. Arenal is one of the most active volcanoes of the world. Lined with tranquil cloud forests, and adorned by the magnificent Lake Arenal, this is a truly world class experience. A visit to Arenal Volcano is both ominous and sublime, with loud rumblings and frequent explosions of lava and ash. Set against a dizzying array of wildlife, the adventure of the experience will create memories to last a lifetime.

In the afternoon you will have time to relax and appreciate the symmetrical silhouette of the Arenal Volcano at sunset.

Breakfast included.

Day 05 Arenal Volcano, Up Close and Personal

Following a hearty Costa Rican breakfast, your guide will take you to the Hanging Bridges of Arenal. There,you will enjoy 15 bridges from 5 to 100 meters long, friendly design along 3 km rain forest circuit of interpretive trails built with paving blocks to prevent slipping. Designed by structural engineers with the most demanding safety margins in the world, you can be assured of a safe adventure for children ages 1 to 99.

Your naturalist guide will unlock the secrets of the rain forest. Set against the imposing vistas of the Volcano, your journey along the hanging bridges over the forest will open new world of insights to the many facets of Costa Rica.

Breakfast included.

Day 06 Magical Monteverde and the Children's Eternal Forest

The next leg of your adventure will circumnavigate Arenal Lake and take you to the magical region known as Monteverde. Monteverde was founded in the 1960s by a group of Quakers that were looking for a place to start a new life. Monteverde is set in a pristine cloud forest reserve and is world famous for it diversity and beauty. This is truly one of Costa Rica's most prized destinations.

Opportunities for bird watching abound. The rare Quetzal is often sighted in Monteverde as are a multitude of other rare and exotic species.

The afternoon will take you to the Children Eternal Rainforest. Children's Eternal Rain Forest of Costa Rica (Bosque Nuboso de Los Ninos), is in a transition zone from pre-mountain wet forest to pre-mountain moist forest. Because of its location on the Pacific slope, elevation and humidity, Bajo del Tigre is a very different
habitat from other rain forest reserves in the area. Thirty of the tree species in Bajo del Tigre are among those in the area that have recently been identified as new to science.

As part of your experience at Jaguar Canyon, you will be sharing the home of the sloth, white-faced monkey, agouti, coatimundi, kinkajou, margays, porcupine, hog-nosed skunk, fox, coyote, armadillo, and bats, plus a world of insects, butterflies, spiders, reptiles,frogs, snakes, and great bird watching.

In the Children's Eternal Rain Forest (Bosque Nuboso Eterno de Los Ninos), which contains over 50.000 acres; the largest private reserve in Central America some organizations carry out various projects related to research, education, protection, habitat rehabilitation and volunteering. Its mission is to conserve, preserve and rehabilitate tropical ecosystems and their biodiversity.

No meals included.

Day 07 Monteverde Canopy Bridge Eco Experience, Hummingbirds and Butterflies

These Tree Top Walkways are the best system of suspension bridges that exist in Costa Rica. The bridge system is located along a 1 .7 mile trail designed to be walked by people of all ages and consists of 8 suspension bridges going 90% through primary cloud forest. In the Insect Museum, you can observe more than 50 species of butterflies from different altitudes and climates on a guided tour. In the Hummingbird Garden the visitor can observe more than 14 species of hummingbirds surrounded by waterfalls and natural floral arrangements.
No meals included

Day 08 to 10 The Sun Kissed White Sands Beaches of Tamarindo

After breakfast, you will be driven to Tamarindo beach.
Both nature and beach lovers will find plenty here to fill their days. Tamarindo is famous for its stunning beaches, its marine national park and wildlife refuge. This area encompasses beaches that attract one of the largest leatherback turtle populations in
the world. Peak nesting seasons in the area are October through March. Due to its constant waves, it is also one of the favorite places for surfers.

Breakfast included
Two nights at the Hotel Tamarindo Diria, Tropical pool rooms, Breakfast included

Day 11 San Jose, Costa Rica's Vibrant Capital City

After lunch, you will be transferred back to San Jose.
Overnight at the El Rodeo Hotel, standard room. Breakfast included.

Day 12 Departure

Transfer will be provided for your flight home.
End of services

We've gotten a LOT of rain, this week! I'm sure our plants will really start taking off now that they've gotten plenty of rain and sunshine! With the exception of the Iris, I really don't have too many other changes to speak of. The plants in the Butterfly Garden are getting bigger all the time. The vegetable garden is off to a slow start. I may try to get a picture of it tomorrow, before I leave. Here's a quick picture of the Butterfly Garden:

Well...that's all I have for now. I hope to have plenty more updates in the near future!
 

The adventures of my "itchy feet" continue to the home of the tarsiers, Bohol! Bohol is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region. Its capital is Tagbilaran City. It is the 10th largest island in the country, located in the heart of the Visayas. To the west of Bohol is Cebu, to the northeast is the island of Leyte and to the south, across the Bohol Sea is Mindanao.

Bohol is a popular tourist destination with its beaches and resorts. The Chocolate Hills, numerous mounds of limestone formation, is the most popular attraction. The island of Panglao, located just southwest of Tagbilaran City, is home to some of the finest beaches in the country. The Philippine Tarsier, considered by some to be the smallest primate, is indigenous to the island.

Getting There

From Cebu City, we rode a ferry to reach the Tagbilaran Port. There were a lot of tourists with us in the ferry, both locals and foreign. I was quite delighted because it's a sign that the tourism in the Philippines is booming. The SuperCat ferry is nice and comfy. It has clean restrooms and the whole ferry is air-conditioned. I prefer window seat to see the view. If you want a window seat, I'll share a tip: you must arrive early at the port, (atleast an hour before the departure) and you can request where you want to sit. Anyway, I also noticed that the ferry is Korean-friendly; all the signs are translated to Hangul. It implies that the bulk of tourists coming to the Philippines are Koreans. Anyway, the trip lasted for two hours.

The SuperCat Ferry

At last... I'm in Bohol!

Getting Around

When we got out of the port, we were greeted by a lot of drivers (both taxi and tricycle drivers) offering rides going to the town. They even gathered around us, and for a while we got confuse and afraid because some of them were grabbing our bags. Just ignore them and firmly say no! Just go to the tricycle terminal, and ride there. Our main destination in Bohol is Panglao Island. The tricycle fare is 200 Php (5 USD). Like I always say, the tricycle is the best and cheapest way to travel in short distances. You can always request the driver to drop by the city first (if you want to buy something or withdraw money from the ATM), with no additional charges. The island is about 30-45 minutes from Tagbilaran City.

PANGLAO ISLAND

In early history, Panglao was known to Chinese, Malay, Siamese and Indonesian traders. In 1803, Spanish explorers came to the shores of Panglao in search of fresh water. At the time a couple of natives on the seashore were making fishing devices called "panggaw". One of the Spaniards asked what the name of the island was. The natives--who thought the visitors were asking what they were making--then replied "panggaw". Hence, from that term, was derived the name Panglao. Currently Panglao is the one of the top tourist destinations in the Philippines.

Accommodation

We're really clueless on where to stay in Panglao Island. Though couple of days before our trip I called many resorts to make a reservation, but they were all fully book.  It was holy week when we went there, so virtually, tourists occupied all the resorts! So the moral lesson: make an early reservation, a couple of weeks or a month is better. We're still optimistic that we will be able to find a room. So we asked the driver to take us to resorts that he knew. We went to several resorts but we failed. Luckily, one resort has a vacant room, the Bohol Diver's Resort. At 1000 Php/ night (25 USD), we had our room, and the bonus: it's beach front! It has all the basics: a queen size bed, private bathroom and a fan. The resort was a great find! It has it's own restaurant, beach bar, private pool, diving school, souvenir shop and of course the amazing white sand beach! The best activity to do here are scuba diving, snorkelling, dolphin watching and island hopping. We opted snorkelling and island hopping, since we don't know how to scuba dive. But I promised to myself that I should learn how to scuba dive soon!

This resort is heaven sent!

The lobby/waiting area..

The view from our room!

Walking around... we're so glad to be here!

@ the resort's restaurant..

Sizzling seafoods.... yummmm!

Snorkelling and Island Hopping

We rented an outrigger boat to take us to the snorkelling site near Balicasag Island and see the Virgin Island. The whole boat costs 1200 Php (30 USD). You can always use your bargaining skill to lower the price (we're quite good in it ha ha ha). Two boat men accompanied us throughout, and they were nice and trustworthy.

Ready to go! Behind me is our boat..

Balicasag Island

After almost 30 minutes of boat ride, we reached the snorkelling site near the island. The water was so clear, that I can see the corals underneath. It pays to bring your own snorkelling gear, but If you don't have, you can rent one from the boat men at 150 Php (4 USD). If you're not a good swimmer, you can also rent a life vest from them at 100 Php (less than 3 USD). In my case, I don't need a life vest, I'm pretty confident in my swimming skills he he he. A man in a small boat will approach you, and will offer himself as a snorkel guide. Fee is at 200 Php/person (5 USD), and you can also rent fins at 100 Php/pair. Nothing is free here ha ha ha. But if you think you won't need a snorkel guide, you can always say no.

I was swept-away!

Truly an unforgettable experience!

We had a great time snorkelling! The corals were amazing, just like work of arts, coming in variety of shapes and colors! It has a diverse species of fishes, which most of them were unfamiliar to me (except for kinds of nemo and dory he he he). The snorkelling site is a protected area, so it means fishermen are off-limits. That is why the area has retained its rich biodiversity. We had the chance to touch live starfishes, they looked unreal like plastics.  Snorkelling was so enhoyable that we didn't want to get out of the water at all ha ha ha!

No animals harmed in this photo :-)

Virgin Island

On our way back to Panglao Island, we had a stop-over at this uninhabited island (that's why they called it Virgin Island). Our boat stopped far from the island because the water was too shallow. We walked in the shallow water until we reached the sandbar going to the island. The island only has cats as its residents. We noticed this sign "no trespassing", so the island is actually a private property. I really envy the owners of this island! I wish I could have my own island too (dream, dream, dream..). After that, we return to the resort. Our bodies were aching, so a whole body massage was a welcoming relief. At 250 Php (less than 7 USD), we had a whole body massage at the comfort of our own room. We had a good sleep that night!

Our island... the Virgin Island!

The sandbar going to the island... 

Jump for joy!

Going back to the resort..

Bohol Day Tour

The next day, we had our Bohol Day Tour. This time, I made a reservation for a car that will take us to the different tourist spots around Bohol. The day tour starts at 8AM, and will last until around 5PM. The car was new, and the aircon was quite cold, a soothing relief from the hot summer. Our driver, Dodong was very friendly and accommodating. Btw, the car costs 1,800 Php (45 USD), good for four persons. The driver will also serve as the tour guide (no extra charge). If you're more than four, you can rent a van for 2,500 Php (63 USD). You can contact them in this mobile phone number: (63)917-690-5627. They will reply quickly and eagerly. Our day tour itinerary was as follow:

Tarsier Viewing

Our first activity for the day was tarsier viewing at the Dajon Loboc Tarsier. The tarsiers are the smallest primate in the world, and they are endemic in Bohol. They are nocturnal mammals, so during the day they are inactive, and their pupils are constricted. You are allowed to take pictures of the tarsiers, provided that the flash is off. They are so small that you can fit them in your hand. No entrance fee, but you can give your donations at the donation box.

Dajon Loboc Tarsier Sanctuary

So cute and adorable!

Tarsiers, look at the camera!

Chocolate Hills

Before, I can only see the Chocolate Hills on postcards or photos, now I was able to see them first hand! This site was declared as a National Geological Monument in 1988, now a nominee for the new Natural Seven Wonders of the World. The hills were formed about two million years ago. Originally, this part of Bohol was below sea level. Slowly corals and shell fragments were deposited. Since these deposits were made-up of calcium carbonate, rain water slowly dissolved them, gradually forming gullies, streams, rivers, valleys, and finally the hills. Truly a nature work of art! Please support the Chocoloate Hills and the other two natural wonders of our country (Tubbataha Reef and St. Paul Subterrainean River) for the new Natural Seven Wonders of the world at www.new7wonders.com.

I shed few calories going to the viewdeck..

Stop and marvel at the view!

Nature's work of art! Magnifico!

I'm touching it!

The hills are named so, because during summer (technically speaking, during the dry season), plants on the hills gets dry, resulting to brown or chocolate color. But during our visit, the hills were green. For the panoramic view of the hills, you have to climbed several steps to the top of the viewing deck. The view was simply breath-taking, it was so unreal! We just stared and marvel at these wonders of natures. Of course, we didn't forget to have a photo op! Btw, the entrance fee is 20 Php.

Man-Made Forest

You will pass the lush green forest before reaching the Chocolate Hills, but we decided to stop over on our way back. The forest is man-made because it was made by the joint effort of the locals and government in 1950's, by planting thousands of seedlings. Today, it's a lush green forest, and a tourist attraction. The trees are so tall and their leaves and branches prevents the hot sun in penetrating the road. So one can't help but to stop and have a short walk. The view reminds of a place in Japan, but instead of trees, they have this bamboo forest.

Soothing..

I was dwarfed by the huge trees!

Butterfly Garden

In every place that I've been, I noticed that usually there's a butterfly garden. It's a good thing though, because they help in propagating butterflies, which are an important part of the ecosystem. A guide will great you, and eagerly explain things about butterflies. As a teacher, the visit to the sanctuary was very informative for me. I learned about the difference between a butterfly and a moth. Let me give an example: Butterflies have bright colors, while moths are dull; butterflies have slim larvae, while moths have fat ones; butterflies have simple pair of antennae while moths have feathered pairs, etc., etc.. Anyway, the entrance fee is 20 Php.

The life cycle of a butterfly..

The larva..

The adult..

Through the glass butterflies..

Sipatan Hanging Bridge

We continue our tour to the Sipatan Hanging Bridge. The long, narrow bridge is made of the flexible and tough bamboo. It is not only a tourist spot, but actually being utilized by the locals. The bridge crosses over a part of the emerald waters of the Loboc river. The bridge moves a lot, especially if there are a lot of people walking on it, but that's where the thrill comes right? Just hold your things firmly, especially your digicam! At the other side of the bridge, you'll find several souvenirs shops.

The bridge is quite long! Not for the faint hearted :-)

Hold on tight!

Loboc River Cruise

The Loboc river cruise is the stop-over for any tour, especially for lunch! There are several stalls, where you can buy tickets for the cruise at 250 Php/person (less than 6 USD). That includes a buffet lunch and river cruise in the floating restaurants.  That means you'll eat lunch while cruising the river! I was so excited during the cruise that I was not able to eat well ha ha ha! I was preoccupied viewing and taking photos of the amazing view. The live entertainment on board added extra ambiance to the cruise. On the way back to the dock, the floating restaurant made a stop-over near a small stage in the river, where locals gave an entertaining performance.

@ the loboc cruise port..

Our boat has arrived!

Eating lunch with this great view!

On board entertainment!

Love it here!

Clarin Ancestral House

This old colonial Spanish-styled house is one of the oldest houses in Bohol. It is owned by the Clarins, a famous political family in Bohol. The first governor of Bohol came from this family. Inside, you will find a lot of antique stuffs, I particularly like the four-post bed. According to the guide, that bed has a distinct style, and is only made for rich people during that time. We also had a peek on the private library, dining room and kitchen. The tour guide took us to a trap door on the wooden floor. According to her, the owners use the door to go down the basement to hide, whenever Japanese were near (during the Japanese invasion of the Philippines). Today, the basement is a cozy cafe, serving native food. Entrance fee is 20 Php.

Clarin Ancestral House

Emo moment ha ha ha!!

A huge antique mirror..

I want to see what's below..

Oh it's a cafe! Cool...

Python Sanctuary

The sanctuary houses the largest and biggest in Bohol! I thought I was brave enough to come near, but when I saw it, I was quite frightened. It was unbelievably huge! I was afraid that if I come near it will constrict me, and swallow me whole (I have a very vivid imagination ha ha ha!). I managed to overcome my fear, so I was able to come near, and have my photo taken. Aside from the python, the sanctuary also houses an eagle, ravens and a flying lemur. Entrance fee is only 10 Php.

OMG, it's really huge!!

Baclayon Church

Though I'm not a catholic, I still want to see this church because of its historical value. This church is the oldest church in the Philippines, built by the Spanish in 1565. There was a funeral mass going on when we came, so I just took photos outside. Opposite the church is a bay walk, going to the wharf. There were several locals walking, or simply having a nice time viewing the sea.

The oldest church in the Philippines!

The baywalk infront of the church..

The wharf from the baywalk..

Going to the wharf!

Souvenir Shop

Of course, you should not leave the place without buying souvenirs and pasalubongs. The driver took us to this big souvenir shop, selling everything from key chains, bead necklaces, mugs, souvenir shirts, food, name it, probably they have it. I personally bought a shirt with a tarsier print on it, and of course their signature food: peanut kisses and pinasugbo (preserved banana slices coated with melted sugar). Sorry I was not able to take picture here because I was preoccupied looking for pasalubongs! :-)

Blood Compact Shrine

Our last stop for our tour was the Blood Compact shrine. It is the memorial for the significant event, when locals embraced Catholism, concretized by a blood compact between  their leader Raja Sikatuna and the Spanish Miguel Lopez de Legazpi.

@ the blood compact shrine..

Bohol was what I expected and more. The snorkelling, island hopping and the tour made it all unforgettable. My words are not enough to express how much I enjoy Bohol! That is why you have to see Bohol, to believe all what I'm blabbing about ha ha ha. I wish I could have stayed here for few extra days. Sadly, that was not possible (sobs, sobs, sobs..). The next day, we woke up early to catch the 8AM ferry back to Cebu. We managed to see Tagbilaran City before going to the port. We were able to see the Cathedral and the City Park.

Lost in Tagbilaran?

Rizal Monument in the plaza.. I think there's something in his head!

Oh it's a bird! Bad birdie! He's our national hero!

So the inevitable part came, we rode a ferry back to Cebu. From Cebu, we're in a plane homebound. Until now, I still have a hang-over on this trip ha ha ha! We were able to see all the places we want to see in Bohol, but not in Cebu. We still want to see more of it. So we promised to return to Cebu to visit Malaspascua Island, Moalboal, Bantayan Island and Kawasan Falls!

Waiting for the ferry back to Cebu..

Right now, I'm at work and contemplating on where my "itchy feet" will take me next for a new adventure! I'm thinking about Aurora province. I saw in a travel program its enticing beaches, excellent snorkelling sites, and nice waves for surfing. I want to go surfing! hhmmmm...

Alona Beach, Panglao Island, Bohol

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PS: Prices may go up, establishments may go bankrupt. So it is recommended that you also check or research about the fares, fees and prices for your own convenience :-)

Exchange rate during the time of travel: 1 USD = 41 Php.

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Random Song of the Day:

I LOVE YOU, ALWAYS FOREVER by Donnah Lewis. I simply love this song. It's refreshing and laid-back.

What you're getting:

4 papers

1 ribbon with buckle

1 scalloped mat

1 bent frame

1 hang tag

1 flower

1 butterfly

You can also get the other entries at the scrap orchard website.  If you make a LO from any of the mini-kits (namely mine ;) ), you can post it in the gallery before Saturday and be entered to win a $10 gift certificate from SO.  How sweet is that deal?!

Also, Jason put two goldfish in his water garden. They must be really scared, because we haven't seen them all weekend! (Thus the reason why I have not posted pictures of them.) The water plants are doing really well, though. The water lilies are already opening up and it's only been about a week since we put them in there!

The vegetable garden is still looking good. (I didn't get any pictures yet - there haven't been *that* many changes!) Jason did give the plants some vegetable food yesterday, so I bet they'll start taking off real soon. At least, when he did that last year, that's when the plants started growing like crazy. I'm looking forward to seeing some changes.

Anyway...here are our gardening pictures from the weekend:

And I know this isn't really gardening-related, but I thought it'd be fun to write about, anyway. Jason purchased a big kite on Saturday. While we were relaxing in the backyard yesterday, he thought he'd try it out:
 

About two weeks ago, I planted the seeds in my butterfly garden and they've slowly started to sprout up. The thing is, I'm not getting as many sprouts as I'd hoped...and a lot of what's popping up look like weeds. So, I'm starting to lean towards going to the nursery and buying a few flowers to fill in the many empty spaces that I have in there. I may give it a little more time...but as of right now, I'm not too pleased with the results. The 5 plants that Jennifer gave me are doing GREAT! They are already about 3 or 4 times the size they were one month ago and they look so green and healthy! They are almost the same size as the existing plants I had from last year! Here's a quick picture:

The vegetable garden is doing really well! The sunflowers, cucumbers, peas, carrots, beans and pumpkins have sprouted many seedlings. The squash and corn are a little on the slow side, but we have to remember that they don't get as much sun as everything else. Everything is looking very healthy! We did have an incident, where a pepper and bean plant were chomped on by a rabbit. We didn't know it at first, and thought the birds had gotten to them, prompting us to put up old CD's to scare away the birds. But a day or two later, I actually saw the rabbit in the yard and he squeezed through a hole in the fence surrounding the garden and started chewing away at some of the plants. I chased him away and we mended the fence and haven't had any problems since then. (He was so cute and I hated to have to shoo him away...but he was eating my favorite pepper plant!)

CLICK HERE to view our Garden Photo Journal Album.

This article precedes the earlier message that I posted on this blog a few days ago (click this link to view that post). It talks about the butterfly garden in detail, focussing on its construction, maintanence as well as the species of butterflies one is likely to see on a good sunny day at Alexandra's Hospital's gardens.

Alexandra Hospital's winged beauties

Matthew Phan, Business Times ( 8 Apr 08 )

IT'S a magical place where photographers gather at weekends to snap some of Singapore's rarest and most beautiful creatures.

The butterfly trail at Alexandra Hospital is Singapore's biggest open-concept butterfly garden, with more than 100 different species sighted. They include the Common Birdwing, a bright yellow and black butterfly with a wingspan of over 15 cm, which the hospital has contributed to the Istana and the Botanic Gardens.

Unlike at Sentosa there are no nets at Alexandra Hospital to keep the butterflies in - they are free to come and go as they wish.

The trick to keeping them around, says caretaker Rosalind Tan, who was chief occupational therapist at the hospital before she retired two years ago, is to grow the right plants.

The Common Birdwing, for example, may have arrived from Malaysia, flitting from green space to green space until it found the gardens from their scent, she says.

Alexandra Hospital's gardens, which collectively stretch over the size of two football fields, have at least 500 species of trees and shrubs, including some 200 butt