Two and two, black and white

We were on our way to the White Rock pier, in the mood for something a little tamer and drier than our usual scramble over rocks or through mud. We drove in from the south end of town, along the edge of the Semiahmoo reserve, driving slowly to watch for the new growth in the bushes, yellow-green leaves and a sprinkling of small white flowers this early in the year. At the outskirts of the town, across from some of the first houses, two eagles sat in a tree; I pulled off and parked.


Under the tree, looking up, the sky was too bright for my camera. But along the beach, the town goes straight up the hill; long staircases lead to the stacked houses above, or even to the next block, where the hill is too steep for cars. A staircase began behind the car; we headed upward, to get as level with the eagles as possible.

At the first landing, a large crabapple tree, in full spring bloom, blocked the view of the eagles.

Forget the eagles! Look at us!

Above the crabapples, the path turned at right angles, parallel to the road. We got our eagle photos.


And at our backs, almost overpowering us with its fragrance, was a mass of evergreen clematis.

So perfumed, they seem tropical.

A good start to the afternoon, followed by a cold, cold walk down the pier, a few gull photos taken with frozen fingertips, and, back at the street ...

But I'll leave that for tomorrow's post, ok?
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