In remembrance - the poppy house

Salmon run at Goldstream Park

This year we finally arrived at Goldstream Park in time to see the salmon run that we missed last year (HERE).

The chum salmon are almost impossible to see (or photograph) since their colouring is so similar to the river's gravel bottom.


This short video makes them a bit easier to spot:


Click arrow to play video
In the end, after spawning, they will end up as food for seagulls, bear, and raccoons.

Once whatever's left starts to rot, the eagles pick up the scent and will swoop in for the leftovers.

When you've got something to say...

...it might be a good idea to write it out and edit before publishing otherwise, as in this case, the message may get lost.

Mimicking nature

This fellow set out in Ross Bay to place his crab trap. Balancing on his board somewhat like the heron balancing on seaweed while hunting for its dinner of small crabs.

Robinson Crusoe lands at Harling Point

Well, maybe not Robinson himself - perhaps his man Friday? In any case, a fine looking raft with comfortable seat is tied up on the rocks at Harling Point.

A consideration - the private public park

At 177 Oliver St, a vacant private property has been transformed by its owner into a lovely public park replete with a rustic seating area.

And the band played on - Sydney, BC

The Naden Navy Band from CFB Esquimalt played to a packed park this past Sunday.

Not gonna fade away

Once there were likely metal house numbers on this wooden telephone pole. Over time, they protected the wood behind them as the weather eroded the pole and as they rusted away. Now, their legacy remains as the house number "805" standing proud from the background.

Advice for Zucchini

"Help Yourself Zucchini" suggests the enigmatic sign.
On the other hand, it may simply be a free zucchini for passersby from an over productive vegetable garden.

Ephemeral art at Harling Point, Oak Bay, BC

An Andy Goldsworthy-like creation has appeared on the rocks at Harling Point. Perhaps the same artist was also responsible for the construction posted earlier HERE

Hanging out in Ross Bay, Victoria, BC

A temporary contraption attached to a piece of driftwood provides hang time for this windblown adventurer.

Courtesy Bench

At the steepest part of Johnson Street at the corner of Camosun is the "Chez Beau Soleil" where bicyclists can take a moment to rest beside the memorial of Marcel the cat and enjoy a copy of the "Village Vibe" before resuming their peddling.

Dog of the Day

Meka cools her paws during this very unusual heat wave by riding a surfboard on Beaver Lake.

Scooterpeople

We can always tell when tourist season is in full swing because suddenly there is an influx of what we refer to as "scooterpeople." Traveling in packs like a strange version of motorcycle gangs, these are folks who rent a scooter from one of the many rental companies to simply go sightseeing at maximum 40 kmph throttle.

Annual Victoria MG Club car show

The event was held this past Sunday at Gyro Park in Cadboro Bay with some 40 beautiful examples of British automotive engineering.

First Annual Oak Bay Night Market

More like a sidewalk sale, the First Annual Oak Bay Night Market attracted merchants and artists alike. Of course, given the average age of Oak Bay residents, it's not surprising that it started at 4 pm and ended at 8 pm.

Moss Street Art Walk

The incredibly popular annual Moss St. Art Walk was held this past Saturday, July 18th on the eight or so blocks from Dallas Road to Rockland Ave.
This year many of the artists demonstrated their painting techniques to the appreciative crowds:
Not only were the visual arts on show but also the talents of local musicians:
And at the end of the day, art that had not sold was spirited away in the artist's trunk:

Considerations

Midway along Clare St. in Oak Bay, a bibliophile has created self serve library box where books and CDs can be freely exchanged:

Young talent

Some great sidewalk chalk work - sadly washed away in the rain.

Dog of the Day

It's a hot Canada Day holiday, and this fellow is enjoying cooling his paws which allows him to remain frozen in absolute concentration on a tennis ball that someone, hopefully, will toss into the waters of Gonzales Bay.

Persistent Holly Tree

The diameter of this holly tree's trunk shows just how large it was before receiving its "trim."

Threatened Garry Oak tree - Chadwick Estates, Oak Bay, BC

At 1972 Fairfield Road on the leafy residential borderland where Victoria meets Oak Bay, a heritage garden has been ripped apart by diggers and earth movers in preparation for the building of five houses in "Chadwick Estates." In the very back corner of the original garden, well out of sight of the road and the public, stands a uniquely beautiful mature moss-adorned Garry Oak with spiralling branches and an amazing hole passing right through one of its stately limbs. The oak stands with an ominous disfiguring red X on its trunk, a sign that marks it as a prospective victim of the chainsaw.

Convenience or convenient dump

Sadly, whoever dumped this example of 70s furniture design at Harling Point was apparently not aware of the graffiti in Gonzales Bay that admonished us to: "Don't destroy what you've come to enjoy."

Still fowl - an update to the January 23, 2009 post

It appears that enough folks were concerned about the caged Mallard ducks in our original post HERE that the owners put up a sign to explain the situation:
Most breeds of domestic ducks were bred from the Mallard. In this case, the key to recognizing that it is a domestic rather than wild Mallard is the amount of white feathers it has:
People seem to love to breed white or partially white domestic animals, presumably because such mutations don’t do well in the wild and consequently are rare.

Considerations

With so many ducklings about, it was very considerate to place this road sign at a popular duck crossing as a reminder to drivers.
Even local residents get in on the duckling warning signs:

Government House Ducklings

The ducklings at Government House pond are always a welcome sight each spring. This well-fed and contented family were nestled on rocks warmed by the June sun. They must have thought that their left profile was the most photogenic.

Art celebrating art

Vancouver Island has one of the largest concentrations of people who indicate on their income tax forms that they are artists - hopefully not because they're rationalizing being in a very low tax bracket.
Edith Looker, member of the Plein Air Painters of Victoria BC, captures a driftwood art installation on the beach at Ross Bay.

Google Street View Camera Car spotted in Victoria

I had a feeling that they might be around our town, however it was still a lucky and happy surprise to actually see a Google street view camera car driving up our street. I guess this finally puts us on the map!

The Wildlife Trees

Wandering around the many trails and public footpaths in the greater Victoria BC area, means that it's likely you'll come across a "Wildlife Tree."The one on the left is on the grounds of Government House, while the one on the right is in Mt. Douglas Park.
They are actually the remains of trees that have died but are still standing and provide a wonderful natural habitat for the forest's denizens. The warning sign reads: "Wildlife Tree: Saved for food shelter and nesting – do not cut or disturb!"
Formed in 1985, the Wildlife Tree Committee (WTC) is a multi-agency committee composed of representatives from the provincial Ministry of Forests and Range, and Ministry of Environment, the B.C. Workers’ Compensation Board, industry and labour, and public interest groups from across British Columbia.

Harling Point Sculpture

We were delighted to discover this beautiful arrangement of natural objects at Harling Point recently. Carefully constructed of driftwood and rocks it will eventually be effected by tides, winds and winter storms but for now it is there for all to enjoy.

Moss Street Saturday Market Opens!

Forget the official start of Summer – for the folks in our neighbourhood Summer begins when the Moss Street Saturday Market returns.
In the center of the Market a band gets rockin'.
There's plenty of food that makes you want to eat – even when you're not hungry.The produce selection is still a bit thin compared to the choices available in the Fall.But really, where else would you find a blue monkey with a lavender belly button?

Fire

The media capturing the news at the back of 1409 Camosun St. in Victoria
Even a small fire can cause a great deal of damage. Fortunately this one was put out very quickly

Fire investigator getting the victim's story
Media interview

Dog of the Day

We would like to include a very special Dog of the Day.
Her name was Leica, a standard schnauzer, and she was our funny and feisty rambling companion for thirteen years. After moving to Victoria, and despite old age and declining health, she enjoyed three more months happily exploring our new neighbourhood. She was always eager to accompany us on our daily walks particularly if we included a visit to the beach to fetch sticks or simply stand in the shallow water to cool her paws.
Our Leica's spirit continues to walk along beside us wherever we go.

A Tribute in the Cathedral

While the Christ Church Cathedral was under construction in the 1920s, a determined little bird decided to build her nest near the capital of the southeastern pillar of the Nave. Building operations at that point were suspended until her family had been successfully launched into the world.
"Robin Pillar" is fourth from the left at the center of this photo:
As a tribute to her determination, a stone model of the bird and nest marks the spot atop the capital near the top of the pillar:

Dog of the day

"Saxon" is quite mature enough to take himself for a walk in the park along Dallas Road.

A smile for the Universe

The Climenhaga Observatory Ash Dome at the University of Victoria sports a 0.5-m F/10.5 Cassegrain telescope...and a smiley face.

Campus Lepus

To some, the fluffy creatures are the unofficial mascot of the University of Victoria.
Most of the feral rabbits at UVic are descended from European rabbits and are unwanted pets or descendants of unspayed or unneutered pets abandoned on campus by members of the community. An informal official count put the number of rabbits at over 250, however, many estimates put the figure at closer to 1,000 hoppers.
To learn more, visit HERE.

Hopscotch on steroids

Possibly a Guinness world record for longest hopscotch course - spotted on Hampshire Road, Oak Bay, BC (click on pic to enlarge).

Fence extension

This homeowner appears to have been so taken by their fence that they just had to extend the idea around the telephone pole in front of their home.

Shock as croc spotted in Gonzales Bay!

"If I hadn't seen it myself I wouldn't have believed it" whispered local resident Ms. Sandy Divan."I immediately called the Victoria Animal Control Services – but discovered that Officers do not respond to wildlife matters unless a domestic animal is involved" she said. Luckily the Mainland news media happened to be at the Animal Control offices doing a story on pet adoption, so they decided to investigate the situation at the Bay themselves (croc in circled area).The public had to keep their distance. However this photo clearly reveals the uninvited beach visitor:"Brutus" is credited with being the first to bravely bark a warning.The news team called the Victoria Animal Control back and this time mentioned the mental trauma endured by Brutus as a result of his encounter with the croc. Fortunately the call was put in after 9:00 AM and before 5:00 PM which fell within their mandate for investigating nuisance matters. And since they were now aware that a local canine citizen was involved they were obliged to respond.Unfortunately, by the time Animal Control Services arrived, the morose beast had slipped away into the waters of the Bay. One of the attending officers (who wishes to remain anonymous) thinks that it may have been someone's pet, likely from one of the houses that surround the Bay, that had gotten loose. "Sadly, this sort of thing happens all the time. Home owners too busy enjoying their views to pay proper attention to where their pets are at. It's not going to be easy on it though" he said. "These waters are pretty cold at this time of year...well, most times of the year actually."