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.