Keep Off!

If you're taking the MV Coho ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles you'll spend some time in the ferry line-up waiting to board the vessel. And if you're curious you might venture to the pier's edge to take in the view. But if you try, you'll encounter this dire "Keep Off" warning:And on closer examination you'll discover the individual who enforces the Keep Off command.A masked, apparently Mexican, wrastler! Well, after all, it is a ferry to the U.S..

It's back - Google's Street View camera car

It's been less than two years since Google's Street View camera car rolled through Victoria and they're already updating their street views. I guess Google doesn't realize how slow the pace of development is in this city.

Mobile home

Looking across the Juan De Fuca strait from a point near Sooke shows a very small tug pulling a very large......home!

Quimper Park - Harling Point

Quimper Park in Harling Point, Oak Bay was named after Manuel Quimper Benítez del Pino (c. 1757 – April 1844) a Spanish/Peruvian explorer, cartographer, naval officer, and colonial official. The toys in the park are donated by the residents of this little community for all to enjoy.

Sharing

On a quiet street, a raised wall garden...
...reveals an herb garden.
"These herbs are for snipping"

A backyard statement

They're creepy and they're crawly

Victoria has been invaded by Western tent caterpillars.Something we haven't seen in the six years that we've lived here.
They're mostly a nuisance as they cover walls and sidewalk as well as congregate in their tree tents. Although they do defoliate the trees they build their nests in - the trees do not die.
Hopefully the unusual winter we had this year that provided the conditions for the outbreak will not occur again next year.

Poles apart

Telephone poles in the Victoria area are often painted by volunteers and children with decorative images as a way to discourage graffiti. These particular poles are located in Victoria's funky community of Fernwood.

For sail for sale

It is said that puns are the lowest form of humour - but when it's time to sell your micro yacht, marketing must suffer some degree of "punishment."

Moving house

At the junction of Richmond, Gonzales, and Despard Avenues sits a modest 1930s Art Deco home. But, at the beginning of February trucks and workers began to show up.At first we thought the house was going to be demolished to make way for a new home. Not so unusual in this part of Victoria. But when we saw the large iron beams being put into place it began to appear as if the home would be raised instead. Perhaps to build a high ceiling basement.Then a sign appeared in the window - this house was to be saved and moved to a new location - Point Roberts in the U.S.A.Last night, February 9th, the final preparations were made and the house began its journey to a storage facility in Swartz Bay where it will stay until the property in Point Roberts is ready to receive it.

Topping the steeple - Update

After almost a year, the church of St. Jean Baptiste steeple (topic of the previous post) is finally getting its new cross.
The new copper cross begins its journey to the steeple top.
It's placed onto the new supporting structure.
Oooops! The cross is facing the wrong way!
Rotating it won't work due to the orientation of the hexagon base.
A review of the engineer's drawings shows that the orientation of the cross was not clearly specified.Ouch! The cross will not be erected today. A fix will certainly need to be worked out.

Update

A bit of overnight "tin-bashing" has re-oriented the cross relative to its base. Compare this image with the first one in this post to see what was done.
Problem solved. The new cross is finally in place and facing the right direction.

Topping the steeple

At the corner of Lillian Road and Richmond Avenue sits the church of St. Jean Baptiste which caters to the growing community of Victoria's expat Quebecers.And topping its steeple is a rather unique piece of architectural adornment.The cross that originally topped the steeple had been blown down during a windstorm on Good Friday.

It's getting a bit chilly

Now that we're getting close to winter the weather's getting a bit chilly. The folks at the Koffi Shop on Haultain Street have taken pity on the tree in front of their shop by dressing it up in fine winter woolies.

Vultures over Oak Bay

While walking along Beach Avenue in Oak Bay...
we spotted a large flock of birds in the distance.
At first, because there were so many of them, we thought they were crows.
But as they flew closer it was obvious they were too large to be crows. Instead it began to look like a congregation of eagles.
But then, as they got closer still, it was apparent that these weren't eagles at all. These were Turkey Vultures.A very rare sight to see so many in one area. Within about five minutes they had all dispersed leaving just a clear blue sky.