Roadie: Victoria, British Columbia

View from the Harbour Pathway, Victoria, British Columbia. (7/4/19)

Just as we spent Canada Day in Juneau, Alaska, we spent Independence Day in British Columbia, Canada. It was a very brief stop and the final port of call on our seven day Alaskan cruise. The cruise ship dock is located at Ogden Point, a 35-minute walk to downtown Victoria. As you might expect we were beginning to miss home, but we're still game for a self-guided walking tour of Victoria, British Columbia. Our boat was docked for only 4 hours so it was a nice low-key way to conclude what had been an exciting six days.

Aquatic life beside the cruise ship on our way to Victoria, British Columbia. (7/4/19)

Look closely and you'll find the outline below water of a dolphin that swam
beside the ship. (7/4/19)

A humpback whale exhaling. (7/4/19)

View from our patio of neighborhood to the left of the Ogden Cruise
Ship Terminal. (7/4/19)

View from the Harbour Pathway. (7/4/19)

(7/4/19)

Close-up of sweet peas, a flowering plant, not the vegetable. (7/4/19)

View from the Harbour Pathway. (7/4/19)

One of the garden areas in Beacon Hill Park. (7/4/19)

The British Columbia Parliament Buildings home to the Legislative Assembly
of British Columbia. (7/4/19)

Close-up of giant sequoia outside British Columbia
Parliment. (7/4/19)

Close-up of the Knowledge Totem Pole carved by Coast
Salish artist Cicero August. The pole was originally created for the
 1994 Commonwealth Games. (7/4/19)

(7/4/19)

(7/4/19)

Community garden in James Bay Village area of suburban Victoria,
British Columbia. (7/4/19)

Community garden in James Bay Village suburban Victoria,
British Columbia. (7/4/19)

Favorite Summer Things

 

Backyard bunny stops by for a nibble. (7/3/17)

Very few of my neighbors cut their own lawn anymore. Seeing folks outside laying their own mulch in the spring/early summer is a rare occurrence. These were chores forced upon me as a child that I have come to take great comfort doing myself in adulthood. There is something very rewarding and therapeutic about throwing down mulch, pulling weeds and just plain ol' digging in the dirt. I am rarely alone in working in doing yard work in the early morning hours. Fortunately, my wife, the bunny that lives under our shed, neighborhood birds and all types of worms and insects keep me company. These are among my favorite moments in summer time.

Front yard with Japanese Maple. (7/3/17)

Hens and chicks from the backyard. Reminders of my

late grandmother's yard. (7/3/17)

Our original large compost pit made with stakes and chicken wire to far left,

next to shed and vegetable garden with a smaller composter within. (7/3/17)

Had a thing for ornamental grasses a few years ago

and ferns are beyond plentiful. (7/3/17)

Baby bell pepper in the vegetable garden. (7/3/17)

A number of our plants are inspect magnets... everything has its purpose. (7/3/17)

"Stones" made by my children almost 15 years ago and originally planted

at my parents home. After my father's death and mother's move to smaller

living arrangement, they have found their way to our yard. (7/3/17)

Spring Veggie Garden Set-up... in Summer

Chilling near an entrance to his underground lair, the backyard bunny surveys
that area prior to my preparation of the vegetable garden bed. (6/10/17)

Getting the garden started this Spring took a little longer than expected, so long in fact that our backyard bunny had grown fairly comfortable lounging around his newly appointed snacking field. Summer's arrived and I have a number of other projects lining up for completion during the two week break from teaching. With time to get started past due, I finally turned over the garden patch and prepped it for planting last weekend. Two days later, my wife and I drove out to the gardening store, purchased plantings and plopped them into the ground. The next day, she and her son installed our anti-rabbit fence, and now the tending begins...

Clearly it's time to get down to the business of turning over,
weeding and mulching the garden bed. (6/10/17)

At one point many years ago I stopped using roto-tiller in favor of
a pitchfork and rake--a much more satisfying method! (6/14/17)

Pitchfork'd. (6/14/17)

Weeds be-gone, compost applied, garden ready. (6/14/17)

A line of bean seeds planted and marked with stick. (6/17/17)

Each year the content of our vegetable garden shifts and changes. (6/17/17)

Ready, set... GROW! (6/17/17)

Last summer kale, this summer string beans. (6/23/17)

After Anne sets up bunny fencing and bean poles,

things are ready to rock... aided by a welcome summer

rain.(6/24/17)

What Did the Cat See?

Blackbeard the cat at his post. (7/26/19)

The majority of photographs of backyard wildlife posted on my blog are taken from the large windows that surround our kitchen counter. They open into our backyard. so when an interesting critter or bird comes into view--SNAP! I'll do this at many different times of the day, as reflected in the way that the different hues our lawn take son during the course of the day: sometimes appearing neon green when bathed in sun or deep, dark green when the shade dominates. This accounts for the occasional out-of-focus imagery and lens flare, but also for my ability to take pics when thy can't see us observing them. Blackbeard the cat is a constant viewing companion, so much so, that when we are outside working in the garden, he will prowl the windows to see what's going on. Most of what we see taking place among the tomato cages and bird feeders are, in truth, what the cat saw...

Catbird and sparrow on tomato cages. (7/29/16)

Common Grackles in the grass. (7/29/16)

Frazzled Grackle. (7/26/19)

American Robin. (7/29/16)

Cottontail rabbit with gang of Common Grackles. (7/29/16)

Grackle and Cottontail lunching together. (7/29/16)

Cottontail in the vegetable garden. (7/29/16) 

Male Northern Cardinal. (7/29/16)

Cautious Cottontail. (7/29/16)

Male Northern Cardinal with Common Grackles. (7/29/16)

Male Northern Cardinal. (7/29/16)

American Robin. (7/29/16)

Yakking American Robins. (7/29/16)

Cottontail rabbit. (7/29/16)

Black-Capped Chickadee on Nyjer feeder. (7/29/16)