Harbour Challenge

I went down on Wednesday, but as I had to pick up the grandkids I didn't poke about too much. I am happy with a couple of the pictures - and the rest are rather ordinary, in my opinion. At any rate - here we go!

Here is the obligatory fishing boat picture.

I took this one because I was thinking of the nice ice cream treats we have in the summer, and we sit at these little tables on warm summer evenings. Then I liked the reflections. I am big on reflections!

There are boats and people of all kinds at the waterfront! Is he going to Protection Island or one of the boats that are anchored in the harbour?

I said I liked reflections......

This is the reflection of the Cameron Island tower.

Up at the top by the street and the Bastion is a row of roses, still showing lots of pretty blooms.
(Second to water and reflections come flower pics...)

I think that I read that the old museum is closed now.


So that's my offering.... I am anxious to see what Rain and Dilling and Krista have done.

See the pictures in a larger format here.

November 11

In April 2007 I did a tour of Holland and Belgium. One day we did a day trip from Brussels to Flanders and had a tour of the World War I battlefields. We began in Ypres, a town that was levelled in this war.

This is a WWI museum, with displays of photos and memorabelia of the battlefields and the people who fought here. As we went into the museum we were given the name of a soldier, a medical person or a citizen of the area. As we went through the museum we got a story of that person and at the end of the tour we found out if the person lived or died.

This is the main square of Ypres, rebuilt as it was before the war.

Then we drove out across the fields of Flanders to the place where our own Dr. John McCrae tended to the wounded and wrote his poem.

These are the terrible bunkers where he worked - dark, cold and damp.

Then we drove on to a cemetary of Canadians, British, Australian and other Commonwealth soldiers of WWI.

There had been many Canadian visitors recently - wreaths, poppies and flags were on the graves of the Canadians.

After dinner that evening, we went to the Menin Gate of Ypres.

Every single night since the end of World War I, except for the years of Nazi occupation in the second World War, the Last Post has been played at this gate.


It was very sad and impressive and touching.

The Buttertubs Challenge

It has rained and rained and rained all week. I thought that maybe I might have to skip this challenge - but lo and behold, the rain stopped and there was even bits of blue this afternoon. So off I dashed to do my part. It actually was warm out! Very pleasant......
It is my choice for next week's challenge - let's just do the waterfront - Cameron Island to the Bistro. OK? It's a bit different flavour.... how do you see it?

Buttertubs was looking very nice. I don't think I have been there this late in the fall, but it looked attractive with lots of autumn leaves left.

The paths to the north and west are lined with huge old English oak trees. These are not native - they were planted in the 1920s. It was neat to walk over the paths that were golden with the oak leaves.

I am wondering if more and more of the marsh is being taken over by bullrushes. It seems to me that there are more than when I visited here on previous years.

On the east side of the marsh are lombardi poplars, also planted in the 1920s, and there are a bunch of trees that are covered with these red berries. I have no idea what they are.......

After I walked here and there, I sat down on the wide 'steps' at about the only place where there is bird access. I pulled out the baggie of bird seed and waited.

Not for long! The ducks and pigeons have one eye on this area waiting for humans with bird seed.

I took oodles of pictures of greedy birds, but in the end kept only this one.....

When all the seed was gone the fickle birds left me sitting there alone ........
You can see the same pictures in a larger format here. Refresh if you don't see them.

Odds and Ends

Halloween is over, and suddenly it is time for Christmas. I have even done some shopping.

I make up baskets for my two daughters, my daughter-in-law and a friend for Christmas, with a wide variety of goodies - kitcheny things, bath treats, and odds and ends of all kinds. This takes a LOT of shopping. Here I am, back in Chintz and Co, hunting for bits and pieces.

Did you see the picture on Rain's blog of my poor little Katie? How sad to see her lacking all her twinkles.

I have the single day's pictures (the challenge at the moment) on my other website if you want to see large images...... I started it because I got looking in daily at a couple of photographers in England and admiring their work. I do find it hard to get out each day as they do, though. My favourite Brit one is called Cornwall Cam, and I also like Lakeland Cam. These guys are marvellous photographers, and of course they have lovely places to photograph.

It is supposed to be nice tomorrow. Maybe I'll head to Buttertubs Marsh!

Challenge #2

Here we go! Off to Piper's Lagoon for the challenge. I went on Tuesday.... the weather was cool but it was quite nice out. The tide was in - the tide was in all week in the daylight hours. It makes the lagoon itself look nicer but does cause some hiking problems.

First, a view across the lagoon.

Then out to the parking lot and a walk across the spit? Causeway? At any rate, to get to what was originally an island, I imagine, there is the walk along the path with the beach on one side and the lagoon on the other.

This is the path. The tide being in is a big problem for me. I am 70 and do not have the best balance. If the tide were out I could walk below that rock on the left of the picture over to the rest of the park. But with the tide in, the only way to get there is over that very large rock. I did that several years ago, worrying all the time that I would fall and break a leg or worse, and wondered how long it would be before someone found me. Imagine lying in a heap, giving out faint cries, "Help! Hellllllp!"


Piper's Park has many of the Garry Oaks. The Garry Oak ecosystems are endangered. Only 5% of BC Garry Oak ecosystems are in wild areas. Generally in BC these oaks are only found on the southeast coast of Vancouver Island and the nearby smaller islands. These trees grow in a twisted form. Very photogenic!

At the end of the path lies this old oak. It seems to be still alive - just resting.

Behind the old tree is a big rock, but not as difficult to climb as the other. Climbing this hill in the spring is a pleasure, as the slopes are covered with wild flowers. At the top is my very favourite park bench, with a million dollar view and shaded in summer by the lovely old oak.

So I sat down for a bit of a breather. This is the view.... Ahead to the south is Gabriola Island and on a rare clear day you can see Mt. Baker.

Back down to the path. The wind is cold and from the north. This lady has found a place out of the wind to read her book.

I know - for wild flowers they aren't much - but beggars can't be choosers on November first!

Drizzle, Crafts and 1000 Places

Off to the first Christmas craft fair in the drizzle......

The entrance to Beban Park buildings and the craft fair entrance.

There weren't huge crowds there - probably because of the miserable day. I was not impressed by most of the crafts and didn't buy a thing. It amazes me that people spend all year making things that nobody wants.......

On the way back to the car these berries took my eye, and this goofy rhododendron that thinks it is spring.....

To continue the '1000 Places to See Before You Die'.....
and counting up my score.

10. Blenheim Palace - The palace where Winston Churchill was born is rather an ugly pile, but the grounds are beautiful.
I didn't realize I was taking a charming bum picture.....

11. Bath - After a quick view of the Roman baths, I walked over quite a bit of the city. There is lovely Georgian architecture and a pretty river running through the valley.
(The rest of today's pics are digital pictures of old regular pictures I took before I had the digital camera, so the quality is lousy.)

12. Stratford-Upon-Avon - I have had a tour of Shakespeare's house but only saw the garden and outside of Anne Hathaway's cottage (below). I took a slow peaceful boat ride on the Avon, with lovely homes and weeping willows into the water, and glimpses of churches and the big theatres.

13. Stonehenge - We were on a tour, and the guide insisted that we leave very early in the morning to get to Stonehenge as early as possible - and that was great as we arrived before the masses of tourists. It was misty and there was lots of atmosphere. It is really very impressive.....

14. York Minster - This is the enormous cathedral in York - northeast England. It is the largest medieval church north of the Alps and the building began in 1220, on a site where earlier churches had stood. Nearby are the narrow cobbled streets with overhanging buildings called The Shambles. I don't have a picture of York Minster or the Shambles......

Critters and 1000 Things

Critters seen out my windows....

For those who do not know where I live - the immediate area is filled with deer. They eat the gardens, stop the traffic and people drive along the street just to see them, stopping in the middle of the street just when I am in a hurry to get somewhere.

On my railing - possibly a married couple who are not speaking.

I like the finches! They are here every day and sing beautifully.

I picked up a book that I have had for ages - '1000 Places to See Before You Die'. As I am getting older, I thought I would see how I am doing. Some places I saw before I had a digital camera, so you will just have to take my word for it. So...... starting from the beginning of the book and in England, here goes.

1. Windsor Castle - Lenore and I did an afternoon tour out of London, if I remember correctly - and didn't have time to really see everything.
2. Chester in Cheshire - this is a neat city - the wrought-iron clock tower over the street and the half-timbered buildings.
3. Land's End - after you run a gauntlet of souvenir shops you can walk on the paths looking down on the jagged rocks and the sea.
4. St. Ives - one of my favourite places in the world. I have been here three times. The second time I visited, I bought a delicious ice cream cone at a small shop in the harbour and stood leaning with my elbows on this stone wall to watch the going-ons in the harbour. Suddenly a seagull flew over my shoulder, snatched the cone and disappeared with it. I was left standing there with an inch of cone left in my fingers. I had been warned about the gulls, but didn't think they would be this aggressive!

5. The Royal Pavilion - Brighton. I didn't get to see the interior as it was too late in the day when I arrived, but I walked around the outside.
6. The Cotswolds - This area in south west England has the most attractive little towns imaginable. Below is Broadway.

7. Winchester Cathedral
8. The Lake District
9. Cambridge University - here are punts on the Cam River.


I am just amusing myself - I guess if people are bored they won't visit any more!