Our Grateful Long Weekend May 23-26

It has been so long since I have blogged, I'm not sure I can remember how. Since getting a different cel phone, it has been quite a learning curve to figure out how to get the photos downloaded to my computer. But I am grateful for the new phone... and I'm grateful to finally be getting used to it.

We are always grateful to spend time with family. Shelby, Kim, Maizy and Lucy came for the long weekend... now a week ago.  We went down to the light house at Georgina Point to check out the starfish.

Shirley heard that the starfish on the west coast had some kind of plight... so we wanted to check them out.  We usually see more than a couple starfish... so maybe she was right.  Only two left!

It was fun walking around on the rocks.  Most of us kept dry... but the dogs loved getting into the water.

Beatrice and Dante also love chasing the tennis ball and bringing it back to Shelby. Beatrice usually wins the catch.

Some of the rocks on the beach reminded me of some sculptures we often see in art museums. This is sculpture evolving in nature.

I love taking photos and then looking at them to try to figure out what they might be.  Can you see a face with two eyes, a turned up nose with a moustache on one side? ...and the hair swirl back around the ear?  Isn't that fun?

There were lots of creatures clinging on for dear life to the side of the crack between two rocks.

And there was lots of driftwood randomly left on the beach. Storms have a way of leaving the logs in a hap hazard design. I was reading in the book, "The Golden Spruce," that huge waves pounding against the rocks on the coast of the Haida Gwaii (formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands) would send driftwood logs a top of cliffs a hundred feet high.  Pretty wild stuff!

Lucy posed for me under the edge of this storm worn rock.  She could be a model... or an actor?

I also asked Maizy to let me take her photo by the rock.  Rocks always look better with people.  This grand daughter has surpassed her grandmother by almost an inch already... and I don't think that she is done growing yet!

A candid shot of Shirley with Maizy, Lucy, Kim and Shelby.  Lucy saw me taking photos so stood up to give me a few more creative poses.

I am grateful for spring flowers. Walking to the car to leave the lighthouse park this iris bagged me to take her photo.

Lucy was having some fun with her food at supper that evening.  There is more than one way to get a golden cap on your tooth.

We are grateful to have our first guests use the loft.  The day the kids arrived I finished the carpet and helped Shirley put some beds up for the girls.  They so loved being able to finally sleep in the loft!

Shelby and Kim went to Victoria Sabbath afternoon after our visit to the lighthouse park to enjoy some time at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel... and we got to enjoy Lucy and Maizy. Shirley found some bird houses that the girls could paint. Fun, fin, fun... serious fun.

When Shelby and Kim returned on Sunday afternoon Shelb and I played some meadow golf.  We set up a golf course using rounds of firewood as the target to hit.  Shirley pointed out how similar father and son walk.  The fruit doesn't fall very far from the tree.

Our tenant Chris joined us at the fire pit for some hot dogs and potato salad... the kids always enjoy roasting marshmallows and making smokes.  (-Photo credits to Shirley for the last four photos.)

On Monday after the kids left to go home, we went to Victoria to run some errands and to celebrate Mother's Day at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel. Our kids got us the most gorgeous jackets for Mother's and Father's day.  We both wore them to town.

I don't know what Shirley was taking a picture of... but let's say it was this sea gull.

An Asian girl saw Shirley and I taking a selfie so came and asked if she could take a photo of us... What could we say?

The next morning I got this early morning sunrise shot of Mt. Baker from our hotel room. This photos has not been altered... this is the colour that morning. Shirley was still sawing logs. Later after a wonderful breakfast in the dining room, Shirley had a pedicure at the Spa... and I had a massage. It was one of our best Mother/Father's Days I can remember.  Where is it written that you can only celebrate special occasions only on designated days?

"All the I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother." 
-Abraham Lincoln

Shelby told us that we cannot always trust quotes on the internet... and to prove it he shared his favourite quote.

"The problem with internet quotes is that you can't always depend on their accuracy" -Abraham Lincoln, 1864

An Afternoon in Victoria

As soon as we had finished our essential shopping... Costco, Staples and Home Depot... we did a few frivolous things that we seldom take time to do.  We loved the IMAX Arabia so much, we went back to see it again.  

In front of the IMAX/Museum building I was amazed to see several trees ready to burst forth in bloom!  Only a few blossoms were starting to open... but next week I think many of Victoria's streets will be pink.

When we stopped at the Wharfside for some fish and chips... it was raining pretty good.  And then it stopped and the sunlight sparkled in the raindrops on the glass.  Photo by Shirley.  To see more of Shirley's creative photography click on this 365Project link.

We were sitting right next to the outdoor patio... and were pretty happy to have a dry table inside.

We enjoyed our view of the harbour, the parliament buildings and Robbins parking lot... but the most delightful was watching the float planes come and go as we ate.

Walking back to the truck on this pedestrian street, you can see it is "off season."  Soon it will be busy with tourists... but today I took a minute to be a tourist and took a picture of my sweetheart.

With almost an hour to burn before the Red Art Gallery event, we headed out to Oak Bay to check on the progress of the new Oak Bay Beach Hotel.

It was after five so all the workers were long gone... but as you can see the second story is coming along nicely... which couldn't happen until three stories of underground parking were completed.

The huge crane works steady all day...  but enjoys a little break at the end of the afternoon.  It knows there is still a lot of work before this project is completed.

It will take more than a year before we can sleep here... but it is good to see things progressing.

Not far from the Hotel site is the Victoria Golf and Country Club... and what a dramatic ocean view it enjoys!

As the sun was setting the clouds were catching the last rays of the day.  I am looking forward to an invitation to golf here!

Last week we received an invitation to attend a special opening of the new Red Art Gallery in Oak Bay, thanks to Bobb Hamilton,  an old realtor friend from Kelowna days, who now lives here and is married to the artist.  Just to see this invitation is worth the click.  This is a photo I took of Marion Evamy at her gallery last evening.

I first became aware of Marion's work a couple of years ago at the Sydney Community Center Annual Art Show... where she won "Best of Show."  I really love the feeling that radiates from her work.  If you are at all interested in art you will want to click here to check out her website.

We only had a few minutes before catching our ferry home last night... and in all the years we have been going back and forth, this is the first time I stopped to take a photo of this handsome totem pole in the lounge area at the Swartz Bay ferry terminal.  I love the detail and the design.

I never cease to be amazed at some of the shots I get with only my little iPhone.

Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally used up and worn out, shouting '...MAN,what a ride!' 
George Carlin