From a set of pictures taken at Goldstream Provincial Park, near Victoria, British Columbia.
The salmon were running up the river, busy with their last date and party.
And by the banks of the river, this glorious set of leaves, in contrasting
Category Archives: Wanderings
Sunrise, reflected – Photo Wednesday
Once a week, most weeks, I take the ferry to “town”. In the local parlance, “town” is Victoria, on Vancouver Island. This time of year, that two-hour commute is at the right time for sunrise magic.
This was the view, from the back of the ferry, that morning…
I just zoomed on the wake, and let the reflection of the sunrise do the abstract magic…
Autumn Beach Composition – Photo Wednesday
Textile artist Pat Pauly visited Saturna during the Thanksgiving long weekend. We wandered all over the island, and I rediscovered one of my favourite “beaches”, with plenty of pebbles and logs that escaped the log rafts pulled by the tug boats around these islands. Floating forests… but that will be the subject of another post.
These pebbles were arranged by the waves, pushing and rolling them into a crevice in the rock. Neat, isn’t it?
And then, there were the abstract lines left by beetles , in this log.
While the tree was alive, the beetles bored these lines under the bark… discreetly. Now that the bark has been stripped, we get to see their graffiti. With a pebble on top.
Noisy Neighbours: A Visit
A few days ago, we went on an excursion to the Belle Chain Islets, near Saturna Island, BC. Toby Snelgrove of Mayne Island Tours took us sightseeing. What a great morning on the water!
And what a show! Hundreds and hundreds of birds, on the water and on the rocks.
But the main act was the sea lions. After their customary summer trip up North, where they have a big party, they’re back, on the rocks next to our island.
Steller sea lions are massive creatures. Noisy, smelly, massive. The males can weigh 450–1,120 kg (990–2,470 lbs)… Big as a cow, and very ornery.
Two bulls (above) bear the bite wounds of a recent fight for territory.
These junior guys look like they are watching the big boys, learning the moves.
And right next to the big boys bellowing and fighting, or basking, depending on their mood… groups of cormorants were also taking in the sun, perched on the rocks. Looks to me like they are waiting for the ferry.
And the tour would not have been complete without the obligatory eagle shot.
A big thank you to Toby Snelgrove, of Mayne Island Tours.
Excursion to the Campbell Farm
The other day, it was sunny and I went for a drive. This time of year, sunny days are something to behold. The air is clean and crisp, crystalline. Sunlight that must not be wasted! So I went across the island, over the mountain and down a very steep driveway… all the way to Campbell Farm. They raise sheep for the meat (see this link to the Saturna Lamb Barbecue, our Island’s biggest annual fest), and the wool. After being greeted by a pair of very noisy and curious border collies, I couldn’t resist and purchased a big batch of aran weight wool. You never know, the urge to knit may come during the long winter ahead!
As for the apples: I found them on the ground, below a lovely and huge apple tree that must have been on the spot, in Thompson Park, for close to a century. The apples had a fearsome nest of defenders… Any attempt at harvesting those apples will have to be undertaken with protective gear.
And the horse chestnuts: I just love their texture, although I did stab my hand trying to get a couple of them off the tree! Below: the beach at Thompson Park. Nice spot to sit and enjoy an apple, freshly picked.
The landscape on the bench in front of the sandstone bluffs is very rural in feeling. Below, a view of the Saturna Family Estate Winery, from the Campbell Farm gate. The temperature in this area is easily 8 degrees warmer than in the forest, on the mountain a couple of kilometers away.
Now, I am back at home, hunting for interesting patterns to deal with all that luscious wool. And plotting to go back and raid the apple tree…