Gargoyles... Cascadia Style.

Here in Cascadia, the Pacific Ocean features prominently in the landscape, economy, recreational activities, restaurant menus and likely other stuff but I'm tired and can't think straight, so you'll have to think of the rest for yourselves. :-P

With the above influence in mind, here are some local gargoyles:











Benjamin on Victoria Daily Photo has much better photos of them. He takes great photos and he must have a great camera. If I ever spot him, I just might mug him for it. ;-)



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That's My World Tuesday... fancy a shag?

Today, I spent a couple of hours down at Clover Point. It's a popular place to drive down to and do whatever. You see people reading, snoozing, crying, having discussions, smooching, smoking pot, knitting, eating, arguing, meditating, wave watching etc... it's just a nice place to go cos the view is great, everyone does their own thing, it's peaceful yet there's always a distraction if you want one.

I usually read and stare off into the straight (Straight of Juan de Fuca).

Here's an aerial view. (Not my pic, got it from here.)



A view behind me. That's Trial Island to the east.




The view out the front window, looking west.




And the Shag, fancy it?




Here's a somewhat amusing video of someone's evening 'cool off' scooter ride down to Clover Point. At about the 2 minute mark he passes near where I live and from there is the drive I take a few times a week.





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That's My World Tuesday... people powered.

A few days ago I went for a walk along Westsong Walkway - a walking path that hugs part of the shoreline of Victoria's Inner Harbour. It's a fantastic place to walk... or just sit on a bench and watch other people make healthy fitness choices that you know you should probably be making. ;-)

Here they come...




There they go...




And a kayaker heading for the hills.




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That's My World Tuesday... a little bit of Chinatown.

One thing that I love about being on the west coast of Canada is that it's very much part of the 'Pacific Rim' - where the East and the West mingle. Like most Western cities like that, Victoria has a Chinatown. This is The Gate of Harmonious Interest built over Fisgard Street.



The inscriptions mean, 'To work together with one heart' and 'To help each other achieve harmony.' Mingle, mingle. What's also cool is that there are time capsules buried near the base of each side and that the names of Chinese-Canadians who died during WW2 are listed as well.

It's one of the oldest Chinatowns in North America and was once one of the largest. It's quite small now but still full of character. I'll blog more about that later. Until then, here's a bit of a cheesie mini-doc about Victoria's Chinatown.



In the above vid, the woman mentions the Tam Kung Temple. Benjamin over at Victoria Daily Photo has a couple of fantastic photos of the Temple's interior. Interesting stuff.

The last time I was in Chinatown a more mundane thing caught my eye. These groovy new bike racks.





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Poor ol' Fosina Ross

The first pic is not my photo, I swiped it from here (sue me). It's McNeill Bay, in Victoria (well technically in Oak Bay, a city squished right beside Victoria). It's a very nice place to walk, jog (yeah, right) or ride your bike along the water.





Here's a plaque that basically says that McNeill Bay was where the SS Beaver (heehee) anchored before landing to scout out where 'Fort Victoria' would be built and it was, in 1843, the first few days of Victoria's existence. Of course, the place existed and had been settled quite happily prior to Whitey showing up but fessing up to this that would meaning having to redo the plaque.





The view is great. It's the sort of place that is beautiful to see from and that's hard to capture in a photo... hard for me to, I mean.





The actual beach is not really a great beach as the road is smack, right there and wave break is just functional concrete.





But!

When on the beach, if you turn your back on the water you are met with another commemorative plaque! This is to Fosina Irene Margaret Ross who 'gave this esplanade to the people of Oak Bay.' Could it be uglier?





I especially like how it's so lovingly placed next to a storm drain.





And I always wonder did she get shafted in this deal? Or was she such a royal bitch that she had that coming? I've been wondering for years...



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Seagull Envy

This was the scene Monday evening at Clover Point in Victoria, BC... when the wind it right, there can be as many as six gliders swooshing back and forth along the cliffs. The below is a tandem flight... likely a very experienced glider and a student or someone just keen on the experience of gliding.

First, much buckling and harnessing and rope testing...




And then the two flying dudes lurch forward to lift the glider enough to get it into the wind that's coming in off the water.




And up goes the glider and two other 'land' dudes hold the flying dudes still.




Then the land dudes walk the paraglider dudes towards the cliff...




And then proceed to chuck them off it and hope for the best... ;-)




And away they go... and they glide back and forth along the cliff just as the seagulls do (without shitting on everyone).




I might as well give Vancouver Island Paragliding a plug as it's always fun to watch them.



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That's My World Tuesday... bombs and balls.

Like many people, I love a nice walk through a park. Unlike many people, Beacon Hill Park does not like me walking through it. Recent examples...



SPLAT! Ugh! I'm hit! May Day! May Day!

Fucking shithawks!

Look at them... sitting up there, so smug, above me and ignoring my fist shaking! I give them a good telling off anyways and tried to make the most of the white streak down my black sleeve.

Honestly though, if I was a seagull, I'd be doing the exact same thing. ;-)

Onwards I go, walk for a while... Suddenly I hear: CRA-WRAAACK!!! LOOK OUT!! HEADS UP!!!

SWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!

WTF was that?!

Oh...




Fortunately, the ball didn't come too close but close enough for me to wonder why the hell do I visit this park?

Between the above and previous years of 'fun', which includes: stepping into fresh, and I mean still steaming, horseshit... while wearing sandals; tripping face first and completely into a duck pond and being followed around by a very vocal and very horny donkey... the place is a Bermuda Triangle of bad luck and embarrassment for me.

On the brightside, the view is inspiring (eh, Jayne?).

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That's My World Tuesday... spring blizzard!

Walking to the grocery shop... it's May and it's snowing.








Or, is it?







Ha ha ha... fooled you all, didn't I?
Humour me. ;-)



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That's My Sunburnt World Tuesday...

Ahhhhhh... great weather this afternoon; sun, fresh ocean air and not too hot... perfect. I spotted a couple of bald eagles while walking along the water. I saw this eagle fly from some rocks (look at that wing span!) and...




... land up on a set of lights, joining another eagle. See them in the top left?




I get closer...




And closer...




And even closer...



I so badly want a very zoomy lens and some 30 SPF sunscreen... Look at them, looking at me and licking their chops. I think they could smell my flesh sizzling away.

If anyone is interested in some live web cam views of some nesting bald eagles and their eggs and/or wee babies: Hancock Wildlife Foundation's eagle nest cameras.


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