Ooo, errr!

Seen while out and about today:



I thought it was especially funny cos I have a Norco bike with a flat tire leaning against the wall at the foot of my bed. ;-)

Back. And a Boat.

I've decided that I like to blog. I think. Decisive as always...

...


The other day, I was out and about in my car when I saw a big-ass boat! I couldn't get close to it since it was moored pretty much at tourism ground-zero (traffic/people congestion hell) so I drove over to the other side of the harbour and looked at it from the other side.





According to the local news... it's 'The Pallada' a Russian tall ship (no shit) on an expedition retracing the 'discovery' of Russian America by Russian sailors 270 years ago. It sailed from Russia on July 1st towards Alaska and then down the coast to Victoria then soon it will be off to San Fransisco, then Honolulu, then Japan, then home.

A few tall ships show up in the harbour every year and Victoria usually hosts a 'Tall Ships Festival' (though it's been cancelled this and next year as people/organizations can't afford to get here thanks to the crap economy) but I never tire of seeing them.





They're fantastic!

Danger on the Streets

Victoria BC style...







;-)

Now THESE are hummmingbird piccies!

I was out walking with my camera yesterday and woohoo!!! I saw a wee hummingbird zip across my path so I stopped and looked and looked and ah-huh! found it perched in some brambles. Unlike my previous post about a hummingbird, yesterday was sunny (better light to see their iridescence), I had my DSLR this time and a zoom lens on it and I could get much closer to it.

Result! Here are four photos - I took about 50! lol. I've uploaded the original sized photos - so do click on them to enlarge them. The detail is great.

A hummingbird when the light is not quite right.

"Hey! Are you taking my piccie?"

The colour in those feathers is amazing.

Iridescence, full on! Lovely wee bird.

I Spy...

...with my little eye...

A humdinger of a day!

Today while out on a leisurely stroll, I heard that sound. That low and lovely vibration of a hummingbird. I see and hear them a lot but it's often fleeting, more like, 'ooo, there goes a hummingbird!'

However, today I got a very nice treat! This hummingbird buzzed overhead and landed in the brambles right beside me. I stopped and watched... lovely. A 'Anna's Hummingbird' and a very tame one! And! I had my camera! I sloooowly get my camera out of my pocket thinking the birdie will shoot off at any moment. But nope, the birdie was still there, so I took a piccie.



Then, I hedged my bets and flicked the switch to 'video'... and OMG! The birdie is still there! So I filmed this:



I get sore arms holding my camera at a weird angle and so stop the David Attenborough impression. I say thanks to the birdie and walk on. As I do, I tell a couple walking towards, that there's a hummingbird there. They stop and watch it... cos it's still there!



Then I wait some more and see that they've told another couple... it's still there!



Aww. It's lovely to see the pleasure of a wee, teeny, widdle bird can bring.

I wish the pics and video could have captured the hummingbird better. Especially the red iridescent throat and forehead. Alas, it's an old cheap point and shoot that I had... it has it's limits, as do I! But here's a wonderful video another local got out his kitchen window of the same species building a nest over ten days last spring. It's gorgeous.



When I lived in Britain, I was so surprised to learn that there were no hummingbirds there. I shall pack and release some when I next visit. ;-)

Christmas Cloud

The other day I was driving along Dallas Road (a stretch of road that follows the ocean shoreline) and I saw this UFO cloud. Oooooo! And I had my camera. So I pulled over, parked, got out and snapped a few photos.




As I stood there admiring the view and inhaling the fresh sea air, I got this sensation... like I was being watched... eyes burning into the back of my head. I turned a 180 and ah-huh!





Merry Christmas and Happy Doodads, Everyone!

:-)

Rithet's Bog

Today I went to Rithet's Bog which is a real wetland bog and not Mr Rithet's loo. I know you were thinking it. ;-)



"Rithet's Bog is the last of seven large bogs on the Saanich Peninsula. Many generations of the Tsawout people of Saanich traveled yearly to the bog to harvest bog cranberries, Labrador tea and Sphagnum moss, and to hunt ducks and game.

The 42-hectare Nature Sanctuary, named for R. P. Rithet who farmed this area, was donated to the people of Saanich by the Guinness family in 1994. It was previously drained for agricultural use, but is now being conserved and restored to optimize its biodiversity and recognize its heritage value for the benefit of present and future generations." (from here)

Yes, that Guinness family.

It's just north of Victoria, in Saanich, which is in 'Greater Victoria' ... make sense? Anyways... it's not that far away but I have avoided the area because Shithead Psychologist's office is right across the road. I had a terrible experience with Shithead Psychologist in the summer of '09 and just didn't want to be reminded. I guess I got over it cos here are some piccies of Rithet's Bog!

Looking very bog-like, with a nice cloud.




Bullrushes taller than me.




Icy bog.




Like usual, whenever I go to conservation areas, I never see one wiggle of wildlife. Here's the only beast I saw...




Oooooo, one of those really rare Mallards.... and he lands outside of the park, in a ditch, along the road. lol! :-)




Some lingering snow.

Bog-woman feet.

Oh... and while I was leaving the area, I drove by the Shithead Psychologist's office and flipped 'em the bird and yelled many bad words. :D

Sweaty Sunday: Snowy Monday

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

It's snowing today in usually snow-free Victoria, BC! I love it! I love it! I love it! Everything is so quiet and pretty. Lovely.

It's also my 'running' day but no way in hell was I running it that! But I did go out for a nice wander with my wee point and shoot. Some piccies:

Here's Moss Street, not looking very mossy, but very pretty.




I thought the old heritage houses looked especially lovely.






The local solar powered parking metres... Looking at the mound of snow on the panel, I'm guessing parking is free today!



The local tattoo studio looks very quaint and jolly in the snow! lol...




There's always one, isn't there.




I just love how the snow brings out textures and shapes.




And colours.




The requisite shoe view:




And me, feeling happy in the snow:

Pumpkin Post

Last week, when I went to Island View Beach, I drove through an area where there are a lot of farms. That large building in the centre of the photo is a country market, selling all sorts of local produce, bales of hay, fresh eggs and, of course, pumpkins!

At this time of year, pumpkin patches are very eye-catching and are visited by families so that the kids can select pumpkins to take home and carve into jack-o-lanterns for Halloween. Brings back a lot of fond memories!




The customary blog drive-by shot:




Other people just go the grocery stores to get their pumpkins. Along the way I passed a tractor hauling a load from the field to the barn. I suspect from there they are trucked to local shops.




And yesterday, I was at a local grocery store and the pumpkin bins were out and full up! I just love that (small things, small minds...). Aren't they gorgeous?




This hefty pumpkin is the subject of a contest:




'Guess the weight and win!' said the contest dude.

'Win what?' I asked.

'Why, you win the pumpkin!'

'Ha! What would I do with a 300lb pumpkin!?'

But really, I already knew... I'd do this:

;-)

What would you do with a 300lb pumpkin?

Shoes, Views and Lepers

The other day, I had to take Rusty to his doctor. His 'engine fault' light was lit up and he was due for an oil change, some brake fluid check and a prostate exam... so, off to the clinic. After I picked him up, I decided to go for a buzz up the highway. Weee...! And ended up at Island View Beach.

There, I saw lots of driftwood:




dried seaweed:




wet seaweed:




pretty seashells:




nice sand:




and a salmon that's seen better days:




I did look up at times! And here's the view to the right:




The view to the left:




And straight ahead:




Straight ahead but zoomed so that Mt. Baker can be seen better:




Grim historical fact: One of the islands seen out there is D'Arcy Island and it was once the Chinese leper colony for Victoria and Chinese lepers from the rest of Canada (ie; the railway workers). They were sent there to essentially die... while Joe Whitey lepers were sent to other leper colonies where they received care.

On the plus side D'Arcy Island is now a national park. Part of the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve of Canada.

Otters

A while back, while walking along the water, I saw the otter that I usually see. Then I saw him again and again and again - popping up here and then there and then back over there. WTF?! It wasn't the otter... it was him, his beloved and their sprogs! I was seeing a family of otters; six of the wee weasels!



There's been an otter living here for a few years but this is the first year I've seen a whole family. Sweet, eh?



Sorry about the crap photos. Not the right camera for the job. Here's a crap video of them (same crap camera!). The otters are on the big rocks: