A Time for Reflection

In the solitude of an overcast day, a long gull sits in silence. Across the water sits the majestic Olympic mountains that are today obscured by fog. It is a silent time, but a good time. It is calm, the sun casts a gleam on the water and all is well. It is a time for reflection, which is good for the soul. Have a great weekend. Take some time to smell the roses.

Ron

Winter is on its way

Living in Victoria and watching the national news, it is hard to believe we are in winter. From the interior of BC to Newfoundland, we see reports of snow, bad road conditions for driving and other problems. As it is very green in the winter, it is hard to relate to the winter that the rest of Canada gets. When we look at the Olympic Mountains just across the Strait of Juan de Fuca and watch the snow caps build, it is our reminder. Word has it that it might snow this weekend. Good thing is, if it last more than two days, we are really in winter. Come for a visit and see why we live here. Winter in Victoria is much easier to take.

Olympic Mountains

The end of November is often frequented by high winds and seasonal downpours, however this year has been exceptionally mild. A couple of days ago I was near the water in Esquimalt and took this picture which shows the majestic Olympic Mountains which are now snow-capped. They are giants and rise right out of the sea (Juan de Fuca Strait). The water was calm and made for great picture taking.

Fun in the Sun

On a glorious sunny November day I went down to Dallas Road which is the ocean front street along Juan de Fuca Strait. A young man was launching his parasail and his buddy was launching his sailboard. The parasail shot out into the Strait almost out of site, then back and forth to shore and out again into the strait. As his buddy moved out into the strait, I managed to catch the two of them passing each other. It looked like a lot of fun and the water was sparkling blue in the full sun. My sister lives on a prairie lake and it has frozen up. Not so in sunny Victoria.

Sea Lion Caves

If you travel west from Victoria, just past lost creek is a trail that leads down to the water where some sea lions have taken up residence. This is unusual because they don't often set up home on shore as opposed to an off shore island. In the winter, hundreds of sea lions take up residence in Juan de Fuca strait. If you go to Race Rocks Light Station, you will see hundreds of them. They are fascinating, especially when you see them underwater. The trail to the caves is somewhat of a secret. The "Secrets of Victoria" has a detailed map to the cave. It is a flat trail until you cross the Juan de Fuca trail, then it drops rapidly towards the water. It is not an easy trail as can be seen by the picture shown here. It gives you breath taking views of the strait and you can get pretty close to the sea lions. People are encouraged not to get too close as it bothers the sea lions. That is why it is not advertised as a stop along the Juan de Fuca trail.