CRUISE SHIPS IN VICTORIA IN LATE EVENING THEN MOVING DAY.

One night we were out for a drive and Aileen wondered if there were any cruise ships docked in Victoria.  I checked my Ship Finder app and sure enough, two ships were in port.  Since it was very busy we had to park a long distance away and walk there.  Even though it was quite late in the evening, ship passengers were riding around in carriages and pedal carts and walking around the streets.

On Friday we hooked up the Jeep to the motorhome to drive up to my brother's place in Errington.  But then the Jeep wouldn't disengage the transmission.  We tried various things including a call to the dealer.  in the end, Richard drove the Jeep, stayed overnight then I drove him back Saturday morning.  I have an appointment with the local dealer tomorrow to see if the problem can be rectified.  The drive on Friday was not a great one as there was a traffic delay leaving Victoria and a much worse cluster just north of Nanaimo.  I barely moved for most of an hour.  I don't think there was even an accident to blame, it was just the volume of traffic that was compounded by so many vehicles passing on the right shoulder then butting in up ahead.

BEACHED SEAL ENJOYING A SUNNY MORNING.

Sooke Potholes Park.

Sooke Potholes Park.  This would have been an epic photo if I could have been on the far side by the bubbles shooting back at the double waterfall but the area was heavily fenced off.  All I could do was look through a hole in the branches from above.

The sunning seal.

My what a big mouth.

Levitating.

Hind feet.

Can I help you sir?

Perennial Sow Thistle.

A bit of fog in Cordoba Bay.

A bit of fog in Cordoba Bay.

A bit of fog in Cordoba Bay.

Coastal Hedge-nettle.

Coastal Hedge-nettle.

SITTING ON A BENCH AT CATTLE POINT THE OTHER EVENING HAD ITS REWARDS.

A river otter in the ocean.  He had just come across some rocks and the water was flying from his coat.

A river otter in the ocean.

A river otter in the ocean.

A Least Sandpiper.

Seal.

Seal.

A river otter in the ocean.

A Lady Beetle.

DID THE HERON CALL ME?

I was hanging around the motorhome yesterday when I suddenly felt compelled to go to one of the local beach accesses.  After I got out of the car and was walking toward the stairs down to the beach, I spotted this heron.  I took a few photos from the top of the stairs and when he seemed unconcerned, I quietly started descending one step at a time.  When I got to the bottom I noticed the hole in the root wad and slowly edged my way over until he was framed.  He flew when someone surprised him or maybe he got tired of my presence.  A guy from Nigeria came along and we got chatting so  I showed him my framed heron and he got excited and asked if I would do one of him so I did.

Great Blue Heron.

The man from Nigeria.

During our walk last night, I heard this Anna's Hummingbird chattering at us.  Since it was getting a bit dark, it was difficult to spot against the tree background.  I was able to move around and isolate it against the sky.

WE WANDERED AROUND IN A COUPLE OF LITTLE NEIGHBOURHOOD MINI PARKS THE OTHER MORNING.

Warning! the seventh photo is a wee spider.

This is the seedhead of a dogwood tree after the flower has fallen away.

Yarrow.

Coast Leafcutter Bee.

Mullien.

Tree Lavatera, Mallow.

Drone Fly.

Some type of Orbweaver Spider.

A half framed rose.

Western Honey Bee.

Yellow Jacket.

Yellow-haired Sun Fly.

A ray of sun caught this lily just right.

A ray of sun caught this lily just right.