ATTENDING A MUSIC EVENT AT BUTCHART GARDENS.

 On Saturday afternoon we joined Richard, Robin and Georgia and Robin's sister Nancy and husband Brian at Butchart Gardens.  We took a picnic supper, chairs and blankets and set up on the grass near the bandshell.  We took a walk around some of the gardens before and after supper while waiting for the band to start.  After the band finished Aileen and I wandered around in the dusk/dark looking at the lighted displays.

Late afternoon at the sunken gardens.

Japanese Garden.

Peek-a-boo out to the ocean.

Another section.

This was the original personal garden kept the way it was.

This was neat!  I have no idea who the young guy is but he and his wife were celebrating their 17th wedding anniversary.  Their kids sent them on a treasure hunt and one of the items they needed to get was a photograph of people married longer.  At nearly 56 years I guess we qualified.  Aileen and myself left and rear with Nancy and Brian.

The band played jukebox hits from the 50s, 60s and 70s and were very talented.

The sunken gardens late at night.

The sunken gardens late at night.

The sunken gardens late at night.

The fountain.

CONTINUING OUR VISIT IN VICTORIA.

 

Immature Bald Eagle

Immature Bald Eagle

Immature Bald Eagle

Immature Bald Eagle

Wednesday sailpast.

Wednesday sailpast.

Wednesday sailpast.

A seal below us while we were watching the sail boats.

Wednesday sailpast.

Wednesday sailpast.

Wednesday sailpast.

Wednesday sailpast.

Wednesday sailpast.

Wednesday sailpast.

Wednesday sailpast.

Bumble Bee settling in for the night.

Red-tailed Hawk.

LEAVING THE COWICHAN VALLEY AND MOVING ON TO VICTORIA, LAST STOP THIS TRIP.

 We moved down to Victoria Tuesday and are again parked in our son's backyard.  There are several beach access points nearby so we get to at least one of them everytime we go for a walk.  Yesterday, Richard and Georgia joined Aileen and I on a road trip along the west coast road out past Sooke.  The view across the strait is of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State.  We had a nice mostly sunny day and managed to find an ocean view for lunch.  Richard and I did some geocaching and found seventeen of them.  

Today's photos are all from my phone.

Ferry coming from Saltspring Island to Crofton.

Drought distressed leaves turning colour already.

Drought distressed leaves turning colour already.

Crofton Harbour.

At Osborne Bay Park, people have packed up shells from the beach.

Crofton Harbour.

Crofton Harbour.

Crofton Harbour. 

We stopped here at Mill Bay for lunch and a nap for Aileen.  I noticed there was a geocache nearby so I found that.

Russian Sage is a popular garden plant.

Along the waterfront in Victoria.

Along the waterfront in Victoria.

A few of the many sailboats playing in Cadboro Bay the other evening.

Getting into semi rainforest conditions along the west coast road.  Hemlock on the left and Spruce on the right dwarfing me.

Fishboat Bay.

These Cedar trees growing together were fascinating.  Richard took my picture again.

Chicken of the Woods fungus.

American Brown Fomitopsis fungus.

American Brown Fomitopsis fungus.

SPENDING TIME IN THE COWICHAN VALLEY.

 Back to where I grew up until I was fifteen.  One day I grabbed a geocache that was about 200 feet from our old house.  Our 100 acre farm has been cut in half by a highway.  On one side, where the house and barn were is now part of a golf course and the geocache was at the edge of the golf course.

We are enjoying our time here getting out on some trails and roads geocaching.  One evening we took Neil and Carol with us to do a night geocache in the woods nearby.  That was fun!  Then Neil drove us around to do a night cache along some rural roads and that was even funner! (I made that word up)   Yesterday we went on a road trip geocaching and gathered up another 27.  This past Thursday we joined some of our old RV group at their monthly lunch in Nanaimo.  Nice to catch up with them.    We plan to get together with one of the couples tomorrow evening for cards.

We haven’t decided our next bit of travel but are keeping in mind the difficulty of leaving Vancouver Island from Victoria currently.   One of the major ships is down for repair and that is causing an extreme lack of available sailings.  Even if we go to Victoria with the motorhome for a few days, we will probably have to go back to Nanaimo in order to get a sailing.  Time will tell.

Harebell.

Harebells on the edge of the cliff along Harris Creek.

Harris Creek.

Harris Creek.

Harris Creek.

Evening at Maple Bay.

We found an Arbutus tree with my initial.

We found an Arbutus tree with my initial.

A tortured Arbutus tree.  It grew up and fell over then the top part rooted and continued to grow.

A tortured Arbutus tree.  It grew up and fell over then the top part rooted and continued to grow.

Looking down on a farm from a viewpoint on Stoney Hill.

Looking from Stoney Hill out to Cowichan Bay where you can see a freighter in the notch.

Geocaching brought Aileen and I to this pretty spot.

Arbutus tree with its peeling bark, a natural process which happens every so often.

Large pool, beautiful reflections along Harris Creek.

Harris Creek.

Maidenhair Ferns along Harris Creek.

Harris Creek.

Harris Creek.