The reward...

Today was a grey, wet March day but it didn't stop Norene and I

from taking the dogs to the beach...

It was one of those days where forever the lens on the camera

has raindrops on it and there's nothing you can do about it.

We have come for a ramble and the wet weather has made things shine in their own way.

The rain shows off the colours in the rocks beautifully...

...all sorts of treasures in fact are somehow more intense on this dull day..

Empty crab shells don vermilion coats...

...kelp all dressed in amber and ivory...

Whats left of the chiton mollusk shows off its robins egg blue interior and segmented outer shell...

 Lots of kelp anchored to rocks and shells...

Delicate pink kelp standing out on the pewter stones...

 The swirly grains on the driftwood, art in it's own right...

How about this odd little treasure that Norene spotted...

a rubber fish who had obviously been in the sea a while...

because it had a tiny shell attached to it's tail!

The seagulls didn't seem to mind the weather at all...

This giant log has been here forever it seems...ever since I can remember it's been

 anchored in the rocks...

But all of this hard walking for half an hour on big slippery rocks was not done for nothing.

You see, we came to get a reward .

Can you see them in the distance?

The big, wide low growing grey bush up ahead is full of...

Pussy willows!!

Big fat fuzzy ones!!!

We picked till we couldn't fit anymore in our hands...

All in all a most gratifying walk even on a miserable March day such as this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Saltspring Island revisited...

Last year around this time of year I made a pilgrimage of sorts to

Saltspring Island, the pioneer home of my Great Grandparents, The Cairns.

You can read about those adventures here.

Tom and I took a mini two day holiday there

a few days ago and found it as beautiful as ever.

The summer tourists have gone home now so the ferry ride

over from Victoria was quiet...

As we came into Fulford Harbour, you could see the maples already turning gold...

We booked a sweet little cabin called Spindrift on Welbury Point.

They are one of many holiday spots that take dogs. I think a lot of  people want

to travel with their pets and the owners of these places are listening to what the people are asking for.

 No phone, no t.v, no wifi...

 Fully equipped kitchen, books and CBC radio...

What more do you need?

First order of the day was a walk out to the point...

 Lovely trails through Arbutus and Douglas fir down to the water...

Two little sandy beaches, excellent for swimming in the warmer weather, I'm sure...

But some will swim at any time of the year!...

After our walk we decided to do a bit of touring around and ended up in one of the

Islands oldest cemeteries which has many of the first Japanese inhabitants buried there...

 I love these places...the history mixed with the mystery of those who've gone on long ago...

Next we went on to a place that Irma and I found last year on our pilgrimage.

This is a place I could spend hours taking pictures.

They are old dairy barns, falling to ruin but trying to be saved by the locals...

The area has been turned into a provincial park called Burgoyne Bay and when

budget allows, these barns will hopefully be preserved to help keep

the story of the pioneers alive and known to future generations...

 I believe I'll do a separate post just on the close ups I took of hinges and weathered

wood, otherwise this post will be VERY long winded with photos.

In the meantime, lets walk down to the bay...

 As we walk, I'm gladly haunted by the clip clop of dairy herds who used these roads.

Of now silenced flocks of chickens in the yard...

Up into the fields where cattle grazed out lazy, summer days on the island...

We'd been exploring and walking most of the day...time to bring some food back to the cabin and

plan our wanderings for the next day.

Stay tuned!