The little shop in the woods...

In the tiny community of East Sooke, down a little driveway...

...just below the 'big house'...

...is the tiny little studio / shop called 'The Wren House'...

It's run by a most talented mom and daughter team of Val and Leslie Speed.

Leslie is an incredible lino-cut artist and makes these charming pieces of 

scenes depicting birds, trees, houses and rural life...

Her mom Val, uses vintage wool blankets and sweaters, recycling them into

pillows and framed artwork featuring the sweetest birds and other images...

Val also has quite a green thumb and cultivates many boxwood and rosemary plants...

A small group of other artists have joined in the festivities of Val and 

Leslie in celebrating the 1st anniversary of the studio / shop opening...
Bonnie Coulter, Angela Menzies, Barb Ferguson and Norene Schmuck...

I've brought a few of my creations as well... 

So if you're in the neighbourhood of East Sooke, drop by for a look
and some scones and brownies and hot apple cider...

...and as Stuart McLean says...
"we may be small, but we're big."
5701 East Sooke Road...down Gillespie, turn right at Bill's store and it's just down the road.

Song for Friday...for the future

I went to visit my great Aunt San yesterday.

She was my grandmothers sister and grew up on Saltspring Island.

We went and had tea and cookies in her little apartment and asked 

her about the old days and she told us stories of growing up there.

I later wondered if one day my nieces will come to see me

and look into my aging eyes, asking me questions of the 'old days'...

It put me in mind of this song...

Have a great weekend all...

Tuesday's colours...red and white

Mushrooms have been popping up all over the place.

More than I've ever seen in the usual places.

Especially these Amanita's...

There's been word around that it's going to be a cold winter and 

nature has shown some signs.

More berries on the shrubs, more acorns on the trees.

Maybe the abundance of mushrooms follows suit...

Possibly nature's way of ensuring survival by way of producing more than enough.

Whatever the case may be, it's a marvel to see.

Even with all of their deadly attributes, they are beauties as well...

Buzzy...

...wee bees...

...wee fruit box...

...wee bee skep...

Now buzzing away in my etsy shop

Saltspring...one more

One more bit on the further adventures of Saltspring Island...

After we left the old homestead, Irma suggested we go down to Burgoyne Bay

by the sea before catching the ferry.

Needless to say we found more heritage heaven on the way and

never made it down there!

As soon as we took the turn down Burgoyne Bay road, we saw this old beauty...

The lady who lives across from it told us it was probably an old storage shed for

the dairy that used to take up a large portion of land along this road.

...definitely a skilled stone mason used all kinds of bits and bobs in this creation...

We were reminded of old world buildings which always peak interest in our quest

for stories of days gone by...

 Next to this building was a curious, round roofed shed, probably

used to house tractors, plows and such...

Once again, craftsmanship, craftsmanship, craftsmanship!

All beautifully wrapped in history and mystery...

Further on down the road was yet another icon of the dairy.

We figured this one was the main cow barn where the herd was fed

and possibly milked.

Standing tall, containing the ghosts of farmhands and dairy maids...

These grand old barns are being taken care of and lovingly restored to

once again tell their tales through the words of the remaining elders

who remember a much quieter, slower time in the farming industry...

Finally, this building, surrounded by the golden days of autumn...

Needless to say, by the time we had poked around here for a while

we had missed our intended ferry and ended up on the later one.

A small price to pay for discovering another link to the pioneers

who settled here and helped 'grow' this island.

This whole farm property is a park now and has been left for others

 to explore and wonder whilst wandering.