Winter

It was unseasonably cold here for several days - we even had a light dusting of snow - but it has warmed up a bit the last few days though still damp and cold. Here's what it looked like along the West Bay Walkway this morning.

Worth a Second Look - 8

Yesterday's photo reminded me of another photo I posted a year earlier, in 2010, entitled "Curiosity". This photo was taken at the Harbour Ferry stop in the Inner Harbour. The two boys were excitedly peering at the anemones and other undersea plants/animals that grow on the underwater parts of the dock while their parents were sitting placidly on the bench behind them. Here is the caption I attached to the photo at the time:

Though we never really lose our curiosity completely it does seem to be one of those characteristics that fades as we mature. I suspect it has to do with the growth of confidence and decisiveness. You can't act with confidence unless you feel sure that you have a firm grip on the nature of reality. There is no place for wonder in such a state of mind. Yet curiosity is what enables us to explore the world, meet new people and learn new things, a process that should never end.

Autumn on Work Point

Cold nights lately are making the leaves turn. Here's what it looks like on Work Point, the westernmost end of the Inner Harbour.

Love Locks?

On the rocky shore below the West Bay Walkway is this strange construction of flotsam and jetsam that has lately been attracting those mysterious people who like to put padlocks on fences at significant locations. Someone told me that lovers who plight their troth like to mark that pledge by locking a padlock at that location as a symbol of their undying love. Hmmm...

Lunch With A View

Victoria has a number of seaside restaurants that boast a nice view but for my money the best of them is Red Fish Blue Fish below the old Customs House on Wharf Street. Judging by the lineups at this place, the food is great; if it's even half as good as the view, it must be. I've not eaten the fish but the chips are excellent.

Weather

We've been having a lot of weather lately and a lot of skies like the one above. Sometimes it'll be overcast then the sun will break through then it will rain then the sky will clear again and the sun will come out. It'll be autumn cold one day then summery and warm the next. I'm not complaining - it could be earthquakes and tornadoes and though the rain is hard on cameras, it's good for the forests.

West Bay Walkway

I've been neglecting one of my favorite spots this last few months so I returned to the West Bay Walkway for a stroll this afternoon. It offers such great views that I enjoyed revisiting it again immensely. Here we see the Coho car ferry leaving the harbor on its afternoon trip to Port Angeles, Washington.

Smoky

Looking towards the entrance to the Inner Harbour, this is what Victoria looks like today. Lots of forest fires in BC - according to a Global News report, the smoke that is turning Victoria orange is likely from the Pemberton area (Near Whistler Mountain).

More Teak than a Thai Forest

Here's a couple of quick glimpses of what's available down in the Inner Harbour this Labour Day Weekend. It's the Victoria Classic Boat Festival.

Free Hugs!

I couldn't let summer pass without posting a photo of two of my favorite causeway regulars, Mike and Marcia, who distribute free hugs to anyone who wants or needs one. They make a great contribution to the atmosphere around the Inner Harbour. If you want to find out a bit more about these two generous spirits, visit their blog by clicking HERE.

Bobbo the Clown

I just spent an hour watching Bobbo the Clown make people laugh. He's a very funny performer with a non-stop stream of one-liners and surreal balloon creations. Kids, as you can see in the above picture, stand, watch, listen and laugh and when they finally walk away they are wearing big grins as well as funny balloon hats. Bobbo's been doing this for a long time and he does it very well. If you see him, don't just walk by. Trade a few quips and you too will walk away grinning.

Phat Funk

You may notice a slight orange cast to the colors in these photos - we are suffering from smoke from forest fires so the light is a sort of ominous yellow-orange. Couple that with higher than normal temperatures (about 30 degrees C when these photos were taken) and it sounds like a prescription for finding a cool, shady spot to rest. None of that deterred this group of young musicians who bounced around producing some high energy music so stimulating that a large group of small children couldn't help but dance. (See the short video clip below)

Nonplussed

Usually when I go down the Inner Harbour it looks like the photo above. But when I went down late last week to photograph all the boats that had come for a special event what met my eyes was the scene below.

The Special event, of course, was the international yacht race called the Swiftsure. For some reason I had got my dates mixed up and thought the race didn't begin until the following day. All the boats I came down to photograph were out at the race.

The Postcard

As I was leaving the causeway yesterday I thought I might as well grab a postcard view of the Inner Harbour, something I have photographed many times. It's always different. Here's what it looked like on an overcast late afternoon in May, 2017.

Youngest Busker

This is the youngest busker I've seen this year but he was providing some interesting cello music last weekend on Wharf Street. He was quite intent on his music. People may wonder if it's safe for a boy as young as this to be out on the street performing. His City of Victoria licence is visible clipped onto his music stand. What people may not know is that to obtain a licence, any street performer under the age of 16 must be accompanied at all times by a parent. And indeed, just off camera to the right both this boy's parents were in watchful mode to ensure his comfort and safety.

Fisherman's Wharf

Fisherman's Wharf was busy over the long weekend too. That crowd on the right are watching the harbour seals, a popular attraction.

Pierre St. Pierre

While passing the Causeway this afternoon I was happy to see that an old favorite has returned to our city. This is Pierre St. Pierre working his mysterious magic on a young tourist. The lad is, I'm sad to say, appropriately dressed for this cold spring.

Signs of Spring - 2

Though Sunday afternoon was bleak and gray, here's another sign of spring on the Inner Harbour - the first busking musician I have seen this year. I think his fingers must have been getting pretty cold after playing for awhile. Mine were getting numb by the time I had taken out my camera and snapped this shot.

February Flashback

I find as I age I am turning into a fair weather photographer. For me, photography requires a bit of a meditative state and when it's cold I no longer have the patience to stand around and get it right. So, until it warms up a bit more we'll have a look at some photos from the past. The dramatic shot above is from February 2009. It's already starting to have some historical significance - in the center of the photo you can see a blue Telus phone booth. There used to be a couple of these on the Causeway but once everyone started to have mobiles they were removed.

Family Day

Today was family day in BC and as it was sunny and (for this time of year) warm (about 8 Degrees C.)lots of families were out for a stroll. Here's what the Inner Harbour Causeway looked like on Family Day 2017.