Antique Eye Candy

There are a number of stained glass windows here and there throughout Craigdarroch Castle - one in the smoking room features Sir Walter Raleigh smoking a pipe - but I find the one pictured above to be the most attractive. A hundred years ago when there were no big-screen tvs or brilliant HD monitors, something as bright and colorful as this window must have been very satisfying.

Craigdarroch Castle IV

The amount of beautiful wood paneling through the castle is quite overwhelming. But is all perfectly fitted and looking splendid, even after more than a hundred years. Apparently all the woodwork was made in a factory in Chicago and then shipped out here and assembled. There are some fascinating details (see below)

Craigdarroch Castle III

One of the things that makes a visit to Craigdarroch Castle a pleasure is the way so many of the rooms have been furnished with period items and real attention to detail. Viewing these rooms is like a peek into the family life of an upper class family a hundred years ago. Above is the dining room table set for breakfast. Note the baby's high chair down at the far end. I am mystified by the odd-shaped item on the table that is pictured to the left. Does anyone know what that thing is? Below is another table laden with snacks and munchies up in the billiard room on the top floor.

Craigdarroch Castle

When I was posting some photos of the Italian Garden at Hatley Castle a week or so ago I mentioned that I intended to take a look at Victoria's other castle, Craigdarroch Castle. Both of these local castles were built by the same family, the Dunsmuirs. The coal baron father, Robert Dunsmuir, built the one pictured above in 1890. One of his sons, James Dunsmuir, built Hatley Castle in 1908. We'll have a closer look at Craigdarroch later in the week.

Chinese Cemetery

I went to Harling Point today to work a little more on landscape photography. The point is also the site of the Chinese cemetery which has been closed for many years though it is still maintained. Pictured above is the altar where memorial ceremonies take place. The cemetery site was chosen according to careful interpretation of Feng Shui principles and it does seem to be a special place.

Landscape Photography Fail

I don't take anywhere near as many photos as I did a few years ago. Then I would routinely come home with 2 or 3 hundred shots. Now I think I work a little harder to get it right before I click the shutter. However, I still have some shots that just don't do it for me. I thought it might be interesting for you to see a shot that doesn't do it for me. There's two things that don't work in this photo - one is the sky - there are some lovely wispy clouds but they are all focused/aimed at the horizon, not the lighthouse. Secondly, the main leading lines that do focus on the lighthouse are the road lines on the ground. The only trouble with these is that the road is not a very interesting object in itself - it's a little cracked and junky looking. I'd prefer a dirt track with some grass and dandelions, etc. I'll be interested in any comments on this photo, especially in comparison with yesterday's photo (taken the same afternoon).

The Postcard

I'm not a very adventurous photographer - usually what I strive to achieve is picturesque rather than striking or unique and this shot is a good example of what satisfies me.

Garry Oak Learning Meadow

A few years ago Fort Rodd Hill was little more than a preserved coastal defense site. But in the last few years new features have been added that make it more interesting, educational and relevant. One of my favorite new features is the Garry Oak Learning Meadow, a garden area stocked with a wide variety of plants that are a part of the Garry Oak Ecosystem. Above we are looking at the entrance to the meadow through its attractive new gate. The learning meadow is well worth a visit quite aside from the other attractions of the park and there is usually a helpful Parks Canada person there to describe how and why the meadow was developed.

Fisgard Lighthouse

Under blue skies and bright sunshine I went out today to Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Site. I was pleased to discover that in celebration of Canada's 150th Birthday this year, all National Historic Sites have waived their admission fees. The entrance fee to Fort Rodd Hill has always been quite modest but the feeling that I could come back again, often, subtly changed the tenor of my visit, so that I was able to concentrate on one part of the site and reserve the rest for further visits. Above is a slightly different view of the Fisgard Lighthouse viewed from Fort Rodd Hill.

Fort Rodd Hill - Garry Oak Learning Meadow

Just above the tenting facility pictured yesterday is another relatively new project at Fort Rodd Hill, the Garry Oak Learning Meadow. As well as fairly common wildflowers such as the Buttercups and Camas Lilies in the photo above, there are less common indigenous treasures such as the Red Columbine on the left. In addition there are personable Parks Canada staff working in the meadow who are very knowledgeable and happy to provide information about the Garry Oak Ecosystem.

oTENTik

For the last couple of years Parks Canada has offered tent accommodation within Fort Rodd. The tents are visible on the upper right of the above photo. It seems that it might be a fun and relatively inexpensive idea for families with three or four young children who want to spend some time "camping" in the historic park environment and avoid most of the work involved. You can find out more about the program by clicking HERE.

Fisgard Lighthouse

Regular visitors here will know that I never miss a chance to photograph our famous local lighthouse and last week was no exception. Usually I try to see it f rom a new angle or in dramatic weather but for this shot I opted for the classic postcard view. Fisgard Lighthouse shares its grounds with another National Historic Site, Fort Rodd Hill. This photo was taken from the top of the cliffs where the Fort Rodd Hill gun emplacements are. There's lots to see out there and we'll have a look at some new developments later this week.

Carr House

It's been several years since I visited the house in James Bay where Emily Carr grew up and spent much of her adult life. When I stopped there last Sunday, however, I discovered it is only open during the tourist season from May until September. A National Historic Site, it's well worth a visit. It's a lovely old house still looking as good, I'm sure, as when our most famous artist lived there.

Fisgard Lighthouse

By the time I had walked out to the lighthouse the fog bank had blown clear - you can see its remnants off to the right.

Fisgard in the Fog 2

Along the shore there are some aspens or poplar trees whose leaves are just turning into coppery disks that shiver in the slightest breeze.

Fisgard in the Fog

Those of you who visit here regularly will know my fondness for the Fisgard Lighthouse. Thus you will understand why I was happy to see it on a foggy morning recently. I have not photographed it in the fog previously so the first thing I did when I arrived at the Fort Rodd Hill/Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Site was take some shots of the lighthouse. It was only later I noticed the Steller's Jays and the deer romping around.

Fisgard Lighthouse, Again!

The last couple of days' posts have been from a days' shooting out at Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse during May 2010. Aside from the pleasure of spring colors the reason I've been spending time in that archive is to find and prepare one of the photos taken that day for a Canadian Geographic Magazine special edition on National Historic Sites and National Parks. Another photo of the Fisgard Lighthouse, slightly different from the one above, has been shortlisted for the special edition and a hi-resolution copy was needed. The photo in question is one that originally appeared on this site May 23, 2010 and you can see it by clicking HERE. The reason I'm posting the photo above is that although it is nearly the same as the one I submitted to Canadian Geographic, I think I prefer the one above....

$2,000

That's what it cost to build this house in 1903. It was designed by architects Thomas Hooper and C. Elwood Watkins. It's my favorite house of those I see on my morning walk and, despite its rather dilapidated appearance, it's a remarkable house in that it is one of the few privately owned houses in Canada to have been declared a National Historic Site. I think the main reason I always end up stopping to look at it is that I like to dream about fixing it up, though it did undergo an award-winning restoration in 1976. It also looks like a comfortable and interesting house to live in though it doesn't appear currently to be occupied. I hope it will soon be in the care of someone who can give it the attention it deserves.

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Historical information about this house was drawn from "This Old House," Volume 1, a publication of the Victoria Heritage Foundation.