Rooftops at Dusk

The thing about this picture is that it is so typical of Victoria in that when we left the house it was POURING rain, the kind that drenches you in minutes but then within an hour, gone. The sky, washed clean was the most intense blue. -Fern

On My Daily Walkabout

Normally you associate these mailboxes with country roads but here and there people have put them up in the city. These are on the side of a big old house that's been turned into apartments, like many of the character houses in Victoria. The thing that always strikes me about them is the numbering and I can't help but think to myself, "4,3,2,1 BLAST OFF!"

Red-winged Blackbird

Here's another old friend whose rich warbling fills the spring air - especially at Rithet's Bog, where I photographed this one on Thursday. This is a male Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus). I saw about a dozen of these staking out territories amongst the bullrushes that line the bog. Their song at this time of year is one of my favorite bird songs - it always sounds to me like someone just bursting with happiness.

Pacific Undersea Gardens

Above is what's missing from yesterday's photo - the Pacific Undersea Gardens (as it was a few years ago). It used to occupy a prominent place in the Inner Harbour just offshore from what is now the Robert Bateman Gallery (housed in what was originally the CP Steamship Terminal). The Undersea Gardens was closed recently and towed into the Upper Harbour at the Point Hope shipyard (left and right). It was a picturesque building and it will be interesting to see how its absence affects other activities on the causeway.

What's Missing?

Above is a photo of Victoria's Inner Harbour taken yesterday, looking a bit gloomy under heavy gray clouds. It's clear there's no sun and very few sauntering tourists, but they'll be back in a while. There's something else missing, something that won't be back. Take a guess before you scroll down to see what this scene looked like in years gone by.