Janet Brien's photos

(+10 insets!) (View Large!) (Please scroll down to "Today's Pictures" for image information) Trip Talk: The Installation of our Pullrite Continues! I am married to the handiest man I've ever known--other than my father of course! It's said that men marry women that most resemble their mothers and women find those who have traits of their fathers. Think about it…is that true for you? I always considered my father to be a superhero…he could do anything, fix anything, create anything, and he was my personal hero, protecting me and teaching me as I grew up…he was the most amazing person to me, so it's no wonder that I found Steve. He shares so many of my father's most admirable traits! With the same caliber of brilliant mind as my father, Steve is totally amazing with creative solutions and problem-solving. In regards to our truck's hitch, Steve seized the opportunity to research and zero-in on exactly the right hauling solution for us. He learned that it would cost $500+ to have the Pullrite installed--on top of the expense of the hitch itself. Wondering if it was possible to do the installation himself, he watched a number of videos which showed exactly how a handy person could do this job and save the money. Though tricky and requiring some exacting work, Steve was totally confident that he could do this himself. As he expected, the job has been more difficult than what he learned in the videos and installation how-tos. Nobody ever talks about the physical weight of the various parts, nor does anyone mention the awkwardness of working around a truck's underpinnings. We were both overjoyed that the most critical--and unforgiving--step of the job went perfectly! He had to use a hole-saw drill to cut a round hole through the bed of the truck, which needed to line up perfectly with the installed underparts of the hitch. There could be no error. The strength of the truck's bed depended on this cut being exact, and he nailed it! What he didn't count on was the poorly added suspension bar that he encountered when he came to another critical point in the installation. An important part that needed to slide into place…couldn't. There was something in the way and upon scrutiny and comparison to videos and pictures, Steve learned that the previous owner put in a bar as part of their own hitch setup--it needed to go! This removal project added hours to the installation but he was successful and very pleased when he was able to complete the important step he'd been working on initially. The Pullrite is nearly 75% installed now and Steve's delighted at how things are going. Yes, it would have been a much faster job for a professional mechanic to do, but being able to do this himself is incredibly gratifying and satisfying for Steve. Don't we all feel best when we can achieve a very challenging and important goal?! Down the road, as we pull our trailer around the country, we'll have that extra glow of knowing that part of our hitch solution came because Steve is such a handy guy! Hooray! :) Today's Pictures Among flowers, few are as popular as the rose. With over 300 species and well-over 1000 cultivars, the variety of these flowers is completely mind-boggling. You may be surprised to learn that roses are native to most areas of the world, though the largest number of native species are found in Asia. Here are a few other things you may not know: not all roses have a scent! The act of hybridizing new cultivars will often kill the scent in a rose, which must then be carefully re-hybridized to get the fragrance back! Also, did you know that a rose's fragrance is strongest in the early hours of the day and fades as the hours pass? (I found a really neat page with a list of interesting rose facts if you'd like to know more about these wonderful flowers. ) Naturally, Butchart Gardens had an enormous area devoted to roses of all kinds. Specifically, they have 7 types of roses, 280 varieties, 2,500 rose plants and 30 rose arches! Upon arriving, you sort of have to just stand there and gawk with glazed eyes, while drool gently trickles down your face. Preposterous! The rose in this main image is one that I particularly liked because of the wide panorama view as it looks out over the splendiferous (Thanks, Keith! *high five*) view beyond--which includes a lattice fence covered with more roses! By the way, my many presentations of Butchart Gardens has finally drawn to a close. Truthfully, I could process another 25-50 winners but honestly, 100 pictures is enough already! Believe it or not, we actually visited more than just this incredible place on our 5-week adventure around Vancouver Island! :D So for now, I hope that you enjoyed the show. If you ever had a question about the high price to visit (US for Summer was $27 for the day; www.butchartgardens.com/rates prices are less at different times of the year), I hope my pictures and commentary have convinced you to build a trip with Butchart Gardens in mind as a delicious destination for you. Without question, we will be back. It was an incredible experience and I'm so happy that I could share a small taste of what it was like to be there. Inset 1: this shaded-cotton-candy-pink rose is totally perfect in my opinion with its elegant petals and marvelous details! I'm so happy I found it so I could share it with the world! Inset 2: a classic open rose in tints of pink and white with a warm glow of gold in the center, you have to wonder how in the world it was developed this way! Inset 3: an unusually-shaped peach rose with pink outer petals leaned down from its bush so I could freeze its beauty for immortality. Inset 4: glowing like a beacon, a bright red and yellow rose beams radiantly in the fading afternoon light. Inset 5: Steve posed for me in one of the many arbors around the rose garden. Inset 6: Wait! This isn't a rose! No, it's a gorgeous yellow and gold rudbeckia! (I would have filled this last presentation with roses but I had extra pictures from the rest of the Garden so here they are!) Inset 7: what a wonderful surprise to find a Bucket List Bug! :D This little beauty is a Candy-Striped Leafhopper sitting on a golden rudbeckia…what a beauty! Unfortunately I wasn't able to get the best pictures but this one turned out pretty well. Inset 8: this is the other picture I got of a Candy-Striped Leafhopper after it hid on a shaded petal. The image is dark and grainy but I wanted to share it anyway because I'm so happy I found one of these marvelous insects! Inset 9: you may remember the coleus leaves I shared on the first day of my presentation. That one was highly filtered, but this is the original; I'll include the filtered version below this picture for comparison. Inset 10: last but not least, this is the entry sign for The Butchart Gardens. It, like everything else about this park, is lavish and beautiful! Pam, do you have any roses on your property? We have a number of them out front and one in back, but I'll admit that I don't care for them at all. They're rather a mess but the flowers are wonderful! I love to step out in the morning when their fragrance is strongest and bury my nose in their petals. Thanks for all of the great comments you've been leaving for me, I'm so glad you've enjoyed the Butchart Garden show and I'm with you--I'd LIVE THERE if I could, lol! Here's hoping you're having a good day! *BIG HUGS!!!* Explored on 10/19/19; highest placement #6.

(+10 insets!) (Please scroll down to "Today's Pictures" for image information) Trip Talk: Upgrading From a Bumper Pull to a Fifth Wheel Trailer...or is that a Gooseneck Trailer? Our Grey Wolf is what's called a "bumper-pull" trailer. They aren't ideal in a towing sense because a truck cannot utilize its full power. Also, maneuvering is much trickier and they are not as stable. However, they are the usual type of trailer people start out with because most trucks have a bumper hitch and if they don't, installation isn't a big deal. Our new trailer is the higher-quality version called as a fifth-wheel. It gets the name because of the type of hitch it has. There's another type of hitch called a gooseneck but those are more commonly found on livestock and commercial trailers. Finally, there are hybrid hitches which are a blend of the two. TERMINOLOGY: bumper-pull, fifth-wheel and gooseneck (because you know you're curious!) Bumper-pull (also known as a "drag-along") : a trailer that connects to a towing vehicle usually by a square, sliding receiver located below a truck's rear bumper. Fifth-wheel: The term comes from a similar coupling used on four-wheel, horse-drawn carriages and wagons. A more-detailed answer, including a diagram is found on this page: Why is it Called a Fifth Wheel? Gooseneck: arched like a goose's neck and swiveled to the motor unit. Wait. Aren't fifth-wheels and goosenecks the same thing? That's what I thought, but there's a big difference. The trailers themselves are the same--it's the connection to the truck that's different. Trailers with a fifth-wheel hitch slide forward into a heavy-duty, jaw-like coupler seated on the bed of the truck. Trailers with a gooseneck hitch connect by lowering onto a ball socket coupler. Each type works extremely well, though goosenecks are reputed to be slightly better. To see pictures and read more detailed explanations, this article is perfect! Goosenecks vs. Fifth-Wheel Hitch Since our truck is only set up for a bumper pull trailer, we need to add a hitch that will accommodate a fifth-wheel trailer. That meant a lot of research to understand the difference between each hitch type and ultimately, which was the safest and most reliable. In the end, Steve learned that hybrid hitches have the best aspects of fifth wheel and gooseneck hitches without the negatives, so right now he's outside beginning the install of our new SuperLite Pullrite hitch. When we get down to our RV dealer to pick up our new trailer, it will only take about half an hour to upgrade the trailer's hitch to work with the Pullrite. Then we'll have a marvelous hitch that is capable, quiet and safe! Today's Pictures We were staggering around Butchart Gardens when I happened to look up at one of the countless hanging planters that resembled a burst of fourth-of-July fireworks. I stopped in my tracks and exclaimed, "STEVE, LOOK! BLACK PETUNIAS!!" I gazed in disbelief. I've seen "black" flowers before. They're dark purple. These flowers were a rich, velvety black and only where the sun shone through the petals could you see a hint of their deep purple origins. Absolutely phenomenal. Steve and I took pictures with reverence and attracted a small crowd when each person saw what we were so excited about. I don't know about you, but I've never seen a truly black flower like this before! Incredible! Inset 1: a gorgeous ring of deep pink blossoms ring a lacecap Hydrangea. At the top you can see the tiny fertile flowers--the larger blossoms are actually infertile. In fact, the petals are sepals--the tiny buttons in the center are the flowers! I didn't know that this kind of hydrangea doesn't become a ball of flowers. Those are called "mophead" or French Hydrangeas. Inset 2: a macro of the jaw-dropping Stargazer Oriental Lily, showing the beautiful burnt-orange anthers which are brimming with pollen for visiting insects to carry away to other flowers. Did you know that the pollen can cause very hard-to-remove stains?! I had no idea! Inset 3: here is an entire group of Stargazer Lilies that we saw at a glassed-in garden. There were several large observation openings for eager photographers which we thought was really cool. It was no surprise there was a line of people taking turns to stare at and take pictures of the lavishly planted conservatory! Inset 4: These remind me of tiny purple Brussels Sprouts! I don't know what they are, but you cannot deny this is a pretty sight as it arced over many more behind it! :) Inset 5: a spike of lovely deep ruby-pink flowers overlooks many dozens behind it! Inset 6: I nearly passed by these clusters of white flowers before I stopped and took a closer look. WOW! Aren't they sensational? I thought they might be a kind of "Pussy-Toes" but no, these white beauties are called Ageratum and come in lots of different colors! Inset 7: this magnificent ruby-centered golden hibiscus was on a bush that was totally covered with flowers. All around it were dozens of planters, each with its own ridiculously profuse display of hibiscus! Inset 8: an elegant pink and purple fuchsia with a background dotted with purple-flowered bokeh! Inset 9: I ask you: have you ever seen such an incredible planting of flowers and ornate foliage in your life? Try counting all of the species…I found 22 types of flowers and foliage plants. Outrageous! Inset 10: finally, this is a pristine lawn found in the Sunken Garden. I'm glad it's off-limits to people so that we can see these amazing swaths of color without anyone in the way. Here you can see what I was talking about when I mentioned the huge carpets of flowers…it's all just mind-boggling! Pam, I know that you have a gorgeous collection of bearded iris but I don't remember if any of them are a "black" variety. I've tried to grow various species of black flowers before but every time I'm disappointed because the flowers are just a dark purple at best. Still, they're gorgeous and I was very happy to have them! I hope all is well with you, it's just starting to rain…a big storm has finally rolled in as forecast, and it's going to be here for several days! We're hoping that things dry out a bit by the time we drive down to pick up our RV! (It's hot and dry in LA…as usual!) Many *BIG HUGS* from southern Oregon! Explored on 10/17/19; highest placement #2.

(+10 insets!) (Please scroll down to "Today's Pictures" for image information) Trip Talk: Great Timing, Tub Transfers and Preparations! The RV we chose for our home on the road is so popular that only a few are available across the country. In fact, the one that Steve got to walk through wasn't even at the RV show! The manufacturer, Keystone, had only just delivered the rig to the RV seller that morning. It was still at their receiving facility, waiting to be shuttled to the show for display. After Steve described the sort of trailer we were after, the lady he was talking to took him around to a few units that fit our needs but she couldn't find the one she really wanted to show him. Eventually she realized that it wasn't on the grounds yet, but told Steve it was only 15 minutes away if he'd like to check it out. It was the first day of the show so Steve made plans to go see it the following day, which he did. He was totally delighted and sent me lots of pictures--I was immediately smitten as well. When the best choices were compared, we decided this was the winner. The reason this is cool is because our RV was not at the huge show, though it would have been. The show was so popular that instead of getting a few thousand visitors each day, they got over 10k every day! That translates to a lot more people tromping through units with potential damage and wear. When we made our decision to buy that model, we learned that we'd be getting the very unit that Steve walked through at their receiving facility! Totally pristine and unmolested by the hoards, hooray! It's extra cool that Steve has physically been inside our new trailer—how excited and happy we are! Within two weeks, all of the financial and prep work will been completed. Then we'll be able to drive down to pick up our new RV and since it will be a trade-in (hooray! ), we'll be taking our Grey Wolf, dropping it off and switching over to our new RV. We are so excited! It's also going to mean moving everything from the old trailer into the new, so we'll be getting a bunch of tubs to help in the transfer. We'll put everything into these containers before we leave and when we arrive, we'll just carry them into the new trailer, easy as pie! Happily, we don't have any excess junk with us so we won't have to spend any time going through our stuff and pulling out the excess clutter. The pieces will soon be coming together! :) Today's Pictures You may not know the love affair I have with echinacea, but let me tell you...this flower and its zillions of hybrids totally steal my heart. They are so photogenic and have such lovely details that I lose my mind when I find a garden brimming with blossoms. My first introduction to echinacea was years ago when Steve and I were on a bike and rode past a garden full of hybrids. I nearly flew off my bike for lack of attention to the task at hand! We did an about-face and returned, where I proceeded to spend the next 20 minutes going crazy with my camera. Since then I am always on the lookout for these beauties and of course Butcharts had bunches of species to swoon at. What can I say about this crimson beauty?! ALL BOW BEFORE ITS RADIANT BEAUTY! It's even got a "sweep of hair" to add to its loveliness. I got many pictures of others around it but this one is the queen of all she surveys. The moment I saw this picture, there was no question about her presentation...and now she has stolen your heart too. :) Inset 1: a magnificent golden echinacea with others in bokeh behind...oh my heart... Inset 2: this purple petunia was glowing like neon with the afternoon sun shining through its petals. The background is added candy that makes this a favorite for me! Inset 3: on the way in and out of Butchart Gardens is a pathway lined with decadent plantings including a parade of hydrangea that would knock your socks off. Here is a stunning trio of blossoms paving the way for the enormous ball of flowers to come. Incredible! Inset 4: cascading down from their hanging planter, these begonias were lit by sunshine that warmed their petals and made them look like Mother Nature's most beautiful lamps! Inset 5: I was lucky enough to get a nice picture of this pewter-colored damselfly as it sat on a golden echinacea! Inset 6: the sun shining through this begonia's petals made the original image look so overly saturated that I decided to turn it into art instead, muting the colors and giving a richer and darker background. Winner-winner-chicken-dinner!! Inset 7: a lovely lavender bud stretches up before a field of coral zinnias, what a sight! Inset 8: what a lucky day I had with insects! Here is Pine White butterfly sipping eagerly on a stalk of yellow blossoms...I don't know what species they are though. (do you know??) Inset 9: another plant that makes me fall over and float away are hostas! So many varieties, colors, textures and sizes, the only bummer about them is the required shade they need. As Steve and I headed up a path above the Sunken Garden I turned and looked into an inset area next to us and couldn't BELIEVE the vast carpet of hostas and other gorgeous plants growing pristinely below. Are they not breathtaking?! *swoon* Inset 10: Butchart Garden has their own incredible computer-controlled fountain, which mesmerized all who gazed upon it. Cycling through many formation of elegant displays, Steve and I couldn't help but wish we could see it lit up at night in a rainbow of colors, accompanied and tracking some beautiful classical piece. If you have ever been to Las Vegas's Bellagio Hotel, you will know the incredible fountain show they have. The experience left me sobbing from the incredible beauty and emotional performance and every time I see this show (they have many), it threatens to reduce me to tears once again. Please, do yourself a favor and end your visit with me by clicking on this link to see Bellagio Fountains: Time to Say Goodbye show. Bring tissues. Pam, have you tried growing echinacea in your garden? The native species is supposed to be quite hardy but I wouldn't know...the few I've had are merely deer and squirrel food! I hope this bright and sunny day is the same for you my dear! *BIG HUGS* from southern Oregon! Explored on 10/15/19; highest placement #1.

This lovely, undulating fountain was quite the spectacle to watch! You can find out more about this beautiful water feature here: Ross Fountain

(+11 insets!) (Please scroll down to "Today's Pictures" for image information) Trip Talk: OMG We Bought a Brand New RV, Are We Certifiable???! Yep. We did it. I am the first person to tell you that buying a new vehicle is a total waste of money because the second you drive off the lot, it's worth a lot less…and it only plummets from there. So WHY in the world would we drop such a chunk of change for a new trailer, when we know full-well that we're throwing crazy amounts of money into the wind? We did it mostly because the RV industry is notorious for hiding damage, flaws, problems and issues. It is nearly impossible to find these faults and everything that comes up must be repaired by the owner or by a shop. It's expensive and time-consuming no matter how the issue is fixed. If you buy a new RV with a good warranty, it's not our problem. It's theirs. What I haven't told you is that on our Vancouver Island trip, we suffered an extremely frightening and potentially dangerous frame failure while on the road. When we were arriving at Campbell River--exactly two weeks into our six-week trip--Steve noticed with great concern that the trailer was leaning to the left. We pulled into a Walmart parking lot to take a closer look. Crawling under the trailer revealed a badly bent frame that was so warped and crumpled that both of us thought our trip was over right there. I'll talk more about this on a later post but long story-short, a local welding shop saved the day and allowed us to continue our trip and get home safely. That being said, the underlying worry of developing more structural damage made an indelible impact that was never far from our minds. Every "travel day", where we drove from one camp spot to the next, was filled with worry and tension because we could no longer trust our trailer. We were so relieved when we finally got home without any incidents! And yet, our trailer had totally let us down. We initially thought the build-quality was good enough for at least a year of use while we wrapped our heads around long-time RV travel. Instead, we got a serious reality check about the difference between a "weekender" RV and a "full-time" RV. Thinking about what might have happened in a worst-case scenario made us realize that we needed to get away from that trailer as soon as we could. Truthfully, our plans were to upgrade to a full-time trailer within a year or two. We were going to use our Grey Wolf for at least another six months or so but our narrowly avoided disaster changed everything for us. What price do you assign to the lives of you and your family? What's that? "Priceless" is your answer? Exactly. And THAT is the real reason why we bought a new trailer. Today's Pictures Today's main picture showcases one of my favorite things to photograph: shadows. I am forever stopping to gaze dreamily at dappled shadows on trails we walk on, and leaves captivate me when I see shadows creating lovely shapes on them. As Steve and I slowly made our way along one of the many explosively colorful paths of Butchart Gardens, my eye was immediately drawn to the shadows of a fern cast upon a richly-colored peach geranium (Thanks to Neira-Dan for identifying the species!) I don't know about you, but I find it very difficult to capture nhe magical quality of shadows because I think you need to see them in person to get the diaphanous effect that's happening. I was able to capture some of what I saw, though the reality was even more spectacular! Inset 1: this is my last lucky hummingbird picture, and it's feeding on gorgeous blue penstemon blossoms. Be still my beating heart you pretty little thing! Inset 2: I used to think that "ordinary" wax begonias were so boring. These dazzling red flowers which resemble coins to me, totally vindicate themselves of a description of blasé! Inset 3: how is it that I've never realized that begonias have such incredible foliage?! I've noticed their pretty leaves in the past but Butchart Gardens knocked me to the ground. This picture is just one example of the outrageously gorgeous leaves these plants can have. The park was overflowing with countless shapes, sizes and color combinations of leaves…I couldn't believe the variety! Inset 4: what a gorgeous group of fiery orange impatiens! This group was part of a huge plot completely covered with blossoms! Inset 5: here's another picture of a punch-drunk bee pigging out on flowers and not caring at all about the huge black thing hovering so close to it! Inset 6: this enormous pair of Elephant Ears was growing within a massive planting at the Mediterranean Garden. I just love the wonderful shape and texture of the leaves! Inset 6a: I made another version of the Elephant Ears with a darker background. It's more dramatic but maybe too distracting? Which version appeals to you more? Inset 7: I think this lovely blossom must be a white begonia, as there is a crimson one in the background and there are plenty of white begonias that look just like this one! Inset 8: in addition to having a staggering garden, Butchart also has their own little harbor! In fact, half of the park is surrounded by waters from Brentwood Bay, called the Tod Inlet. This is a view of the Butchart Cove harbor through a natural window created through a thick hedge! Inset 9: this is a view of Butchart's dock. If you can believe it, the docking area that leads out to the bay is designed for the pickup and drop-off of sea plane passengers! Inset 10: this is Butchart's little fleet of cute little tour boats. They offer 45-minute ecological trips around the Tod Inlet during the summer and if lucky, passengers might get to spot sea otters and many kinds of birds and other wildlife. Pam, one of the things I most admire about you is your creativity. Seeing the shadows cast upon the begonia in the main image makes me think about you because I'm sure you would have gone crazy if you'd seen the lovely shadows on these flowers! I sure do hope that you're able to get back to the point where you can once again create the marvelous artwork that comes from your heart, because it's part of what makes you complete. Maybe you'll need to change how you do things but I have a feeling that it will be possible! *BIG HUGS FROM SOUTHERN OREGON* Explored on 10/12/19; highest placement #1.

Trip Talk: We Will Need Another RV… So Steve Went to the Largest RV Show on the West Coast! Steve and I are serious about going on the road full-time, but what that also means is that we need a better RV (Recreational Vehicle). We've learned so much since we got our RV and a critical point is that we have a "weekender", not a "full-timer" RV. Industry companies have several tiers for each of their models and they vary DRASTICALLY in quality. The businesses themselves are also vastly different in policy, quality, and customer support. From the frame to every last detail, a trailer can be a "low price-point" build that is utter and complete garbage (not that first-time shoppers would have the slightest clue!), all the way up to substantial and extremely high quality across the board. However, RV companies are notorious about hiding bad workmanship behind the shiny exterior. It may be hard to believe but spending more money does not mean you are guaranteed a better RV. Steve and I learned that even the most luxurious RV can be a total lemon because every single RV is hand-made by an industry starved for a workforce which is ultimately a hodge-podge of labor which ranges from literally "never-held-a-hammer" to wizened professional. In other words, each trailer must be scrupulously inspected from top to bottom and anyone who plans to get an RV seriously needs to do their homework before buying. Bottom line: these companies are all about making money and most don't care if they're putting out actual road hazards as long as they make bank. Buyer beware. This being said, we found out about a 10-day RV show here on the West Coast and thought it would be the perfect opportunity for Steve to get some serious first-hand research done. The hope was to narrow down the choices and figure out which trailer(s) would be right for us as a full-time rig. We decided it made better sense for me to stay home with Steve giving me the important details, so this past Sunday he drove down to the show and on Monday he started his research. The California RV Show was totally overwhelming! Over 1,000 RVs of all sizes, shapes, price-points, 37 dealers selling them, and bunches of other companies selling all things RV-related. You'll want to click on the link above if you want a tiny idea of what that crazy place is like. Let's just say that Steve's eyeballs have been rolling around in his head from the enormity of it all! Steve went with a job at hand so he didn't look at anything that didn't fit in our criteria, and even still, it took him two whole days of looking, scrutinizing, hours of talking, and figuring out what made sense for us. However, after all those long and exhausting hours of focused energy, Steve has been successful in his research! There are a couple of different models from a pair of companies which meet our needs and now it's just going to be a matter of time. Much needs to happen before we get a different RV but finally we have a real understanding of what's out there, which companies are total crap, and which are more trustworthy than others. Even though we have plenty of RV dealers around here, it's been amazing to see, first-hand, the offerings from just about every last RV company out there. Yesterday Steve spent his last day at the show with his sister, who just recently bought a new (used) trailer to replace her old one. They had a great time looking around and checking out all of the fun trailers and options out there. And this evening Steve will be home! Hooray! :) Today's Pictures The begonia in my main image was part in one of the hanging baskets that we found in the main courtyard inside Butchart Gardens. So outrageously colorful, don't you think?! I think this is called "Glowing Embers" and certainly comes by the name perfectly! Until we came to this park, I had absolutely no idea that begonias came in so many varieties! They are truly remarkable flowers. :) Inset 1: here's another glorious banana leaf. Just can't get enough of these beauties! Inset 2: such a lucky shot of this bee in a purple haze! Inset 3: this is another one of the hummingbird pictures that turned out well! Inset 4: did anyone say, "breathtaking begonias"? Sheesh…what a bunch of divas. :D Inset 5: I'm such a sucker for pond lilies! I believe this is Nymphaea 'Andreana' Inset 6: another jaw-dropping begonia, this time in variegated red and white! Inset 7: this golden echinacea was just one of dozens that glowed brilliantly in the sunlight! Inset 8: I noticed movement when I was leaning in to take a picture and look what I found! This is a Northern Alligator Lizard! :D This species is also found in Oregon but I think the only kind on our property is the Southern Alligator Lizard. Inset 9: a single lavender blossom against the bokeh of a pair of cream-colored zinnias! Inset 10: a small army of lemon-colored marigolds looks out on a vista of beautiful flowers as far as they can see! Pam, have you ever been to an RV show or a really huge RV lot? They are so overwhelming! When I was a kid my grandparents would take us kids to the San Francisco Sports and Boat Show every year and I remember going into every single RV and boat, pretending that I was picking out the exact one I would have as my own. What about you? Did you do that as a kid? I have to say…it's pretty exciting when it's for real! :) It's our plan to eventually end up on your doorstep with our new on-the-road home so you can see it for yourself! :) *sending all my love* Explored on 10/10/19; highest placement #4.

Where did I go? I've been busy with my metal detector! You may have noticed that I'm not posting as often as I usually do. At one point I was posting every day when I was working on my Pictures for Pam project. Though I'm still dedicating my pictures to Pam I'm not posting every day. I'd like to but I'm just too busy with other things going on around me. The biggest culprit is my new metal detector, a wonderful present which I got a few weeks before my birthday. With that, my attention has been pulled away while I go snooping around our property looking for treasures. I haven't found many special items but I have found a few things: my year-lost bracelet, a fancy chrome show collar for a dog, some old tools, a quarter one of us dropped in our meadow years ago, several corroded pennies and even an old rusty motorcycle chain! The majority of what I've found is metal junk: nails, screws, bolts, washers, wire, and…exploded bombs. STOP THE BUS! WHAT-WHAT-WHAT?!! DID I SAY EXPLODED BOMBS?! YES!! I kept finding these chunks of totally corroded metal all over the place and couldn't figure out what they were. So I searched online for any information I could find. I posted a picture of the metal shards on a metal detecting forum and of all the odd luck, a fellow who lives less than two miles away replied and told me exactly what I was finding: artillery shrapnel circa 1942-5 from Camp White, which was a temporary WWII training camp. At one point there were over 50,000 soldiers there in training. The US government purchased the entire area around we live, including about 10 miles in total, which they used for training. The whole area is littered with the results of their artillery fire. A lot of what I've found is buried several inches down or deeper, and that's because when Camp White was disassembled, crews went around and turned the soil over the whole area to bury the majority of the shrapnel. Is that crazy or what?! So anyway, my attention is severely split. I have, however, been working on my pictures and the bottomless pit of amazing images from Butchart Gardens is just unbelievable! Looks like I'll have a sixth set of images to share because I can't stop processing them! Today's Pictures My main picture today was a wonderful surprise! Steve and I were wandering around and suddenly I saw a hummingbird zoom in for some nectar! I believe it's a Rufous but I'm not positive. I did my best to take a bunch of pictures but I really had no idea if any would come out. SURPRISE! I have four winners to share, two of which I'm posting today and the others in my next presentations. :) Inset 1: another winner from my hummingbird attempts! Inset 2: a very busy bee, delirious from the amazing flowers, is an example of the vast number of happy insects there at Butcharts! Inset 3: a gorgeous banana leaf glowing in front of translucent greenery at the Mediterranean Garden where Steve and I had our picnic! Inset 4: this lovely hydrangea looks like a mini pink tree! Check out the shadows!! :D Inset 5: a leaf abstract showing the glowing, translucent details of some of the foliage at the Mediterranean Garden Inset 6: an artistic view of the whole leaf and another in its mature form…these may be two different plants though! Inset 7: this is not your ordinary begonia! I saw this and nearly fainted! Who ever SAW such an incredible begonia?! Soon after we began walking along the first path leading into the heart of Butchart Gardens, we saw a covered area that had about a billion flowering planters hanging from the structure. This was "Begonia Bower" and I was utterly blown away by the mind-blowing collection. I didn't get a picture of the area but I found one for you to see at Butchart's Facebook page. Seriously, I could spend days taking pictures in that lovely little spot! Inset 8: mottled magenta Lobelia (I think) with a red petunia glowing warmly in the background…this is a picture of some flowers from one of the outrageous flower baskets found everywhere in the park. Inset 9: although this isn't the best picture, it shows one of the hanging baskets I've been telling you about. If you want to have some fun, just try counting the different flowers and decorative plants that you can see. Mind you, the other side is equally stuffed with more species! Can you even believe it? Now, consider what I've been saying…the park has literally hundreds of these hanging baskets and planters totally overflowing with these explosions of color, shape and texture! Every single one could be studied and photographed for hours. Getting an understanding of how ridiculously amazing Butchart Gardens is? Trust me, you have NO idea! :D Inset 10: this is a stunning pond that, like the Mediterranean Garden, resides outside the main park, bordering the parking lot! It gave a tiny clue of what we were about to see inside! Pam, what species of hummingbirds live in your area? We have quite a few species, though I think I have pictures of Rufous adults and juveniles. They are so darn cute. And each is a flying jewel which is so very special! You've been on my mind and I hope all is as well as can be! *BIG HUGS* Explored on 10/07/19; highest placement #2.

Trip Talk: Eavesdropping and Fun Conversation at Butchart Gardens While Steve and I were enjoying our day at Butchart, I noticed a young girl concentrating on aiming her phone camera at a flower. Next to her was an older man and I heard her say, "Oh, look at this one!" The older man, I guess her grandfather, was watching with a smile on his face. "That's a beauty!" The girl replied, "Do you think mom and dad are going to be worrying about us?" Leaning into a flower for his own picture, he answered, "No, they knew what would happen if both of us went off with our cameras, there's only one Butchart Gardens!" I had to laugh as I meandered on…they got that right! While Steve and I were stumbling around in the Sunken Garden, Steve saw a couple taking pictures of each other. Whenever he sees this, he walks right up and offers to take the couple's portrait, and this pair was very happy that he offered. Steve gave them modeling cues and made a joke to get them to laugh for their photo. I was focusing on the imageI was taking but couldn't help overhearing their snickering and the happy chatter from the couple. We wandered down the path together and talked about the park and pictures until parting company at some point. Later on we ran into them again and it was fun to say hello. What an amazing place to be. Today's Pictures I had a really hard time choosing which picture should be my main one--they are all such a bunch of screaming divas! I finally just closed my eyes and picked at random. It turned out to be another Candy-Striped Gazania, this one in yellow and red with a very shallow dof. The enormous patch of gazanias we found threatened to shackle me to the spot…I just couldn't get enough of these ridiculously colorful flowers! (I've included an inset of the other gazania picture I shared) Inset 1: a pair of purple-blue Lobelia against a sea of flowers transformed into colorful bokeh Inset 2: a brilliant orange and red Marigold in front of many others Inset 3: a perfectly pink Impatien Inset 4: an ornate coral and white Impatien with a group of back-up beauties Inset 5: a hot-pink Impatien in a pack of others Inset 6: here's a punch-drunk honey bee crawling around on Lantana…there were so many insects enjoying the bounty offered by the Garden's millions of flowers! Inset 7: another glowing abstract of a Canna leaf Inset 8: more lovely curls from the succulent I saw when entering the park Inset 9: a carpet of colorful Coleus Inset 10: a human-sized chess set! I enjoyed watching this boy heft pieces around on the board. Apparently one of the pieces wasn't there judging by the sign, "We apologize for the missing chess piece. It is currently being repaired." Pam, have you ever tried growing flowers like gazanias? I'd like to at some point but won't bother until we can have a garden in a cooler setting and without critters I have to fight with! I hope you're having a good day. It's rainy and cold here today, not lovely like Butcharts! Explored on 10/04/19; highest placement #11.

(+10 insets) (bigger is better for lovely details!) Trip Talk: Macro photography at Butchart Gardens: you can't see it all through your macro lens! Anyone who loves macro photography knows how long it takes to photograph a small area. If you're photographing really small stuff like tiny mushrooms, lichen or itty-bitty bugs, a few feet can take an hour. Flowers in a compact, colorful garden will keep a person busy for many hours. Now, just imagine the idea of trying to get pictures of all the various flowers, plants, art, architecture and people in an immaculately kept garden that sprawls across 55 acres. In other words, there is no way, no how, that a macro photographer is going to get images of even a small fraction of that real estate. It ain't gonna happen. What's a person to do? Well, you just do your best. It was a good thing that Steve kept pulling me along by my ear or I would have never left the parking lot to enter the actual Garden! Seriously, everywhere I turned there were 100 more things yelling for my attention! No, I didn't get a close look at everything in the park. But we did visit all of the different areas and I did get to spend many hours taking pictures of hundreds of flowers and countless other cool sights! Today's Pictures My main picture today shows a pair of Fuchsia "dancing ballerinas" and a row of buds, set against a sea of bokeh. Throughout the park were endless enormous pots exploding with color, and wherever there was a place to hang a planter, outrageous displays cascaded to delight the eye..the combinations of flowers and colorful foliage plants was incredible! Like I was saying above, I could have spent an hour just taking pictures of exactly ONE of these huge arrangements. When I saw this hanging planter, I couldn't help making these pretty ladies the star of the show! (By the way, there are over 120 kinds of Fuchsias and there were dozens represented at the park!) Inset 1: This is a group of Calibrachoa flowers, often confused as small petunias. They are related but not the same, yet nearly everything else about them matches. Easy to grow and care for, they churn out blossoms like crazy for an entire summer and come in a billion colors and combinations (There are about 25 species). At the park, these were often parts of lovely, multi-species planter displays, but I found this group celebrating their singular, outrageous beauty! Inset 2: I'm going to guess this is a Camelia, though I don't really know for sure. This was another kind of flower that has about a billion species! Ok, well over 200 anyway, and never in my life had I see so many kinds! This one was glowing at me and I was only too happy to give it some love! Inset 3: The lovely Japanese Garden was such a delight to stroll through, and I really loved this fabulous Sturgeon Fountain, sculpted by Sirio Tofanari , an Italian artist known for his animal sculpture. Inset 4: When Steve and I entered Butchart Gardens, one of the first things we saw were planters filled with Hibiscus plants, all of which were covered with huge blossoms in several colors. Because the red was really vibrating against the green behind, I chose to desaturate the background and add a strong vignette! Inset 5: As the evening began to make itself known with the sun getting lower in the sky, I looked up and saw this tree glowing at me and stopped to gawk. I got Steve's attention and together we did our best to immortalize this lovely tree. Inset 6: Camas leaves just kill me…they are so incredibly beautiful when the leaves are open, and yet, just look at how amazing the unfurling leaf looks! Be still my beating heart! Inset 7: I used to think Hydrangeas were boring, ugly plants. That's because the two that grew in my family's front yard weren't given proper nutrients…one had flowers which were a sort of grey-green and the other was dirty off-white blechy pink. But here at Butchart, the flowers were electrifyingly bright and beautiful! In fact, this picture was bright to the point of being a bit blown-out. So I decided to play with my Topaz Labs' Black and White Effects filter suite. The effect I ended up with really makes me happy! Inset 8: Oh, don't you just LOVE Lantanas? I had a lot of fun playing with focal depth and bokeh with this image! :) Inset 9: This is another Camelia but this time in white with lemon! So pretty…there were countless bushes in many colors and I stumbled around like a zombie doing my best to get nice pictures of what I saw. Inset 10: After we got pictures of the glowing tree, I made my way out to a main path way and saw this jaw-dropping sight. It's too bad there isn't any way to totally do justice to the warm translucence of the flowers but at least you get an idea! Pam, I don't know what your favorite flowers are but I am confident we'd find them here for you, as long as they were in bloom! :D The insects…holy cow they were EVERYWHERE! It was quite the happy convention for a zillion happy critters and you'll see some of my attempts to get pictures when I get to posting them! I hope that you are getting some good results with your photography experiments! Sending *BIG HUGS* your way! Explored on 10/01/19; highest placement #2.

(+10 insets) (bigger is better for lovely details!) Trip Talk: Marvelous Butchart Gardens When I began to figure out the itinerary of our trip to Vancouver Island, there was one place we were definitely going to visit: Butchart Gardens in Victoria. Listed as one of the top 10 gardens in the world, this 55-acre horticultural masterpiece simply cannot be missed--especially for a person like me who's crazy about macro and flower photography! When I visited their website, the beauty and opulence of the grounds had me so excited that I could barely wait! Another reason we wanted to go was memorial in nature. Steve has often told me how much his mother loved Butchart Gardens. Although we could only take her there in our thoughts and hearts, we would dedicate the day to her. I wished I'd gotten to meet Steve's mom, but it felt nice to know we could go to a place that she loved so dearly. We hoped to avoid a weekend visit but ended up going on a dreaded Saturday. And as predicted, it was totally swamped with thousands of people. However, we were pleasantly surprised to discover that everything about Butchart was set up for huge volumes of people. From their uniquely organized parking lot to masterfully designed paths winding through the gardens, this place handled the enormous crowds easily with plenty of room for everyone! When we arrived, we were directed by a team of helpful attendants to our spot in the vast parking lot. Before walking to the entrance, we used a parking app that saves your location so you can find your way back to your car. We didn't need to bother. Butchart actually has every aisle of parking marked with an enormous brightly colored banner with an animal and a number to make it really easy to remember where your car is. We'd never seen this before and thought it was totally brilliant. (There's nothing like leaving a venue of some sort and realizing that you have absolutely ZERO idea where your car is in the literal acres of cars laughing at you…Steve has a story of wandering around a football stadium parking lot for HOURS before finally discovering where he'd parked the car.) There is nothing about this park which isn't beautifully manicured, elegantly designed, or perfectly landscaped. Both of us were totally blown away from the second we entered the parking lot…and by the time we arrived at the ticket booth we realized that Butchart Gardens was going to be even more incredible than we'd imagined. It turned out to be a totally mind-blowing experience and I would end up taking over 1,000 pictures during our visit! To be honest, I've been working on this folder for days and STILL I haven't taken a close look at most of the pictures! I recognize that I simply won't be able to process all of the "winners" that I captured that day. However, I'll have at least five presentations to share from our day at Butchart Gardens and hopefully you'll get a sense of this incredible place. Today's Pictures My main image is the classic, iconic display of Butchart's most dazzling gem and the heart from which this Eden sprang--The Sunken Garden. If you can believe it, this place was once a limestone quarry! Robert and Jennie Butchart built a cement plant here in 1904, but as the quarry was exhausted, Jennie envisioned a garden to take the quarry's place. Dirt was carried in by horse and wagon for literally YEARS in order to create this lovely place. As decades passed, more and more landscaping was lovingly nestled into the sprawling 55 acres. Eventually the entire estate was turned into different sections which include, among others, the wondrous Japanese, Italian, and Rose Gardens. It is a wonder, just standing there and looking down into that garden. But of course we did more than just look from afar. After all…I had my macro lens with me, heh. Inset 1: Gorgeous Lantana blossoms opening up in lemon and magenta…how incredible these flowers are! Inset 2: Be still my heart, it's Candy-Striped Gazania, *SQUEEEEE*!!!! Too beautiful for words!! Inset 3: This periwinkle blue Clematis stretches elegantly up to the heavens. I'm crazy about vining flowers and some day I would like to have an assortment of these huge favorites of mine! Inset 4: I noticed a large, unassuming succulent growing below a huge flowering bush and the flash of what looked like glowing tendrils immediately caught my eye. Upon a closer inspection I could see that these weren't tendrils at all, but a sort of fraying at the edge of the sturdy leaves. I love finding gems like this, it makes me feel like I won a prize! :D Inset 5: Glowing leaves are magnetic to me and these enormous and colorful canna leaves always blow my mind when I see them. Absolutely breathtaking. I cannot resist taking picture upon picture of these amazing plants! (more pictures coming in other presentations!) Inset 6: Everywhere you looked there were planters filled with collections of flowers paired with lovely foliage plants, and these rainbow coleus leaves were as pretty as the flowers they were accenting! I couldn't resist having some fun with them and I used a filter which intensified the colors and created a psychedelic glowing blacklight effect. (I have another version of this which shows the normal beauty of this plant but will have it in another presentation.) Inset 7: This ridiculously colorful gold and wine-colored rudbeckia stood by itself in front a wall of short, orange marigolds and screamed for attention, which I gladly gave. After I'd taken pictures and moved on a bit, I heard Steve yell, "OMG Janet, did you see this flower?!! It's incredible!" I looked over and grinned happily, as Steve was now falling all over himself to take pictures of the floral diva! :) Inset 8: After several hours stumbling in flower-filled ecstasy, Steve and I left the main part of the park and walked out to the parking lot to have our lunch. This grand display, just 100 feet from our parked truck, was the Mediterranean Garden, surrounded by a perfectly manicured lawn. How would you like to lay out a picnic blanket, spread out lunch and enjoy this sight as you nibbled goodies?! That's just what we did! Inset 9: As we brought our lunch into the Mediterranean Garden, we found a bunny enjoying the grass and we were delighted to see it hopping around while we arranged our lunch. There were many bun-buns in the Butchart Gardens and they weren't scared of people so they didn't instantly disappear and we could enjoy their cuteness! Inset 10: Throughout the park were many sculptures and tasteful artwork. I really liked this piece but its setting made the birds' pretty details hard to appreciate. So I challenged myself to see if I could create a pretty collage which made the sculpture stand out. I hope I succeeded!! :) Pam, Pam, Pam…how you would love this place. There aren't words grand enough to describe how incredible and vast this garden is. Think about it: 55 acres, totally covered with ornate landscaping! I've got loads of pictures and they might give you a clue but you have to experience this place to understand it! Just as I thought about Steve's mom as we walked around this stupendous place, I also thought about you. *BIG HUGS* Explored on 9/29/19; highest placement #1.

(+11 insets!) (Please view large! You'll enjoy it!) :) Trip Talk: Taking Time to Wander Without a hard agenda, Steve and I strolled along the southern coastline of Victoria, gradually finding ourselves along the southern shore which afforded a cool perspective of Victoria's harbor. We were both happy to get away from the throngs of tourists who frequent the busier parts of the city's waterfront. The lovely southern views were incredible and showed the 25-mile distance to Port Angeles, Washington. There was something really special about staring out at sea and seeing so much activity. Hard not to thinking about the history of this place. Victoria has been an important town since navigators came here in 1770 and befriended the native people who made their home there. Did you know that, with its proximity to Hong Kong, Victoria was once North America's largest importer of opium?! These days Victoria is known as the "Garden City" because it's so beautiful. There should be no surprise that it thrives as an extremely popular tourist destination, but it also makes an important home to the tech sector. One of the things I love about taking the time to walk around a city is that you get a much better sense of what it's truly like. Truthfully, Steve and I didn't get to walk as far as we'd wanted to but we did get to see enough of the town that we were really satisfied. We'll definitely be coming back some day because this city has so much to see! (By the way, this is my last presentation for our day in Victoria!) Today's Pictures My main picture today was captured at Holland Point, along the southern edge of Victoria's waterfront. The view along this pretty path was so nice and though I'm not a big fan of the pollution caused by cruise ships, I just loved the way this picture turned out with the meandering fence, a fringe of golden grass and the pretty clouds in the distance. Inset 1: This extremely wide panorama shows the amazing view from Holland Point. On one side it shows a ship at one of Victoria's two massive cruise line docks and on the other, a trail meanders along the southern end of the city. I love the way the fence stretches across the scene! I would have made it my main image today but I was afraid that it just doesn't look like anything unless you see it larger! Inset 2: This picture was a surprise to me. It's a very tight crop of a much larger image and at first glance looked like a garbage shot. As I was about to toss it I zoomed in. WOAH! There's something super cool about the sparkles on the water, the silhouette and that mirage-like background. I couldn't have planned for it, but this turned out to be one of my personal favorites! Inset 3: This sailboat in its festive red and white colors, zipped across the bay with its happy crew…you could almost hear them laughing as they flew by! Inset 4: This is the official start of the Trans-Canada Highway , a marker that sits at the edge of Beacon Hill Park. The Trans-Canada is the longest highway in the world, stretching all the way across Canada for 4,862 miles (7,821 km)! ! I specifically wanted to come and see this because I find places like this to be extremely thought-provoking. I stood there, vsualizing the line that begins where I stood, and crosses thousands of miles to a place I've never even seen. And then there's the giggle about this highway. In order to follow the highway, you actually have to take a ferry across from Vancouver Island to the mainland. On the far side, another ferry is required to get you to the edge of Newfoundland! Finally, thinking about the Trans-Canada Highway is exciting because both Steve and I would really love to make this trip sometime, taking months to explore as we go. (I have included another inset below this inset which shows the path across Canada.) Inset 5: This pano features a pair of oil tankers on the horizon. The industry here in Victoria and Vancouver Island are almost always visible just by looking out to sea. Tankers, fishing boats, ferries, personal craft, charters of all kinds…they are ever-present and make for a wonderful time sitting and watching the ongoing show! Inset 6: Here a powerful yacht flies by, what a beauty! The stuff of dreams, Steve once entertained the idea of maybe getting a boat to travel in. But the bigger the boat, the more money they cost and absolutely everything that goes along with that…they are notorious money pits and there are more economical ways to see the world. They sure are fun to see though! :D Inset 7: This is a detail shot of "The World's Tallest Totem Pole"! What do you know about that?! While we were walking through Beacon Hill Park we saw this totem pole in the distance and had to get a picture. Then we read the sign and discovered its claim to fame. Now that I'm home, I've done a search for "World's Tallest Totem Pole" and you'll be amused if you click on the link, to discover there are a bunch of candidates…and some of them cheat by using more than one tree to come up with it's final height…lol, that's not fair! :D Inset 8: Here's a picture of the whole totem pole, with me at the base to show just how tall 127 feet is! (Click on this link for more information about the pole's carving team and its history) Inset 9: Continuing our walk up through Beacon Hill Park, we began to head back into the heart Victoria's downtown. Parked at the side of the road, I couldn't help taking a picture of this enormous Caterpillar excavator . These monstrous earth-movers never fail to get my attention, and like a little kid, I would happily watch one of these guys for hours as it moved dirt from point a to point b! Inset 10: "What the heck is that?!" Next to the Cat was this group of wrapped things and Steve was happy to amaze me by saying, "You know the garbage cans you see on the street? This is what they look like before they're put into place. YES…the "can" is set incredibly deep below the sidewalk so it holds more trash! Isn't that just AMAZING? I stood and stared and stared. I had no idea that city garbage cans were made this way! Inset 11: By the end of our long day and many hours of urban hiking, Steve and I were absolutely ravenous for dinner. Because we have a ketogenic lifestyle, the easiest meal--as well as one of the tastiest--that we enjoy are burgers. We had hoped to return to the wonderful sushi restaurant we'd visited the last time we were here but sadly the doors were closed when we arrived…we almost cried to see they were closed on Mondays! But I'd remembered passing by a hamburger joint at some point during the day and discovered we weren't too far away. About 15 minutes later we walked into Fatburger and discovered a whole new Nirvana! Not only did they serve their burgers in lettuce wraps, they did an AWESOME JOB making them easy to handle and eat (if badly made, lettuce wraps fall apart or can't even be picked up at all)! The restaurant was super cool with bebop music, fun décor and wonderful staff. Did I mention the part about blazingly fast, free wifi?! We considered moving in! :D Pam, I think you would have had a fantastic time if you'd been our stroll through the area of Victoria. we visited. I totally understand why this place is on your bucket list. We loved it so much that we hope to return and spend some WEEKS just exploring this area of Vancouver Island! I sure do hope that you've had a good day, you are certainly in my thoughts! :) *HUGS* Explored on 9/27/19; highest placement #3.

(+6 insets) Trip Talk: Animals Along the Way! Steve and I saw plenty of wildlife on our trip to Vancouver Island. Off the top of my head I remember seeing many species of birds, deer, insects, snakes, lizards, seals, crabs, snails, slugs, fish, various rodents…we even saw a Black Bear! However, we didn't spend a lot of time just chilling out, which meant that we didn't get to see as many animals as we'd have liked to. (I hoped to see elk, whales, more bears, otters, beavers, etc.) It would have been nice to quietly make my way around the edge of an estuary so I could see more of the birds (how I wanted to see a kingfisher!) but it wasn't in the cards."Sitting still" made us feel guilty because we couldn't escape the urge to get the very most out of every day. We weren't frantic about this so we did relax plenty, but we didn't have occasions where we sat and allowed nature to come out of hiding around us. I'm so happy that we got to see at least a few animals and so I thought today I'd share some pictures of critters we've seen up to this point in our trip. (Some of these are reposts from days before.) Today's Pictures While Steve and I wandered up through Beacon Hill's beautiful park, I spotted a black squirrel on a tree! I was so happy that it wasn't afraid of us and came down to see if we had anything to eat. The main picture shows our fluffy friend pausing on its tree before leaping onto the lush lawn below. (By the way, I was surprised to learn that this squirrel is a variant of grey tree squirrel, which can be pure black or a sooty color like this one. I also learned that Grey squirrels were introduced to the city of Vancouver's Stanley Park in 1909 and then to Vancouver Island in 1966. They were considered to be invasive until it was learned that these squirrels are more visible because they adapt to cities better. Local species prefer the forest and move away from civilization, whereas Grey squirrels establish themselves where there are people.) Insets 1 and 2: We almost always have a bag of mixed nuts with us for a snack, so Steve tossed some into the grass for our little buddy. Inset 3: I noticed a pair of very noisy crows in a nearby tree and liked the way they looked up there! Inset 4: This Bald Eagle picture was such a highlight for me! These birds actually live within miles of our home here in southern Oregon but until I got this picture, I'd never seen one so close before. Exhilarating! Insets 5 and 6: What a nice treat it was to get these pictures of Canada Geese on our way up to Vancouver Island. My Sony camera made it possible to get some great close-ups! Pam, I can't remember what sort of squirrels live around your place. We get normal grey squirrels, though they don't come around the house and prefer to bark rude comments at me from the trees down in the lower forest! Instead we have ground squirrels, as you know, heh. Did you know that we've actually had to shoo these little stinkers out of the house from time to time?! They'd come in through the dog door looking for treats or water or both. Ridiculous! :D I hope the lovely sunny day we're having is the same for you! *BIG HUGS* Explored on 9/24/19; highest placement #1.

(+ 7 insets) (best at full size!) Trip Talk: Where Would YOU Most Like to Travel? I wonder if you are like me…if asked that question, I simply can't answer with a single destination. How do you prioritize a favorite place to go when the world is simply bursting with incredible locations! Maybe that's an easy question for some of you but I am very interested in so many things that it's really hard to say. So basically, when Steve tossed "Vancouver Island" into the air as a place we should visit in our RV, I immediately said, "LET'S GO!" :) Vancouver Island is such a cool place because it has basically everything I love! Unspoiled nature and wilderness, quaint little towns, fun touristy places, a deep history of indigenous people and also of explorers and settlers. There are simply endless activities to be involved in--basically you name it and you'll be able to find it somewhere on the island! I'm not kidding…think about something you're interested in--I bet it's available! Our walking adventure in Victoria really couldn't have been nicer. The biggest requirement was that we didn't make any hard-fast plans--except for making sure we visited a few places that couldn't be missed. Then we just started to stroll. I didn't get any pictures of the lovely street fair we stumbled upon but we really enjoyed visiting and chatting with the many talented artists there. Walking along the harbor, we found ourselves wandering into Victoria's Fisherman's Wharf. There we discovered another surprise! Along with being a traditional place to dock fishing vessels and sell the catch of the day, this place is also home to dozens of adorable house boats! I'd seen pictures and read about the boats but I wasn't prepared for just exactly how fun it would be to see them in person! Steve and I strolled up and down the docks and enjoyed looking at the quirky, unique, and colorful houses. Both of us agreed that it would be really fun to sleep overnight in one of these homes but thinking about living in a place like this had us shaking our heads…how would you like to live in a place where thousands of tourists are peering into your windows every day? NOPE! But it sure was fun to visit! There was also a regular stream of darling water taxis which picked up and dropped off passengers. We simply couldn't get enough of these little boats and their fun paint jobs. The green taxis were cute but the ones we were crazy about were the yellow ones with the black and white checks! We wanted to OWN one of them! :D Today's Pictures Taking the main picture today was one of those instances where you say, "Quick! Raise your camera, it's perfect!" I'm glad my reaction was fast enough because I got a great angle of a water taxi (and a view of one coming up behind it!) and also a few house boats and their reflections. Lucky me!! How could I resist making this my Picture of the Day?! :D (To be honest, I would have loved to pick most of the insets as main spotlights but I could only choose one! *cry*) Inset 1: This was perfect to turn into a selective color image because otherwise the picture was too busy. I was so happy with the way it turned out that I wish I could have made it my main shot! Inset 2: The green water taxis were really cute too but they really couldn't compare to the yellow ones with checks! Having to ride in a green one would be like going on a carousel and being forced to ride a stationary animal instead of the ones that goes up and down! Inset 3: Would you just LOOK at all of those fabulous boats?! WOW! So pretty! Inset 4: Another boat picture complete with more reflections! Inset 5: This serious fishing boat made me think of the Orca II from Jaws…though these two boats are completely different. Inset 6: This was our first view of the house boats at the wharf…aren't they amazing to see?! Inset 7: I took a picture of this crazy character while Steve and I were visiting the house boats. At the time I didn't realize that there were three others hidden around the area which represented the other Winds. After I got home and looked at my pictures, I noticed this artwork and saw there was a group of pictures under it which showed what the other Winds looked like, along with descriptions of each Wind: The Four Winds: They represent the main four winds and weather conditions around Vancouver Island South West Wind (Pineapple Express): This wind originates from an "atmospheric river" which affects the West Coast of North America. It is a strong and persistent flow of atmospheric moisture and is associated with heavy precipitation from the waters adjacent to the Hawaiin Islands. Atmospheric rivers are typically several thousand kilometers long and only a few hundred kilometers wide, and a single one can carry a greater flux of water than the Earth's largest river, the Amazon. (Artist: lvise Dogloni Major) North West Wind: This wind is considered to be the more violent and dangerous than the rest. It brings frigid air from the continent, which moves over the coastal inlets and fjords. In the fall, it becomes a dense fog, espeically in the inside passage between Vancouver Island and the Mainland. This wind brings fog, that's why he's blowing a horn. North East Wind (Squamish): This most well-know arctic outbreak wind on the British Columbia coast. It bursts out of Howe Sound, past Bowen Island and onto the Strait of Georgia. Locals named it the Squamish after the small town that lies at the head of the sound's inlet. Common conditions associated with arctic outbreaks include gale or storm force winds, moderat to heavy snowfalls and squalls, and, over the waters, severe icing, high waves, rough seas and poor visibility. This wind brings cold weather and fog, that's why he's wearing a fur hat and holding a lantern. South East Gale: Can cause very high seas and severely affect boats. Pam, would you like to live on one of these house boats? They are so darn cute and full of character. I think it would be really fun for a while...but I like my peace and quiet so I think it would get really old after a while. Plus...the wharf smells as it should: like FISH...so *wrinkles nose* ... I wouldn't want to be there for too long! Love to eat the fishy. Don't love to smell the fishy! :D It's raining here today...hopefully you are having nicer weather! *BIG HUGS from southern Oregon! Explored on 9/22/19; highest placement #1.

(+ 9 insets) Trip Talk: No candid people photography this trip! We chose to just enjoy wandering around... When I thought about visiting Victoria, I hoped to work on my skills of candid people pictures. However, I have to be in the right mood for this sort of sneaky photography and as it turned out, I just didn't feel like it. Any time a camera is aimed in the direction of a person (even if the camera is down low and obscured), there's potential to be glared at or even aggressively approached. Steve and I just wanted to walk around without thinking about anything but enjoying the sights. It would turn out that during the entire trip, I never did feel like working on people-oriented street photography. Funny how it works out like that sometimes. A shame because I really do enjoy how these turn out but I'll have plenty of opportunities in the future. We love the modern, clean streets of Victoria and we also appreciated that most of the city's "must-see" destinations are all within a reasonable walking distance—it worked out to be about 5-7 miles to get from downtown to the harbor and then to the far side and back again. You also couldn't have asked for better weather. It was a lovely, sunny and warm day with the perfect breeze. Steve and I were so happy! Today's Pictures My main picture today celebrates Happy Fence Friday! This substantial metal post and rusty chain are doing their job to hold back the throngs of visitors to Victoria's beautiful harbor district. The boat you see is the MS Coho , an enormous passenger and vehicle-carrying ferry which travels back and forth between Victoria and Port Angeles, Washington (the boat we took from Anacortes to Sidney, north Victoria was the 1981 MS Chelan .) Steve and I were surprised to see that when this ferry left dock, it backed up a very long way so that it could tuck its back end into another wide channel and then turn around. We were both totally fascinated at the speed it went backwards and also how quickly it was able to turn around and head out. The rest of my second Victoria presentation includes more harbor images and some of the fun things I saw as we enjoyed this lovely day! Inset 1: The MS Coho, built and put into service in 1959, is shown here backing up in preparation to turn around and head back to Port Angeles, Washington. This ship typically makes the two-hour trip twice each way every day! Inset 2: As Steve and headed out to the water's edge at the Victoria harbor, I found this wonderful mural that shows a very similar scene to my main image the other day! Inset 3: I saw this mural on the side of a building near the harbor and did my best to get a good picture. I only noticed later that Robert Wyland himself had painted it in 1987, one of dozens of his "Whaling Walls" found around the world. (You can see Wyland's signature on the lower left of the mural) Inset 4: I just loved the awesome design of this artistic, creative bench! Inset 5: At one point we walked through a park where we found a shady bench to have a seat (not the one shown in Inset 5!). There we looked out on the bay and saw this pretty view. Inset 6: Seated at the park bench, we saw a group of Canada Geese floating through colorful reflections on the water. Inset 7: We also saw this huge orange tour boat, complete with tourists adorned in matching life jackets! Inset 8: On our walk we visited Victoria's wharf and I couldn't help taking a picture of the wonderful sign that welcomed everyone passing by. Inset 9: This gentleman was very busy selling his day's catch of crabs. We were surprised at the fair price (going rate: $25 per crab)--we figured they'd be offered at a ripoff for tourists. Pam, have you ever been on a big ferry like the one here? I am in total awe of these monster ships and it was just incredible to have our truck and RV on one, with so much room for dozens of other vehicles. Another thing that's fascinating is that even underway, there is very little motion detectable. Of course this would change if there was a storm but for the most part you hardly knew the boat was moving along at quite a fast clip! Well, I hope you are having a good day...my thoughts are with you! *BIG HUGS* from southern Oregon...oh, and I apologize for not including a note to you in my last post! I was in such a hurry to get the presentation together that it slipped my mind! UGH! :P Explored on 9/21/19; highest placement #8.

(+ 11 insets) (this scene is really best at full size so you can see the whole show! :D) Trip Talk: Our Last Visit to Victoria Wasn't Long Enough! Some years ago, Steve and I went on a group motorcycle ride with a bunch of people including our good friend Andy. The plan would be to ride up into Canada, take a series of ferries to various islands and eventually end up in Victoria, Vancouver Island before heading back down to Washington and then home. The idea seemed reasonable until Steve started doing the math. There was no way we'd be able to make the ferry hops in time. But nobody wanted to think about details, so we went on the trip and lo' and behold, the ferries were missed and our adventures changed substantially. Steve and I didn't even make it onto the first ferry because of navigation issues with our phone. In the end, we decided to make our own adventure and took a ferry to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. From there we took the day cruising slowly south to Victoria. It turned out to be the best day of the whole trip! After exploring several quaint towns on the way down we eventually wound up in Victoria, where we ended our evening at an amazing sushi restaurant, followed by a walk along the harbor and finally tucking ourselves into bed after a glorious day. The only thing we'd wished was to have more time in Victoria, which was so beautiful and full of things to see and do. Therefore, when we discussed going on a trip to Vancouver Island, spending at least a couple of days in Victoria was at the top of our short list. And so, the day after we went to Goldstream Provincial Park, we decided it was time go have a proper day at Victoria. What would we do? Why, walk everywhere, of course! We wanted to see it all…and you know, I think we did a pretty good job if my photos are any indication! In fact, there are so many pictures that I processed that I'm reminded of the day Steve and I spent in Nice, France a couple of years back. A different adventure for sure, but equally full of wonderful sights and lasting memories. That being said, I'll have to take several days post pictures from our day walking in Victoria…either that or force you all to endure 30 insets! :D I didn't think that would be reasonable either, heh! :D Today's Pictures My main picture today shows the beautiful and extremely active harbor of Victoria, capital of British Columbia. There was a constant show going on with dozens of boats and ships of all kinds going by. I'd read that you might get to see pontoon planes in the harbor, but I never imagined we'd get to see them constantly taking off and landing! Steve and I really enjoyed looking out on this harbor! The rest of my presentation today includes more harbor pictures and some of the popular sights and cool things I saw as we enjoyed this gorgeous day! Inset 1: See the plane coming in for a landing on the main image? Here it is coming around to land on the bay! How cool is that?! And we got to see lots and lots of planes landing and taking off here! In fact, I've never seen so many planes land and take off in such a short period of time...such great entertainment! Inset 2: This is the plane from the main image preparing to take off. It's amazing how quickly these planes get off the water and also, how fast they land. They don't need much space which I thought was really interesting. The fact that they don't waste their time also meant a challenge to get pictures! Inset 3: This was a typical docking of sea planes. They were constantly taxiing into dock and then a different one would pull out and was soon zooming up into the sky. Inset 4: Across the bay was the magnificent Delta Hotel, overlooking the busy harbor. That cute little boat is a water taxi and they were constantly buzzing customers to and from water-based destinations. I'll have more pictures in my next set of images! Inset 5: We walked past the circa 1908 Empress Hotel, famous destination for celebrities and royalty through the years. Also known for its very schmancy "High Tea" service offered only with weeks-in-advance reservations and prices high enough they aren't listed on the menu! Inset 6: Built in 1897, the Baroque-style Parliament Building shown here is a construction of four government offices. This place was absolutely crawling with tourists so we didn't bother trying to get closer. Inset 7: I thought this statue might be Vancouver but upon looking closer I discovered that it was Captain James Cook! WOW, has that man been around!!! Here is what the plaque read: Capt. James Cook, R. N. 1728-1779: After two historic voyages to the South Pacific, Cook was cruising the waters of the Pacific Northwest on his third and final voyage. With his two ships Resolution and Discovery he was searching for the western exit to the legendary Northwest Passage. In March, 1778, they put into Nootka Sound for repairs and to trade with the native people. With him on the voyage were Mr. William Bligh as master of the Resolution and midshipman George Vancouver. Inset 8: As Steve and I approached the harbor I saw this sculpture and nearly dropped in my tracks! "The Homecoming" celebrates a father and daughter's joyful reunion as he returns home from sea. I was just stunned by the expressions, body language and perfection of anatomy and every single detail presented. An incredibly touching sculpture that really hit home with me. Inset 9: In daddy's bag we see that he's got a teddy bear for his daughter and a small wrapped box for his wife. Fantastic details! (I also adored the girl's frolicking dog, so darn cute!) Inset 10: I couldn't resist posting a picture of some of the ridiculously colorful planters that were absolutely everywhere around Victoria! Inset 11: Finally, this was a very interesting place to park your bike in inclement weather. :) Explored on 9/19/19; highest placement #5.

(+12 insets!) (this pano shows its magic at full size!) :) (Oh, and yeah...think War and Peace...a cup of coffee is in order! :D) Trip Talk: Are We There Yet? Vancouver Island Isn’t Down the Street! And What’s with All the Truck Problems?!! The ferry from Washington to Vancouver Island is not that far away—just 8.5 hours. But that’s if you’re driving a car—not a truck with a 30-foot trailer behind it. Our speed is close to that of a car, but pulling a trailer is stressful, something which builds up over time even if there haven’t been any problems. Therefore, we try not to drive more than 4 hours at a time if we can help it. We’ve actually increased our driving time a lot since we began our RV travels. The first couple of trips were just an hour away from home. On our third trip, we drove up and down the Oregon Coast and doubled the driving time between camp grounds to a couple of hours. During that trip we gradually increased the drive times to a maximum of three hours. Each trip we’ve been able to deal with longer drives but there’s definitely a limit. As badly as we wanted to get to Vancouver Island to get our trip officially started, we both knew we’d need to stay overnight on the way up (and back again). That being said, we didn’t care about the accommodations and that meant we’d be staying in RV “parking lots”. Many places we’ve seen really are nothing more than gravel parking spots with hookups for sewer, water and electricity. No grass, no plants, no picnic table…NADA! (See Inset 12 for an example!) Oddly enough, many of these places aren’t even cheap because they are located in a city or other important thoroughfare, but we think it’s outrageous to be so overcharged for a crappy site. More amazing is that there are a lot of people who choose to live full-time at these places. Noisy, ugly, bleak, crowded…it seems to me that if I were going to live full-time at an RV park, it would need to be really nice for me to bother. However, perhaps the price is the issue—RV parks have attractive offers to live there full-time, in turn giving the park owners a steady income. On our first night heading towards Canada we stayed at a place called Riverside RV Resort in the forgettable town of Canby. It was nothing special but served its purpose just fine. Truck Problems While we were at Riverside our first vehicle issue happened. When Steve was disconnecting the truck from the trailer, the plug that connects the truck’s electricity to the trailer was ripped out and needed to be replaced. And then, the repair which should have taken only a couple of hours turned out to be six hours of frustration and anxiety. However, in the end Steve was successful and the replacement plug was much better than the original junky one. It’s only too bad it happened in the first place. The next day we left for Fidalgo Bay Resort, located minutes away from the Washington Ferry which would take us to Vancouver Island. It was a very warm summer day and there was a lot of stop and go traffic on the busy freeway that took us north past both Portland and then Seattle. By the time we hit the rush-hour traffic of Seattle, we began getting concerned comments from people driving by. “Pull over! Your tire is smoking!” !!! WHAT WHAT WHAT?!!!!! Horrified, Steve and I used our mirrors to frantically check the tires on each side but we couldn’t see what people were so freaked out about. Which tires?!!! The truck?! The trailer?! Both?! And, as badly as we wanted to pull over and jump out to see what was going on, there was no shoulder to pull off onto. Steve and I were beside ourselves with worry. The stop and go traffic in the heat was so infuriating because we were stuck without any way to fix or even assess the situation. The next offramp was many miles down the road so all we could do is creep forward until we found a wide-enough shoulder to pull off onto. Cars continued to beep at us, roll their windows down and inform us that we had a problem. That didn’t help, and nobody answered our query, “WHICH TIRE???!!” The most we got were fingers pointed at our rig…could have been either the truck or the trailer, we just didn’t know. After what seemed like eternity, a wide shoulder presented itself and Steve pulled off as far over as possible. We both know how deadly it can be when drivers get out of their cars on a shoulder so Steve was very cautious as he left the truck and took a look at the tires. The trailer’s wheels were fine, and so were the wheels on the truck’s driver side. But looking at the wheels on the passenger side, Steve saw some smoke coming out from the rear one. What was going on????!!! Oh, And About the Truck… What I haven’t mentioned was that we got our truck totally serviced after we got back from our Central Oregon trip. That was the trip where we lost our truck’s transmission and had it rebuilt while we stayed at L.L. Stub Stewart State Park for ten days. Both Steve and I felt the same way though: when we got back home, the truck was going into the shop for a full service overhaul because we did NOT want to be on Vancouver Island with a disabled truck! Happily, we were able to get the servicing done but the only problem was that we got the truck back a mere couple of days before we were set to leave on our trip to Canada. That meant that Steve didn’t get to take the truck out to make sure all was well. Back to our Freakout Truck Session So Steve calls our mechanic and Huck answered immediately. He listened carefully as Steve described the problem we were having and then Huck explained what he figured was going on. After the two of them talked for a while, with Steve examining the wheel and relaying information to Huck, I could tell that Steve was much more relaxed and understood what was going on. Apparently the replaced bearings were faulty and some of the oil used to pack them was seeping out onto the center disk, which was so hot from the traffic that the oil began to smoke. Huck told Steve that the wheel would actually be ok and all Steve needed to do was monitor the situation and wipe off any oil that appeared. The problem would fix itself most likely and once we returned, Huck would replace the bearings just to make sure all was well. And that’s exactly what happened. We checked the wheel regularly throughout the trip and wiped off any oil that we found. Within a day or two no more oil appeared and we were able to relax, knowing the truck was ok. Whew. We sure do hate problems with our rig but the happy ending to this story was that we arrived at Fidalgo Bay Resort (*NOT* a parking lot!!) as the sun was dropping below the horizon, just in time for us to park our rig and take pictures of the breathtaking view. ----------------------------------- Today’s Pictures The main picture today is a view of the magnificent sunset that totally took our breaths away. Other pictures in this presentation include more sunset images and a walk on the beach the next morning before we left for the ferry. Inset 1: When Steve and I were on our trip, I posted another picture of the sunset and I thought it should be reposted in this presentation. Inset 2: This is a very wide panorama of the whole bay! It was a jaw-dropping sight and we felt very fortunate to stand in such a spot and think about how beautiful the world is. Inset 3: Look at this lovely trio!! Waking up in Fidalgo Bay, I popped outside and took a walk along the shore. It gave me the chance to watch a flock of Canada Geese having seaweed for breakfast! I got so many nice pictures of them that I can't resist sharing a few! Inset 4: Another beautiful Canada goose. I know we've all seen plenty of these common birds but you know, I just don't get tired of how pretty they are. Inset 5: I love this group picture because they are all busy doing their thing, including wolfing down seaweed! :) After Steve and I had our breakfast, we came out to the beach together but by that time the geese had finished their munching and made their way out into the bay to another favored location. Inset 6: The night before, Steve and I couldn't help noticing the huge refinery across the bay, complete with billowing steam. We thought it was very cool-looking but wow, what an opposite to the natural beauty that we were experiencing on the other side! I learned that there are actually two refineries in the area which are part of the Puget Sound Refinery --one is the Texaco Refinery and the other is the Shell Refinery. Those of you who enjoy historical details will love this link to the building of these refineries in the 1960's . Inset 7: This monstrous oil tanker sat on the other side of the bay as well and I couldn't resist looking it up, since I could read its name, "Polar Discovery." Did you know that huge ships are tracked and logged, with updates about locations, cargo, weight and the like? This Google link will bring you to a list of pages mentioning the Polar Discovery; clicking on one will give you more detailed information and sometimes a picture of the vessel. The reason this is cool is that these massive ships are among our world's "movers and shakers." They are one of the countless chess pieces behind the scenes which are individually significant to country economies. Inset 8: The calm waters of Fidalgo Bay were perfect for morning kayaking or even paddle-boating! This man and his wife enjoyed some brisk exercise, though they seemed a bit on the stern side to me! :D Inset 9: These gorgeous gladiolus were growing in a planter next to the park's boat launch and I just had to immortalize them…what colors!! Inset 10: This row of RVs is right along the Fidalgo Bay's edge. How lucky to get a reservation which afforded such a view. (Even though the space between each rig is almost nothing!) We learned a bit of etiquette the night we arrived: You Must Not Walk Between RV's To Get To The Bay. You Must Use The Designated Path. Or Else. LOL, we didn't realize that people can be so territorial about their temporary RV site! At one point we walked between two RVs to get to the road where our RV was and suddenly a woman magically appeared to stand, extremely agitated, right in front of us. Steve and I were quite surprised as we watched her pull her shirt down with pomp and stand at full height, seemingly in a protective stance. "HELLO!" said Steve. *GLARE* from the woman. "Well, have a nice day!" added Steve. *HUFF-PUFF-GLARE* from the woman. YOIKS. Well...as we pushed around her rigid form, we learned something about stepping on people's toes and where not to walk! Inset 11: Here's a picture of our rig at Fidalgo Bay. Even though we weren't at the water's edge, we didn't care, it was mere seconds from our RV to walk out to the water's edge, how cool is that?! :) Inset 12: I added the picture of our rig at Riverside RV "Resort" (which is a strange way to spell "PARKING LOT") so you can see how close the sites are to each other.:D At least this place had gravel instead of uneven dirt! Pam, I wonder if you've ever used a paddle boat? I've never tried one myself but they do look like a lot of fun, don't they? We visited so many places along our journey which would have been perfect for these boats but still, they wouldn't really make sense because it would be very hard to take something like that with us, let alone two of them. We are going to try to get a boat of some kind at some point. For now, it's all fun to think about! Hope you have a nice day my dear! *big hugs from southern Oregon* Explored on 9/16/19; highest placement #5.

(+10 insets!) (bigger = better) :) Trip Talk: Balancing Planned Itineraries with the Wonder of Unexpected Surprises It was my job to come up with things for us to do on our trip to Vancouver Island…what a challenge! There seemed to be no end of things we could do, should do, and couldn't miss. We agreed that the best idea would be a list of 3-5 possibilities for each leg of our trip and that meant coming up with ideas for 9 places. Almost every spot we stayed at had seemingly countless activities for us to do so it took a while to find out which ones would be the best choices for us. At the same time, we didn't want to set all of our ideas into stone. One of the best things that can happen on a trip is when you discover something really cool that you didn't know about. We definitely wanted some of that and happily, the balance of planned destinations vs. unplanned special discoveries was really good. I didn't dig too hard into exact details of a place because I wanted us to have these surprises, and we sure did have them! In fact, our hike at Goldstream Park featured a totally memorable surprise which turned out to be a really exciting and unforgettable adventure for us! Today's Pictures Goldstream Provincial Park is located in the southern end of Vancouver Island and is very popular due to its easy access and proximity to Victoria. There are lots of hiking trails, one of which ascends steeply to the top of nearby Mount Finlayson. We opted to go on the much shorter and more reasonable Gold Mine trail instead. The trail climbed quickly from the Niagara Falls creek bed and brought us to a feature we weren't aware of until a passing hiker pointed the way…a railroad trestle with access! Hot dog!!! The trestle crossed over a very deep gorge and had many signs warning of the extreme danger for any who dared travel over the trestle. Did they think that would stop us? We would not be denied! No matter how terrified of heights that I can be, I refuse to let my fears stop me from certain activities. Such as walking on a trestle that spans an abyss! There were plenty of others who braved the trestle walk and all of us took great care to watch our footing. There were no railings so the safest place to walk was directly down the center of the trestle. Passing one another meant stepping to the side to allow them to get by and everyone was careful as they went. Naturally I had a battle of wills going on as I made my way across. The trestle was so unbelievably HIGH that I only peeked a couple of times through the tracks to see the tall trees underneath. Holy heebie-jeebies, what sort of insanity led me to cross this thing anyway?!! Seriously, I couldn't help thinking about the reality: if you tripped and went terribly wrong, you'd fall right off the side and plummet for what seems like forever! Insanity. Shaking my head in amazement as I slowly made my way along, I also reminded myself that the bridge was totally safe if one was careful. And after all, it could support entire TRAINS so one puny little person would probably be fine. On either side of the trestle there were a couple of places where you could walk out to the very edge and stand on a platform complete with metal railings to cling to. When I first noticed these spots I was all, "Not Gonna Happen." But by the time I got to each of them, I was able to creep over to the platforms and appreciate the (terrifying) view beyond. I couldn't help but notice various people who were actually sitting at the edge with legs dangling over the side as they enjoyed a snack and some conversation. The thought of doing such a thing totally freaked me out! Even Steve agreed: CRAZY! The trip across the entire length took about 10 minutes because I went slowly and stopped on the platforms along the way. When I got to the far side I was very pleased with myself for conquering my fears, but I was also very relieved to have solid ground under my feet again! :D Standing from the safety of the ground, I enjoyed watching people crossing over and returning. It was comforting to see that I wasn't the only one who was obviously quite nervous but there were plenty who were so relaxed they almost seemed too incautious. They walked near the edges with calm indifference but all I could do was scream inside as my mind's eye saw them tripping and falling to their doom. Still, it was nice to see everyone enjoying this awesome place. The fact was that each of us made a conscious decision to walk on the trestle despite being strongly discouraged against it. I liked being in the Cool Club! :) Steve had fun taking pictures through the tracks as he slowly went along. I watched him curiously while he studied the changing views, stopping now and again for another picture. I wondered how he managed to deal with seeing the dizzying sight below without freaking out. I can handle compartmentalizing my fears to a point but actively looking as Steve was doing…NO WAY JOSE!!! My main picture today shows the trestle as we made our way up the hillside trail to the track above. What an awesome sight! I am such a fan of this type of bridge construction and I also love the way the trestle emerges from the forest before disappearing into it again on the other side of the chasm. Inset 1: I couldn't resist taking a picture of Steve taking a picture of the trestle! Inset 2: "RAIL BRIDGE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS" Yeah, yeah…we're still going! Inset 3: The straight path across seemed safe enough when there weren't any people on it! Inset 4: I forced myself to look down and take this picture…holy freakout Batman, that's HIGH! Inset 5: The view of the trestle when standing on a platform near the edge. I actually liked the graffiti on the bridge. For some reason it seems to fit--what a switch…I usually detest graffiti! Inset 6: An abstract view showing the edge and bottomless pit below… Inset 7: A graffiti-adorned post with a lovely view beyond. Inset 8: The tracks from where they came on the starting side. Inset 9: The tracks heading away from the far side. Inset 10: Lil' ol' me clinging to one of the platform's railings. Pam, would you have been able to cross this trestle? I bet you would have done fine, especially since we'd do it together! :) I do appreciate working on my fear of heights because the rewards are always so huge and meaningful. I'll never ever forget this trestle because it was so potentially deadly but was just that much more cool because of the danger! I hope that your day is going well my dear, many hugs going your way! :) Explored on 9/14/19; highest placement #2.

(+ 7 insets) (Please view large!!) Trip Talk: Cameras for Travel Some months ago, one of my contacts, George ( Tiabunna ), wrote an article about the fast-rising quality of phone cameras and how they are impacting the industry. He even compared pictures of a subject taken by his DSLR and his phone, showing all of us how similar they are. The interesting discussion solidified my feelings about my phone and I decided not to discriminate against these pictures when picking my main image to share. I think phone pictures look great--and even if they may not be the quality of a DSLR, who of us is really needing that all the time? (This is George's article, well-worth reading! Smartphones and cameras ) It would turn out that on our trip, I used my phone’s camera more and more, to the point that by the end, at least half of my pictures were taken with my phone. I used my Sony for most of the others and just a few days-worth were taken with my Canon and 100mm macro lens. Isn’t it interesting how your expectations can sometimes be so far from reality? I imagined many happy days filled with me creeping around with my macro lens, photographing endless cool subjects that I’d never seen before. I did have a few days like that but for the most part, I didn’t use my Canon. I need to feel relaxed and creatively free but I rarely felt comfortable enough to escape into this mode. Seems like there was always something in the way…too many activities calling our attention to go do. Wrong place/wrong time, or just plain not in the mood. As I mentioned in a previous post, Steve and I discussed our shared feelings of needing open-ended travel. With this set-up, we’ll be able to do things like Steve dropping me off at a trail that we hiked previously—one that brimming with zillions of super-cool macro subjects. (There were countless trails like this on our trip—but had I brought my macro lens, we’d never see any of the trails at all except the very beginning!) And while I am lost in my macro world of bliss, Steve would be able to go fishing nearby or perhaps just hang out in the car. Steve understands the importance of being alone for my macro outings and he also loves fishing on his own because he can just kick back and enjoy all things fishing without worrying whether or not I’ve had enough. We do love fishing together but sometimes I’d rather do something else. Regarding travel photography, I have to admit that when on a trip, the best sort of pictures highlight the places you went to, the things you saw. No matter how much I love macro photography, those sorts of images aren’t as important except as specialty highlights. So, though it would have been awesome to have the time and freedom to do more macro photography, it’s not the end of the world! Today’s Pictures The first place that we stayed at on Vancouver Island was at Malahat Mountain. Though situated in a park-like area, we were only 30 minutes away from the British Columbia capitol of Victoria. That was perfect because we were looking forward to at least a couple of days in town. For our first adventure, we went to the extremely popular provincial (state) park, Goldstream, just a few minutes from our campground. There were many hikes available but the one we wanted to do included a visit to Vancouver Island’s very own Niagara Falls! We really enjoyed this hike, which took us to the Falls and then onwards to a railroad trestle (those pictures will be posted another day) and through extremely beautiful forests along meandering, well-maintained trails. My main picture features this beautiful and elegant waterfall, which drops from an impressive height of 156 feet/47.5 meters to an enticing swimming pool below. The number of people playing around and enjoying this noisy waterfall and its chilly pool made it challenging to get an unpopulated picture but eventually I succeeded! Inset 1: With the extreme drop of Niagara Creek down to the rocky bed below, the view upwards and through the trees was really breathtaking. Inset 2: Looking up the steep canyon walls revealed beautiful, lush ferns that got my attention. Inset 3: Take a look at this Bigleaf Maple growing out of an old Red Cedar stump! The roots are so fascinating to me and remind me a bit of strangler figs that grow in the rainforest. I’d never seen a tree growing out of a stump like this before, but apparently Red Cedar stumps must make a nice place for tree seedlings to grow, as I saw a bunch of these while we were on the Island. Inset 4: I saw some Spring Beauty blossoms at the edge of the canyon walls and couldn’t resist taking a picture with my Sony. Inset 4: Moss grew on everything it seemed and it was fun to take a picture of Steve in a setting with some moss-covered branches. Inset 5: The shadows on this trio of leaves were so pretty to me, along with the lovely russet color. Inset 6: The dappled light on the road that led to the Niagara Falls trail was just too lovely to resist this picture! Pam, this is a place that Steve and I sat at for quite some time. Partly waiting for the hoards to leave so we could take pictures, but also to soak up this glowing place. It was also fun to watch people enjoying the area as well. I even watched a supervised toddler tossing rocks into the water that she could just barely pick up! A lovely place you would have surely loved. I'm sending my love and hope all is as well as can be today! Explored on 9/12/19; highest placement #2.