Miramontes
We rented this view for a year, about 20 years ago. This is Flower Island, seen from the water front beside Miramontes Drive, a very short block on the south side of Ten Mile Point. The cottage below came with the rent. Our eldest son was born while we lived here, and thus our family grew too large for this tiny place (what you can see is all that there is).
In many ways it is the best place we have ever lived. The yard is large, with fruit trees and an enormous and vigorous lilac hedge and a good vegetable patch. And this view. It looks south across the Oak Bay waterfront at the Olympic Mountains.
While we sat at our breakfast table, nearly every day a bald eagle would be sitting on the top of the tree. I think there was a dead stick of a branch at right angles to the trunk at the very top of the highest tree which was a favourite perch. Our friends that still live near here, and whom we met at the very spot these photos were taken, say that the eagles don’t sit here much any more. Perhaps they miss that branch.
When we lived there the property was owned by an older woman whose family had owned the cottage pretty much since it was built – probably in the 1920’s. That it has not been torn down and replaced with a 5,000 ft2 house suggests the property has not been sold and thus I conclude that perhaps the same owner is still alive.
These photos were taken on our annual New Year’s day walk with those same friends. It was a beautiful day and even included a half-dozen upright paddle boarders passing through our view, wearing shorts and t-shirts. The day was nice enough, but that cold water is no joke – they must have been pretty confident they were not going for a swim.
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Canon EOS 5Dmkii, Canon 50/1.4 lens (cottage) and Nikkor-N pre-AI 24mm/f2.8 lens (view), ISO100, merged from three exposures taken at +/- 2 E.V.
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burnt embers 
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That is quite the view! The island is very picturesque – quite the beautiful colours on the rocks and those clouds are fabulous.
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Thank you Dalila! And thanks for visiting my blog too!
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Well, the ultimate in rent-a-view. Your landscapes here are stunning, Ephem. .
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Thanks Karen. Totally the ultimate – and one of those views that changes hourly, daily, monthly and through the seasons. Wish it were still out the front window.
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Gorgeous place and photos! Happy new year to you, ehpem!
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Happy New Year Laurie – I hope you had a nice break!
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Memories of home,
Frozen like photographs that
Flicker on my mind.
Beautiful images. I especially like the quality of light on the water.
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Hi Ryan – thank you so much for composing a Haiku to go with my post!!! We do indeed have memories of this place, fixed and flickering 🙂
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What a wonderful set, my friend. Thank you for sharing a bit of your story here with us all. It’s so easy to see what drew you to this place and why it remains such a strong element in your memories, the home and it’s land and surroundings are absolutely breathtaking. Isn’t Vancouver Island just wonderful!
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Thanks Toad. It is a wonderful place to live. This particular spot – the view will remain the same (that island is part of a park), but sadly the house is almost certain to be gone in the next decade.
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Looks like a wonderful place to live and it sounds like you have fond memories. …and the view is spectacular!
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Hi Ken – totally wonderful. Old fashioned in its appointments but comfortable. And the memories of having a child born there, and a 4 year old too, are all good. While I miss having a good view out the window, it is a short walk to comparably good views so I am not missing out entirely.
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I imagine you miss living in this cottage….
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Hi Melinda, In many ways we do miss it – it was an idyllic spot. But really only suitable for 1 or 2 people.
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