Moss Frost
Two weekends ago we had a hard frost, or at least some did since there was none here on Harling Point. I found this frost near the south end of Wallace Drive in Saanich (or is that Central Saanich? – near the middle of this map). The road cuts through a mound of bedrock on its east side which is completely covered with thick native mosses. The light was quite bright, but diffused through a layer of cloud and the frosted moss stood out brightly against the darker forest and rock, pulling me in for a closer look.
(more…)
Patio Spring
There are many signs of spring in the garden and on the patio. Pussy willows are one of the surest signs which has been with us for a few weeks – in my household they are the most anticipated sign of winter’s close. These are from Saturday morning before the rain had dried.
(more…)
Urban Oasis
In my previous post Urban Dune I mentioned the feeling that dunes invoke for me of there must be a palm tree just the other side. Well, this being Victoria, in fact there is an Arbutus grove just the other side of this dune – it is up-inlet of the Bay Street Bridge which the dune is next to and from which this photo is taken. The small dock and arbutus grove are in front of Point Ellice House, a heritage structure built in 1867 as the residence of early pioneer and land surveyor Patrick O’Reilly. It is surrounded by industrial lands – many of them in the “wasteland” category, including on its far boundary a metal recycling yard that belches smoke, fumes, flames, explosions and immense noise on a regular basis. The O’Reilly property is an oasis in this industrial desert and a reminder of how wonderful this waterfront must have been prior to development. The house is another National Heritage Site (another is the Chinese Cemetery, a frequent visitor to this blog) and is owned and managed by the provincial government’s Heritage branch.
(more…)
Urban Dune
Last weekend I went looking for the new temporary location of the railway span removed from Victoria’s Johnson Street Bridge where it waits cutting up for recycling. I found it, but on the way there I came across this dune at the cement plant on Bay Street. I have always loved the desert pictures of sand dunes with their wind sculpted organic shapes and beautiful light – I am sure you all know the ones, they make you think of camels, grit in the mouth and armpits, a palm tree that must be just over the horizon, hot hot sun and ruined cameras. I never thought that I might find a taste of dune in the industrial parts of Victoria, but indeed I did – complete with gusts of wind and grit in the mouth. No camels, the sun was setting and cool, but there was a moon, and as timing would have it the dune is right across the street from The Moon Under Water, an excellent new brew pub and ready antidote to sandy gums.
Bridge Barge IV
Another image associated with the removal of the Johnson Street Rail Bridge and the barge used to dismantle the bridge. This strand of rope stood out on the rain-soaked deck of the barge, although the original image from the camera did not show it well amongst all the reflections from the deck surface and the overall brightness. I have tried a few different conversions of this image, and in the end I prefer the black and white above. Below are some more versions, just because I know some of you will prefer them. All have seen quite a bit of processing, but only with the shadows, fill light and highlight settings (and I think I de-saturated the colour version a small amount as well).
(more…)
Breakwater Beach
So, back to something more familiar for this blog. Here is another photograph from Ogden Point Breakwater a couple of weeks ago. This is the beach and bedrock at the outside base of the breakwater. The colour of the logs drew my eye, and a long exposure enhanced it. These are first and last shots I took of the breakwater area that day a few weeks ago and a suitable way to wrap this series.
(more…)
Ogden Point Kiosk
The past two days I have shown a First Nations mural and associated signage on Ogden Point – the mural is painted on the breakwater and the signs are on the opposite shore. Next to the signs is a heritage kiosk which includes 4 panels, one about First Nations and which I feature here, the others concern Ogden Point, local and maritime history. For the reasons expressed in the posts of the past two days, I am concentrating on the indigenous heritage aspect of these signs – mostly because I am interested in the shift towards greater emphasis on, and recognition of, the culture and history of First Peoples in this area.
(more…)
Top Posts & Pages – Click Thumbnail To View
Recent Comments
♦ FUJITA (藤田光学工業) H.… on Fujitar P.C 35mm F2.5 Asahifle… ehpem on Child’s Grave Kyle Hoyt on Child’s Grave ehpem on Charles Elliott Pole, Universi… Lisa Kadonaga on Charles Elliott Pole, Universi…
burnt embers 