The Imperceptible Immigrant

Vancity

April 14, 2022 in Flotsam and Jetsam, Photos | Permalink

My apologies! I have of late been falling down on my blogging duties. I offer as no more than a feeble excuse that things have been in-feasibly and, perhaps, unexpectedly busy of late. The Winter term at College has been building to its climax; we have been entertaining friends from abroad (more of that in a further post) and I have been trying to get a grip on all that is going on in the garden – between bouts of (less-unexpectedly) inclement weather.

I know… poor show all round!

I did promise more on the trip to Vancouver that featured in my last post. I took some photos and, whilst they are not that exciting, I will nonetheless share them with (ie – force them upon) the gentle reader.

As I mentioned in that previous post, the purpose of the visit was for The Girl to attend a conference organised by her First Nation at one of Vancouver’s hotels/conference centres. The event was very well organised and well attended – and clearly yielded extremely positive results.

The business side of things did not, however, prevent The Girl and I getting out on the first evening for a splendid romantic dinner at Cardero’s in Coal Harbour. Whilst The Girl tucked into the scallops I enjoyed a lovely piece of European Sea Bass (not that easy to find on the west coast) and we shared a really rather decent Chablis. Nice atmosphere too:

On the Saturday – whilst The Girl was engaged in her sessions – I pretty much stayed in our room, watching the matches of the final weekend of the 2022 Six Nations tournament. Well done to the French on a thoroughly deserved (if also widely predicted) Grand Slam – and the less said about the Scots (who seem to have regressed by about three years!) the better!

This chap – outside our fourteenth floor window – seemed keen to know the scores as well:

The trip was a good one – with yet more familial contacts made by The Girl – plus the opportunity to have breakfast with a dear friend who now lives in VanCity. For my part it was actually a pretty good rest to be able to relax in a decent hotel room up in the clouds high above the west end of the city.

Tags: Dining, Friends, Holiday, Photo, Rugby, Six Nations, The Girl, Vancouver

Spring awakening

March 23, 2022 in Flotsam and Jetsam, Photos | Permalink

‘Tis the time of year that nature ‘springs’ (see what I did there?) back to life following the dread months of winter.

Naturally this means that it is also the time of year that I must reluctantly drag my sorry ar*e back out into the still cold and damp outdoors in order to start to ensure that there is some semblance of order in the garden before everything goes completely berserk.

Not these pretty pieris of course…

Nor this gorgeous cherry tree. Berserk is definitely not the word.

Nice blossom there. Sad that it only lasts about a week and a half before disappearing…

March means first cut for the lawn – and the usual thoughts about feeding and liming it.

Notice the rather splendid new garden fence – courtesy of our new(ish) neighbours below. They have done a good job on it, but it does mean we will be looking at new things to plant in front of it.

Another side effect of this tidying up of the boundary between our properties is that I now have a rather splendid – and functional – compost area. I have of late been spreading the products thereof over the beds in the front garden.

Much yet to do, of course!

Tags: garden, Lawn, Photo, Spring

Francis King Park

March 12, 2022 in Life in BC, Photos | Permalink

We are most blessed here in Greater Victoria with there being so many splendid places to walk. Amongst this number are included favourites such as: Centennial Park in Saanichton, Island View Beach, Elk and Beaver Lakes, Horth Hill, Gowland Tod, Thetis Lake, Witty’s Lagoon, John Dean Park and Bear Hill.

Last weekend we visited a new spot – Francis/King Park – the which comprises 265 acres of lush rain-forest. I thought you might like to see some pictures:

Tags: Photo, rain-forest, trees, Walk

Random Canadiana

February 17, 2022 in Life in BC, Photos | Permalink

A snippet of trivia that somehow typifies life here on the island – and some pretty images from some recent sunny days…

We are signed up to our local ‘Block Watch’. In the UK this would be the ‘Neighbourhood Watch’ – and you can make you own judgements as to whether it is better to keep an eye on the block – or the neighbours! I jest, of course…

Our local Councillor forwards items of interest from the equivalent of our local ‘Bobby’. Here is today’s message:

“Hi everyone,

Couple of items from overnight;

1. 1. 1. 1. A small dinghy was stolen sometime over the last month from the area of North Saanich Marina.
      2. A large cougar was reported in the Ardmore neighbourhood, last night.

Cheers”

Several points about this tickle my fancy… Obviously the typical small town mix of dingy theft and wild animal sightings speaks volumes about the place that we call home – but I particularly like the fact that the small dingy was stolen “sometime over the last month”! “Yeah – I meant to get round to reporting it!”.

Images from Sidney on a sunny day and a walk to Gowland Tod.

Tags: British Columbia, local life, Photo, Vancouver Island

A whiter shade…

December 28, 2021 in Life in BC, Photos | 2 comments

In my last post I promised further and better snow images – should the Arctic Outflow oblige by providing the requisite white stuff as it threatened to do. Yesterday evening it duly delivered. Herewith the evidence:

The inclement weather produced by the outflow led to a number of record low temperatures across the province, a notion which – given that large tracts of Canada are already notorious for bitterly cold winters – should cause the mind to boggle somewhat. Fortunately the worst of these records were set in parts of British Columbia to which right minded folk do not venture, should they be able at all to avoid so doing. Here in Victoria we reached a mere -5C yesterday – though the wind chill factor dropped that to a much less balmy -13C.

The Girl and I went for a swift walk around our neighbourhood yesterday and that gave me an opportunity to try out what has already become a favourite amongst her Christmas gifts to me – this fetching and most excellent tuke (for non-Canadians a tuke is a beanie!). This thing is awesomely warm which is clearly achieved by the appliance of some wonder of science or other… or possibly of magic. Either way it is a life (and ear) saver when the temperatures dip below -10C.

Tags: Christmas, Photo, Snow, Weather, winter

‘Tis the season…

December 22, 2021 in Life as we know it, Photos | Permalink

…Not so sure about the ‘jolly’ though!…

Who would have thought when I was writing this last year:

“There is no getting away from the fact that this is a Christmas unlike any that we have known. In fact, unless one is old enough to remember the Second World War it is highly unlikely that such a level of disruption to the normal cycle of celebration will have been experienced before. None the less, we will persevere – because that is what we do. And come next year – when much has returned to a state considerably closer to the ‘old normal’ – we may find it difficult to recall just how weird this one was.”

…that a year down the line I could easily have found myself writing exactly the same thing!

Funny old world – ain’t it?

Still…

…to friends, acquaintances and gentle readers…

…from the Kickass Canada Girl and the Imperceptible Immigrant…

we wish you a safe and peaceful Christmas and a Happy Hogmany!

Christmas piccies…!

Tags: Celebration, Christmas, Photo

Cheeky chappie!

December 7, 2021 in Flotsam and Jetsam, Photos | Permalink

Ever since arriving in Canada (more than six years ago now) I have – twice a week – taken part in a fitness class for those over 55 years of age. I do not do so because I enjoy this particular form of exercise but because I am determined to keep everything going for as long as possible. If that means doing some work – so be it.

The majority of of the group are ladies, with whom – naturally – I now have reasonably good relationships. We often go for a coffee after the class, to the delightfully named “Fickle Fig” farm shop on the outskirts of Sidney. We sit outside around a huge table – for the (by now) usual COVID protection reasons.

Sometimes we are not alone. Sometimes the wildlife wants to join in – as with this cheeky chappie!

He – or she – doesn’t seem to care for coffee but does quite like the pastries (which, of course, I can’t eat).

He – or she – cared not a jot that I was taking pictures of him/her!

Tags: Exercise, Health, nature, Photo, wildlife

Lucky break

November 12, 2021 in Life in BC, Photos | Permalink

Even during the wettest autumns there usually comes the occasional bright interlude. An alternative to getting out into the garden to slog one’s way through the many outstanding tasks there is to go for a nice walk instead.

To Gowlland Tod for example:

Tags: Autumn, Fall, Gowlland Tod, Photo, Walk, Weather

Collapsing into Fall – 2

October 27, 2021 in Life in BC, Photos | Permalink

I found that I had too many photographs of the Fall leaves in Centennial Park in Saanichton to fit into a single post…

…so here are the rest of them.

That is one serious bunch of leaves!

Tags: Autumn, British Columbia, Fall, nature, Photo

Collapsing into Fall – 1

October 26, 2021 in Life in BC, Photos | Permalink

“And all at once, summer collapsed into fall.”

Oscar Wilde

Should there be any doubts as to why Autumn is known as Fall here in North America, these images may well satisfy them.

They also provide an interesting illustration of the fact that – even when one is apparently walking through a forest predominantly comprising mixed conifers – there are always more maples present than appears to be the case at first (or even second) sight.