A year on the Island.

We have entered the last days of fall, and it has been a wet, windy and spectacular November.

The first year anniversary of our move to Vancouver Island passed with much celebration, because it had been a fantastic year, full of adventure and exploration, and we consider that we have not even scratched the surface of this amazing place.

Winter will of course be embraced, but for now, we will continue to enjoy the colors of fall and long walks down by the sea.

Weather permitting....

Photo from Harvey Russell, Sooke Pocketnews.

Sooke Brewing

Just to show the fantastic new brewery building at night, we had our third vist there today :

First Customers....

Sooke brewery, today....

November Whiffin

It was a spectacular day down at Whiffin Spit yesterday, Sea Lions everywhere, all down for the massive salmon buffet that is happening at this time of the year, a fantastic show, and they were as just as interested in the people, and dogs, on the shoreline.

Big Bear, big fish

From Meanwhile in Sooke today, posted by ML Sampson, a Sooke bear with some dinner....

...and they're big!

Just for scale, I took a photo next to a typical dead fish on the river shoreline, it makes my size 9 Doc Marten look tiny.

These fish are huge!

They're back!

Yes, down at the creek, and at the river, the salmon are back by the thousand, they are just a few minutes from the house, so we walked the loop and took in the sights, live fish, dead fish and fishermen. The autumn colors are here, the leaves are falling and we are ending the month with some great weather.

Sooke - One Year

We have been celebrating yet another anniversary this week, one full year in the Sooke house. It was a marvelous day today, so once again we took to our feet and went down to our happy walk, down on Whiffin Spit. A year and four days on.

Drone photo courtesy of Brian Rundle, Sooke.

Fisgard Lighthouse

The lighthouse is now connected via a causeway between Esquimalt Harbour and the Strait of Juan de Fuca, but it is not too much of a stretch to imagine the life of the lighthouse keeper back in the nineteenth century, and even though the lighthouse is still operational, there are fixed displays inside, and a fantastic spiral staircase, for visitors to enjoy.

Fort Rodd Hill

We had discovered this place earlier in the year, but it was at the end of another adventure, so we made a mental note to return and have a few hours there.

It is a coast artillery fort built in the late 1890s to defend Victoria and the Esquimalt Naval Base and as part of parks Canada, open to the public for quiet contemplation of another time. I was reminded at times about our visit to the Citadel in Halifax many years ago, and the curators of Fort Rodd Hill, or as Karen and myself called it, Fort Rod Hull, are doing an excellent job.

Beanz meanz Heinz

There has been a flurry of indicators that the weather is changing here on the West coast, and one that is a sure sign that comfort food territory has arrived is the utilization of the slow cooker to make the beans.

It will not be long before we start making stews, soups and the more exotic big pan items and I've been yearning for the stouts and porters once again.

Certain members of the household have already been seen around the abode in comfy tops and slippers....

A Strange Meditation

We both agreed that today provided a strange meditation, because we did the breakfast thing, the computer thing and then spent a few hours in the garden, together and happy, yet distinctly apart.

Then we went for a pint.

While Karen did all her bits, I mowed a bit, removed grass a bit, weeded a bit and then, a task that I had contemplated for a week, assaulted the shed, sorted it out and and made it my own. This is what happens when you move house, you gain rooms, and those initially, are someone else's rooms. Then, over a period of months, you make those rooms your own, and today, the shed changed it's ownership.

As I was scrubbing the floor, washing it with a bucket of water and a stiff brush, I was transformed in my mind, way back in time, to when I was three or four years old, when my mum was "cleaning the flags" with a brush and a hose pipe in the back yard at our house in Botanic Road, Liverpool. In the distance, bringing me back to the present, a neighbour was playing "Give a Little Bit" by Supertramp, adding yet another layer of memories from the seventies.

It was a strange, complex, and most magical meditation.

It was happy, happy work.

Meanwhile in Sooke...

A view from the wharf today, out towards one of our favorite walks at Whiffin Spit with some low cloud or fog to welcome the crabbers back to the basin.

It is so true that as the chaotic world turns on it's wonky axis as usual, our home town of Sooke defies it all and stays calm and collected, and that serenity is infectious.

Port Renfrew

Saturday morning on the drive across the island, we stopped off in Lake Cowichan for a short walk near the museum by the lake. There was a dog swimming, absolutely loving the water, and the owner told us that, because of diabetes, the dog had become blind. She recommended the Shaker Mill restaurant, so we treated ourselves to a "full monty" breakfast, and it was perfect.

Then the drive across the island continued, through amazing valleys, twisting roads, single lane bridges, hairpin bends and a unique weather system, we arrived at the Port Renfrew Hotel for a pint and some exploration, the views were stunning, and we have made a promise to come back here for a night of solitude at some point and stay at one of the cabins of Wild Renfrew.

Phoenix - Turkey Vulture

With a wingspan rivaling the bald eagle, this soaring vulture can stay aloft for hours without flapping its wings. They use their amazing sense of smell to find carrion to feed on – Turkey Vultures can detect pieces of raw meat from kilometers away.

We have confused these common birds for young bald eagles in the past, often seen around Sooke, and as we watched the flying display, six more congregated in the sky above the arena.

There were many other flying displays that session, a barn owl that was silent as it flew over our heads, a Golden Eagle and an amazingly fast Peregrine Falcon. It was a spectacular visit, and we will be going back there again.

Twain - Kestrel

North America’s smallest falcon, these little raptors are still incredibly fierce predators, hunting insects, small rodents and other birds. While currently a commonly found raptor, they are at risk from habitat loss, and pesticide exposure. This little darling showed us all what he was made of during the flying exhibition.

At times, he flew within inches of our heads, more than once we experienced goosebumps because it was so amazing.

Raptors, Duncan

A couple of lovely birds :

Pacific Circle Route

We took a holiday from our extended holiday, and experienced the Pacific Circle Route here on the southern end of Vancouver Island, a drive to Duncan, and two nights stay and exploring, then a drive across the island, to Port Renfrew and then back to Sooke to complete the circle.

Calling out my name

The aforementioned gooseberry bush is calling out my name one more time, so I'll have to do some more picking and pickling.

There's a snake in my boot......

Morning walk in the back yard and there was a little garter snake in the grass, it was happy enough to hang around a few minutes while I fetched my camera.

Well, when I say happy, it was probably scared witless, cornered near our gooseberry bush.

Tea Towel Head

I was out this morning, a tea towel on my head, held there with my cap, protecting my neck from the sun as I picked two-thirds of the gooseberries off our bush. There were a couple of pounds of them after my efforts, and then before they knew what had happened, they were in a right old jam.

Paradise

A few days this week, especially one particular group of moments down at French Beach, have felt like we are living in paradise, for this moment, I walked behind a crew of sandpipers, all of whom appeared to be sharing a single brain, all praying to the wonder of the light, the tide and the salt air.

As too, were we...

Jordon River, Crab Fest

There were thousands of these little guys on the sands at Jordon River, all trapped by the seaweed and the low tide, all baked by the sun into golden red, crunchy tidbits for the local birds.

Rocks On

I am always fascinated by the variety of rocks that we walk across during our many strolls on the local beaches, so much diversity, so many permutations, endless loveliness.

I make this my windows wallpaper today, to remind me I should find another random example in the morning.

The Point

The trail head at Sheringham point.

Sheringham Point Lighthouse

It is interesting that, although we have been in Sooke for eight months now, we have seen very little of the area, of course we have walked a thousand kilometers, done the Galloping Goose at least once, Wiffin Spit fifty times and neighbourhood walks once or twice a week, but we've only explored the more "distant" beaches a few times.

This was our first visit to Sheringham Point, about fifteen kilometers away, and the magnificent craggy coastline and views of the Juan de Fuca. The weather cooperated and we had a great day down at the trail head and the preserved lighthouse.

Wigan Mining and Technical College

Unfortunately no more, but the big colliery wheel was still there, memories of the final year of my Higher National Certificate in Mechanical Engineering, my good friend, the recently departed Paul Martin and the lovely discovery of Karen Gore a wife to be had.

Wigan Hall

A trip to Wigan and Leigh College and just around the corner at Frog Lane, the mother and child reunion continued with an impromptu snap outside of Wigan Hall, just prior to finding out that Deanery School had been demolished and replaced with a new building.

Say cheese.......

Yarrow Valley Gore set

A selection of wild Gores down at the Yarrow Valley.....

Done.

We parked up at the 49km point and walked up to Leechtown, the 56km marker, and then with aching legs, walked all the way back to the car again.

Galloping Goose Trail complete!

Johnson Street Bridge

This old thing will soon go missing in downtown Victoria to be replaced by something functional and modern and probably without character, it was the end point of our first fifty kilometers of the Galloping Goose Trail and the only way we could get to the Drake pub and some Persephone beer...

Here's a view, looking back towards the general direction of Sooke from Victoria. I say general direction because Sooke is more off to the right and if you follow the road, you'll come to Spinnakers, another fine brew pub.

If we give anyone directions, it usually involves roads that lead to a good pub.

Tap Takeover and some more of those dots....

Last Thursday we took the bus to Langford, jumped off at the 11km point of the trail and walked into Victoria to point zero, which is at the Johnson Street Bridge. It also happened to be very close to the location of the Drake Pub, and coincidently (not) it was the Persephone Tap Takeover.

We arrived at 4.02pm which was two minutes late, met a few old friends there, Brian, Matt and a new Matt who apparently is the chap who delivers our beers to the Sooke Liquor Store.

A great day, fifty kilometers of the Galloping Goose completed (six to go at the Sooke end).

Three - done!

The bed at the side of the house is now complete, planted and mulched.

We've run out of soil, so we have to order some more for the new projects in the works.

More Dots...

The Galloping Goose Trail project is continuing and we still have a couple of bits to do, we are at the Eastern 11 km point, so our next walk will be taking a bus there and walk the remaining 10 km or so into Victoria, completing that part of the trail. We will finish off at some point by parking up at the 49 km waypoint and walking North to the 56 km marker, and back of course, so that will be a bit of a haul unless we can find a way of splitting it into two chunks.

The end is in sight!

Three

This will be a complete shade bed, but as it is on the outside of our fenced area, the "deer" side of the property, it has to be planted with inedible shrubs and plants. Karen already has a list of prospects which we will be buying over the next week, before that of course, I have to remove the last few yards of green stuff, and we need to find some rocks.

Two and a bit

Time to salvage some rocks for the border, but for now, the bed is complete and almost planted. We learned in Gibsons how things grow and take up a lot of space, so this time, we're attempting to place plants so they will grow into the bed over the next few years.