Sunday, October 30, 2022

October Daily 30:

 

View from the restaurant, overlooking Saanich Inlet on a misty wet day.

Rain began in the night and fell steadily most of the day. No one is complaining for we can almost hear the trees sigh in relief and the earth slurp up the moisture. Tim and I enjoyed lunch overlooking Saanich Inlet - he had pizza and I had a burger and fries, a rare treat. 


We brought along our raincoats and waterproof shoes to hike around Goldstream Park on the way home. Above is a view of the end of Saanich Inlet, where Goldstream River joins the sea. 


Mallard ducks and Canada Geese paddled slowly in the rain, and gulls lined up along the shore in strict formation. 

Goldstream River provides spawning grounds for salmon. This year, because of the prolonged drought, the rivers are too low for the salmon to enter. The salmon are resting in the inlet, waiting for enough water to swim upstream, lay their eggs, and die. We did see a few salmon that made it, and there are hopes that with all the rain the streams will benefit, and the salmon will be able to complete their life cycle and lay eggs for the future. 



A short walk through a dripping forest of huge cedar and maple trees to this waterfall, also suffering from the lack of rain. 


Golden maple leaves fell slowly, one by one, and now so many of them carpet the paths and forest floor. Freshly fallen leaves look so bright and golden before fading to brown. 


Some leaves floated down the river, twisting this way and that before succumbing to the weight of the water and rain to sink. 


Goldstream River is in a narrow valley hemmed in by mountains and covered with trees that keep it shaded year round. 


As we were getting ready to leave, a Blue Heron flew above the river, banking and tilting his wings above the water. He landed in a little backwater, quite well hidden from the trail. I followed its progress in the air and was very happy to discover its hiding place. 

We came home, changed into dry clothing and spent the rest of the day indoors. 

It was a lovely day, made even more special by being my birthday. I spoke with all my children and my parents, and we will have a family party next weekend when three of us, my eldest daughter, my daughter-in-law, and I will be the ones feted. 

18 comments:

  1. Juhuuu... you should live high :-))) Happy birthday.
    Great tour, thank you for the beautiful pictures and have fun for you all for the big birthday party weekend.
    Hug Viola

    ReplyDelete
  2. It sounds like a wonderful way to spend your birthday!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm happy you had a lovely birthday--with even more celebration to come. And that lucky capture of the blue heron, very nice! I could just picture you two having a fun lunch on such a drizzly day looking out over the beautiful inlet but I am amazed at my ignorance about salmon. I knew they swam upriver to lay their eggs but did not know they die afterwards. I'm shocked. Our favorite fish is wild caught Pacific sockeye but I'll remind myself not to complain about the rising price of it. I hope the rivers fill soon.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Belated birthday wishes to you, Lorrie. Your day sounds like it was very nice. Your observations on the salmon are another reminder of how our changing climate is taking a toll. I hope they are able to complete their life cycle soon.

    ReplyDelete
  5. A perfect way to spend the day. Happy birthday. B x

    ReplyDelete
  6. Another lovely day! Happy Birthday!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Happy Birthday!

    And how lovely that you shared it's niceness, with the earth....... Getting its needed drink of rain water. -smile-

    🍁🌰🌻🍂🎃🍂🌻🌰🍁
    "Hark! The wind is rising,
    And the air is full of leaves.
    We've had our summer evenings.
    Now, for October Eves."

    ReplyDelete
  8. Beautiful scenery you captured. A very happy birthday to you!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. What a view from the restaurant! Such wonderful photos, despite the weather! :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. It must have been invigorating out in the rain after all the dry weather. Happy birthday!

    ReplyDelete
  11. What a lovely way to spend your birthday, Lorrie! And a very happy birthday to you. The sighting of that Blue Heron must have been a real joy to see. Splendid photos - a real treat. Wishing you a pleasant week ahead. Bren xo

    ReplyDelete
  12. Belated birthday wishes. It was a very soggy day but we are not complaining about the rain. At least not yet.
    Lunch with a view sounds great and your wet walk too. Great picture of the heron.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Happy Birthday! What a lovely way to celebrate. Each of your pictures is just gorgeous. They made me want to walk right there in all that beauty.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Happy Birthday, Lorrie! Your rainy PNW pictures are beautiful -- those leaves! We are supposed to get rain late tonight-early tomorrow. I'm so excited!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Happy Birthday to you, Lorrie and thank you for sharing the beauty of this magical place! The wild things did suffer this year with the wildfires and drought, but hopefully Mother Nature will balance out and provide for all. I've lost touch with you - thank you for reconnecting. Enjoy your special day. x K

    ReplyDelete
  16. A very Happy Birthday 🎂 !
    I would love to do the walk in such a beautiful environment.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Happy birthday and congratulations on having chosen such a beautiful place to live.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Happy Birthday! I can imagine how it probably often rains on your birthday but that this year you did not mind.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for your comment. I read and value each one, cherishing the connections we can make although far apart. Usually, I visit your blog in return, although if you ask a question I try to contact you directly.

A Wander Through my Mind

  Nothing is so beautiful as Spring -  When weeds, in wheels, shoot long and lovely and lush; Gerard Manley Hopkins When I opened my bedroom...