Views from City and Forest

 

Victoria is a relatively small city, larger if the surrounding municipalities are counted in. We rarely go downtown as we can find what we need elsewhere without the hassle of expensive parking. Once in awhile there is a special event that we like to attend. Recently, the city hosted "Victoria at Dusk," intended for families to wander through lighted displays, listen to live music, and enjoy the camaraderie. I noticed several people stopping to take a photo of the above scene, so I took one, too. It's looking down Government Street across the cloud-banked Strait of Juan de Fuca to the Olympic Mountains in the USA against a sunset sky. 

This past Sunday afternoon we took a 4 kilometre hike around a local lake, about 90 minutes in total. Lots of clouds and patches of sunshine. At the far end of the lake, where the water flows out into a small stream, a beaver had built a small dam. The dam was in poor repair and the beaver house we saw a short ways away didn't look very fresh. Perhaps the family moved on to a better lake. After I took the photo of mossy logs in the water, I realized it rather looks like an optical illusion of trees floating in the clouds. 

Soft light shimmered across the water, reflecting the various colours of trees on the far shore. A sculptural weed was my intended focus, but I rather like the blended colours in the water. 

Patches of Reindeer Lichen grow on the many mossy rocks along the trail. I think they look like frosty miniature forests. We're certainly not seeing much of real frost this winter. I think our chance of snow has passed. It's been an exceptionally mild season. 

One side of the lake trail was quite level as you can see above. The other side, once we crossed the little bridge over the beaver dam, climbed steeply for a bit, and was wetter and muddier. Much of our forest growth is evergreen, but I noticed a few leaf buds emerging from some of the deciduous bushes. 

While walking around our neighbourhood this afternoon I noticed clumps of daffodils opening, a few prunus trees beginning to bloom, and lots of birds. A cloud of Starlings landed on the garden and I watched them pecking at the grass for who knows what. Fat American Robins are showing up in small flocks to do the same thing, and Bushtits flit from tree to tree. It's lovely to see and hear the birds at this time of year. 

Here at home I've fed up my sourdough starter to make bread tomorrow, and also broth from the roast chicken we enjoyed for dinner this evening. Lots of house puttering to look forward to.