Memories of Summer

Ahhh...snoozing under this Arbutus tree....

Arbutus Moon

Dead Arbutus

Even in death these gnarly arbutus trees are beautiful.

Arbutus

More snow last night and a busy day trying to fit some Christmas shopping in with work so here's another shot taken a few days ago from the Westsong Walkway, looking towards Westbay Marina in Esquimalt.

More Westsong Walkway

While the Westsong Walkway skirts urban residential areas throughout its route, it nevertheless offers glimpses of what the shoreline must have been like before it became urbanized. Above, evergreen arbutus and ivy and the rusty red arbutus bark make a nice contrast against the snow. Below, a picnic table waits for spring.

Dockside Green Arbutus

Further to my post of Wednesday, here's a little more Dockside Green. I noticed some time ago that the construction crews are very carefully preserving the only large tree that was growing on the site before construction started. It is the large Arbutus tree in the center of the photo, behind the blue and white cement truck. I think the preservation of this tree is another good sign that this project is serious about their commitment to the environment.

This will make an interesting historical photo since the buildings are going up all around this tree and in six months I expect this scene to have changed totally except, I hope, for the tree.

Arbutus

Arbutus trees are the only native non-deciduous trees in Canada and they are found only on Vancouver Island and adjacent coastal areas of British Columbia. They don't shed their leaves but old bark peels off regularly. The new bark is a light green at first and then turns this lovely shade of red. They can be seen all round Victoria clinging to rocky outcrops, particularly near the ocean.