Pre-Spring

Lately the weather has been in a mode that seems to be very characteristic of Victoria. It is cloudy and dark in the morning, perhaps with a bit of rain and wind. Then around noon it blows clear and the sun comes out and it evolves into a splendid afternoon. This has been the pattern the last week or so and it makes for very clean, clear air. The sun is still so low that there are stark shadows but there is more color in the environment and that plus the bit of added warmth this week makes it seem like spring is just around the corner. This photo was taken from the West Bay Walkway near Sailor's Cove.

Skyline

Our weather has warmed up for the last few days with the return of the damp gray skies. Here's a shot from earlier this week when the sun was shining. This was taken near Songhees Point (that's the rocky point on the left) on New Year's day. Lots of Victorians were out walking around enjoying the sunshine and fresh air.

Telephoto Fun

Lately I've been enjoying my longest telephoto lens. It's a 500mm reflex lens and is most useful for birds. Yesterday's posted photo of the Hooded Mergansers was taken with this lens. These birds were so far out in the water that with the naked eye I could do little more than guess at their identity. Yet thanks to modern technology I was able to capture the relatively sharp image I posted. Today's photos were both taken with the same super telephoto lens and I selected them to show the kind of distortion that comes about with long lenses like this. In the photo above, of course, the sun is about 10 times bigger than it appears in reality. It's a great effect- it makes it look like a blistering hot morning in mid-summer instead of a cold autumn sunrise. The photo below is more of a curiosity for locals to consider. In the foreground is the shoreline from Saxe Point (on the left) to Macaulay Point (on the right) with Fleming Beach and Buxton Green closer to the middle on the right. Where it starts to get weird is what's further back - many of Victoria's trademark buildings in apparently odd locations and looking larger and closer than seems possible. If you look carefully you can see Craigdarroch Castle, the Rocklands water tower, Christchurch Cathedral, the Empress Hotel, the Legislative Assembly Buildings, the Sussex Building and others.

Sunrise Over the City

A short walk east from where I took yesterday's photo, Sailor's Cove widens out into the broader reaches of the Inner Harbour and provides this view of Victoria's downtown. One commenter yesterday mentioned the fog that came down later in the day. At dawn this fog was little more than a low-lying cloud but it provided enough interference for the sun's rays to allow this photo of the sun as it crept above the city skyline.

Swallow's Landing

I am happy to share with you today my new favorite view of the Victoria Skyline. This is taken from the terrace of a pair of condominiums called "Swallow's Landing," overlooking the Matson Conservation Area along the West Bay Walkway. I'll tell you a little about this project tomorrow. For those of you who might be interested in yesterday's seal pup, he was there again today and I was a little better prepared with an 80-200mm zoom lens. Some of the people using the walkway are concerned that he is sick or wounded when they see him lying on the cement like this. Wikipedia, however, assures us that when not hunting or feeding, harbour seals like to pull themselves out of the water and rest on convenient rocks. To me he looks very happy and healthy and it is a treat to see him dropping off to sleep, losing his balance and snapping awake again.

Nice Clouds

Yesterday's fog has blown away and left us this beautifully clear air and these lovely puffy cotton wool clouds.

Skyline

I've been avoiding posting any photos of Victoria's skyline because it doesn't really have a big city skyline, I guess because it isn't a big city. However, I think this skyline (which includes most of downtown) is actually quite a nice eclectic architectural mix.