Willows Beach

Summer finally arrived this last week and Victorians have been reveling in bona fide HOT summer days. And that, of course, includes beach time. While Victoria is surrounded by the ocean it doesn't have that many sandy beaches that are suitable for swimming and lolling in the sun. Willows Beach in Oak Bay is one that has everything a beach should have and here's how Victorians were enjoying it this week.

Inner Harbor after Sunset

More night photography. It's been warm enough the last few days to tempt me out at night and it is fascinating how the same old scenes look new and different when the sun goes down. Here's a shot of Victoria's Inner Harbor that I took about an hour ago.

Canada Goose

Here's another bird that remains still long enough for a neophyte to get a photo, the Canada Goose. This one was photographed at Esquimalt Lagoon, which shelters a large flock of these geese year-round. They are quite tame.

Waterfall

Yes, yes, I know this is a CITY daily photo blog and the selection of photos lately has been rather bucolic. But I'm back in the city now and there are some pleasant interludes, such as this waterfall, which cools a lovely little park near where I live. While it looks pretty natural, scroll down to see its source.

Elderberries

Here's another image from my afternoon in Mount Douglas Park, elderberries. I suspect this is Pacific Coast Red Elder but there are a quite a few varieties of elder and I am never sure. Taxonomists please feel free to correct me. When I lived in the interior of BC we used to gather wild black elderberries and make a fruit syrup from them. Delicious. It seems the red ones are poisonous but I find their color combination of scarlet and purple very attractive.

Mount Douglas Forest

Today I went to Mount Douglas Park, but instead of ascending to the top I checked out some of the forest trails at the base of the mountain. I discovered these large-leafed plants in boggy glade. The earth beneath them was black mud, freshly inscribed with the delicate hoofprints of deer.These are Salal flowers. Later they will develop into small edible berries. This plant is widely found all over the North Pacific coast of America.

Ogden Point Breakwater

I like the city and its special events when crowds gather and enjoy together but there are also times when I get a little claustrophobic. That's when I enjoy this breakwater, only a few minutes from downtown Victoria, yet it offers space and peace and room to let oneself expand. Does your city have places like this?