Endless Forms Most Beautiful

After our torrential rain storm, the next day was sunny and calm so we decided it was a good chance to get out in our new folding kayaks. We headed to Thetis Lake since it's close and sheltered.

As soon as we got in the water I saw the reflections from the patches of sun on the lingering fall colors and the deep shade between.

It was a lovely fall day, especially relative to the snow in Saskatoon.

See also: Shelley's blog post

See all 15 photos in this album

* The title is a quote from Darwin's Origin of Species

Thetis

One of the big advantages (for me) of being in Victoria is access to the outdoors. Much as I love the prairies, there's not much of it left. It's all been plowed up and turned into mono-culture farmland. Here I can step out the door and in 8 km be in Thetis Lake Regional Park with over 40 km of trails around the lakes and through the forest. Canada's first nature sanctuary is now primarily a dog park but it's still a great place to run and hike. As usual, most people stick to the main trails close to the parking lots so it's not hard to get away from them. I'd been out here on a couple of my long runs, without a camera, so I was glad to go back with Shelley for a hike and be able to take my camera. Although it ended up sprinkling rain most of the time so I didn't take a lot of photos.

Here's the lower lake, small but pretty.

There are several nice little creeks.

The moss on the trees is such a vibrant green.

There are still some lingering fall colors.

The raindrops and reflections made interesting patterns in the water.

Photos of the Day

We went to check out the Metchosin farmers market and had a walk at the nearby Sea Bluff. I enjoyed the trees covered with moss and lichen.

I'm not sure what this is. I would guess it's an escapee from the farms nearby.

Instead of the Blue Jays in Saskatchewan, here there are Stellar's Jays. Not quite as pretty if you ask me.

Details

These ferns were growing out of a rock outcropping beside a busy street. I only had my phone when I noticed them, but it did a decent job.

There have been a few windy days so the leaves are falling fast, but there are still some on the trees.

Arbutus is an interesting tree with its curling bark and smooth red surface. It's Canada's only native broadleaved evergreen tree.

While I'm still getting used to the wet climate (compared to Saskatoon) it does mean more moss and ferns which I enjoy.

And my weekly quota of reflection photos.

Color

I wasn't sure what the fall colors would be like in Victoria. They were beautiful on the drive from Saskatoon, both on the prairies and through the mountains. And they turned out to be nice and colorful in Victoria as well. These leaves are all over our parking lot and I couldn't resist taking a few closeups. (The leaves are wet from the west coast rain.)

We have Barberry in Saskatoon as well. I always like how they take on such a variety of colors in the fall.

Unlike Saskatoon, fall in Victoria involves a surprising number of flowers. The daytime temperatures haven't been much different than Saskatoon but the difference is that it doesn't cool off as much at night. (Due to the moderating influence of the ocean.)

Clouds and Water

Here are a few photos taken from just in front of our new place in Victoria. We had a nice break in the weather with no rain and even some sunny periods. It looked like the Olympics were still getting rain though, which made for some interesting cloudscapes. (The Olympics get the most rain of any place in the US.)

And views of various forms of transportation, paddle-board, kayak, water taxi, and seaplane.

Under the water I spotted this large Northern Kelp Crab (I think).

See all 10 photos in this batch

Reflections

I fear living near the water will mean a lot of reflection photos. I'll try to keep it under control.

A small water feature on a condo building was another interesting subject.

Creston

As usual when driving by, I made a quick stop at the Creston wildlife area. It's right close to the highway and a good chance to take a break from driving. There wasn't a lot to see at this time of the year. There were some Canada Geese and ducks, including American Wigeons. This Northern Flicker was calling persistently from the top of a tree.

There were still lots of slugs around on a damp morning.

And a Woolly Bear (Isabella Tiger Moth) caterpillar.

With a lot of the leaves gone from the trees, the lichen is more obvious.

And the fallen leaves themselves can be interesting.

The cattails/bulrushes are falling apart, spreading their seeds.

And the dandelions are spreading their seeds as well.

See all 14 photos in this album

Last Photos

A few photos at Innovation Place from my last day at the office before moving to Victoria.

I'm going to miss this place. Of course, there are plenty of nice places in Victoria, but there aren't enough years left to visit (and photograph) another place so many thousands of times.