Figures in the Mist

Exploring in the fog...

It's a typical Vancouver Island West Coast scene... tendrils of heavy fog drift ashore from the ocean, slipping between the trees like wraiths and reducing fellow beachcombers in the distance to barely visible silhouettes.

... now you don't.

Parkville's "empty" waterpark...

The fastest way to make children disappear in public is to pull out a camera and start taking pictures. Parents leap into action, grabbing their kids and dragging them away from the weird guy snapping photos.

So this is the popular water park at Parksville's Community Park. There are lots of kids just out of sight at the edges wondering why Mommy is clutching them so tightly.

Come On Eileen

Eileen and Trevor sing the hits...

Come On Eileen is one of my go-to karaoke songs. Karaoke is also what brought Eileen and Trevor to my attention walking Parksville's boardwalk one early evening with my wife.

The pair were entertaining pedestrians and beach goers with their brand of 80s vintage karaoke on the beach. Their karaoke sounds way better than mine which is why you should be grateful that I will never serenade readers with my whiny voice.

As a karaoke enthusiast though I stopped to talk with them for awhile. They've been singing together since 1962. Apparently they loved their partnership so much they decided to make it permanent with marriage in 1967. Thanks to them both for their fun stories about life and radio rock in Britain in the 1960s 

On a roll...

Kayakers getting wet during manoeuvres...

Although it looks like a couple of these kayakers are having problems, it's all in hand. This group were practicing their rolls which is a fundamental skill for kayaking.

Some were more successful than others...

The Watering Can

Wet and fun, oh yes!

On a summer day, a popular destination for kids (and their grateful parents!) is the giant watering can in Victoria's Beacon Hill Park.

Whether it's a shower, a spray or a spew of water, it's all good medicine for hot and hyperactive children coping with severely restricted summer activities during these days of COVID-19.

The Dare

"You go first. No, YOU go first!"

Parksville locals have a semi-secret swimming spot located on the Englishman River. The river has carved strange formations into the banks such as this 'double patty'.

It's a favourite place to jump into the water, but can be intimidating because:

i. The water is dark and you can't easily see if there are any obstacles below the surface of the water (there aren't);

ii. The water is cold and there's no easing into it from a jump;

iii. It's also a bit challenging to climb back out of the water without skinning a knee or scraping a foot on the rock.

In the ancient of tradition of boys, I watched one young guy coaxing/teasing his pal into jumping into the water. No idea if he did it as I couldn't wait that long. Mom was nearby though so I figured everyone was safe.

Les Vitamines

Making physical funny look easy...

My wife and I make a point to get to each summer's busker festival in Victoria whenever we can. Les Vitamines is probably our favourite act... combining acrobatics and comedy, they have appeared here frequently.

The smaller of the talented pair is Cbastien. He's the clown to his partner's straight man. The past few times we have seen them, Cbastien has appeared with a new partner than when we first saw them.

This year is the first year that I have noticed grey in his hair. It reminded me of just how long we have been coming to see these guys.

Raging Grannies

The Raging Grannies entertain and amuse on Salt Spring Island...

Although Raging Grannies are now a global phenomenon, they got their start in our very own Victoria, BC back in the mid-80s. At the time I was in the Navy, and we were frequently the target of their political protests when we hosted foreign warships.

The Grannies protested the presence of nuclear warships in BC waters, assuming that they were ARMED with nuclear weapons. Sometimes they were, but other times they were simply powered by a nuclear power plant, a distinction that the Grannies didn't seem to understand.

Over the years and decades, the target of their songs and protests has expanded to include other concerns such as the growing climate emergency.

For the most part, they are endured with good humour. Who wants to be the person who arrests or hassles a grandmother?

This particular chapter on Salt Spring Island were entertaining market goers with a cheeky tune protesting oil tankers off the BC coast...

Idiot on display

Presenting history from the other side...

While visiting the Crazy Horse Memorial in South Dakota, my wife and I took in an entertaining and informative show about the history of the Lakota Indians. The show was a combination of dance, music, narrative and even comedy put on by a Lakota family. (Unfortunately, I didn't catch their name.)

We were sitting at the very back of the venue. Whenever I take photos I try to be mindful of blocking the view of other visitors. Not this douchebag idiot, who saw fit to video record most of the event with his camera up in the air blocking the view of the people immediately behind him.

A complete jerk films the show for himself and blocks others...

Atomic City ID

Nothing happens on Main Street of Atomic City...

Atomic City in Idaho is definitely off the grid. It's about 20 miles off the main interstate at the end of a non-descript gravel road.

I wanted to see it because I was intrigued by its retro-future name.

It's nearly a ghost town now, home to just 30 people. It features a small stock car race track which appears to be still active, but, except for a couple of grizzled old characters -- one of them sporting two artificial legs -- it seemed deserted in the middle of the day.

The only bar in town is long shuttered...

No longer serving cold ones...