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.

Nice... art

"Raven Lady" by Mike Camp

Ucluelet is just down the road from the town of Tofino on the outer coast of Vancouver Island. Tofino gets all the love though for its proximity to Canada's best surf beaches.

Nonetheless, Ucluelet is deserving of its own respect. Not as close to the major surf spots, but it has more of a home town feel compared to Tofino which feels increasingly commercialized.

These roadside sculptures from artist Mike Camp grab your attention as you drive into town.

"Surfer Girl" by Mike Camp

Sunset over Parksville Bay

The setting sun sets the bay on fire

 The setting sun lights up the windows of a resort as well as tidal pools of Parksville's main bay.

Pacific Paradise... in Canada?!

Bali High... or Ucluelet, BC?

Now that tropical destinations are off the table for many Canadians due to the continuing pandemic, these hearty palm trees and BCs stunning scenery near Ucluelet will have to substitute.

Fishermans Wharf

Water taxis among the float homes...

Water taxis coming and going from Victoria's Fishermans Wharf...

Life on Mars

COVID protocols... dining in domes at a local restaurant

 I'm always bemused by the race between billionaires to spend their fortunes trying to get humans into space. Elon Musk has his eyes particularly on Mars.

Are millions of people... even thousands... clamouring to live out their lives underground or behind protective domes never again to see a blue sky, or dip their toes in a lake or river? Never again to hear bird song, or the sound of wind rustling through corn fields? Feel the breeze of a warm sunset caress their face?

I'm not one of them. I've no desire to boldly go anywhere in space.

With the multitude of problems we face on our own planet, I wish the ultra rich  would check their egos and spend the money down here helping humanity.

Here be monsters...

A sun-bleached sea serpent on Quadra Island...

Attack of the Giant Cephalopod

Cthulhu emerges...

On the beach at Port Renfrew sits this piece of driftwood looking vaguely like a giant octopus with its tentacle-like roots.

You might be thinking: "Well that's ridiculous. Octopuses live in sea water. They can't crawl around on land."

Guess again... and try not to think of one of these critters crawling out of the deep looking for a meal.

Momento mori

Dust to dust

"Momento mori" is Latin for "remember that you must die". Legend says that slaves accompanying generals on victory parades in ancient Rome would whisper these words in their ears along the way. It was meant to remind them that their lives would have little significance in history after they had passed away. It served to keep the commanders from being consumed by their own hubris.

In another context the phrase is a reminder that each passing year brings us closer to our end. 

The start of a new year is an ideal time to consider whether we will make the best of life in each day, or waste it on the mundane and the inconsequential. Will we embrace life with gusto, or merely pass through it?

Choose your fate...

Ogden Point

If you were to enter Victoria Harbour from the ocean, you would pass the Ogden Point beacon. It's located at the end of a long breakwater that is a favourite with local and tourists for walking. 

Ski season

A bright spot in an otherwise dark year...

 Our local mountain has opened for a new season of skiing. It was crowded the day we were there, probably from a combination of holidays and people weary of being housebound by COVID.

The resort had COVID protocols in place that everyone seemed to be respecting. The day was warm with a blanket of recent snow on the slopes... a near-perfect start to the season.

Have a very...

Unseen

Interesting lines and elements...

 I'm a visual person -- obviously -- so I tend to be drawn to art derived from photography and painting. However, I'm also a big fan of art with texture which is why I was drawn to this piece of art hanging in the hallway of a local office building. 

It was adorned with 3D elements such as shells inspired by it's theme of the sea. It was a shame that it was tucked away in a hallway where most people probably walked by it without a glance. It was the sort of piece that deserved to be hung in a lobby  There wasn't even a plaque to describe it or provide some insight into the artist or their inspiration for the piece.

The colour of money

A lot of green went into this hobby...

Green is the colour of money. And I'm guessing a lot of green when into the care and upkeep of this smart looking car seen in the parking lot of our local airport.

That's some shine...

Bouquet of Memories

No, not a scene from Yellow Submarine...

Today's image is inspired by a towering sculpture at Victoria's International Airport. The artist is Illarion Gallant who has a number of impressive art installations throughout the region. 

The name of the piece is "Bouquet of Memories". Gallant invited students and staff of a neighbourhood school to write a paragraph of their favourite memory. The collection of memories is sealed in a capsule inside the seedpod of one of the colourful poppies in the sculpture.

Kinetic

But what does it MEAN?

The COVID crisis has led to many events being cancelled around greater Victoria, including nearby Oak Bay's annual art show. It typically featured whimsical public art installations around the municipality.

This particular piece is a leftover from a previous year that they decided to keep in place permanently. The rings rotate in the breeze. I'm not sure what the frog is all about.

Thunderbirds are Go!

Poised for take-off...

When I was a kid, one of my favourite TV shows was Thunderbirds, an action series that featured puppets marionettes instead of live actors. The coolest part of the show was the sleek air- and spacecraft that were the actual Thunderbirds.

Last summer, I watch Victoria's relatively new bridge as it was raised to allow a barge pass through from the upper to the lower harbour. In the upright position, the bridge resembled some high tech spacecraft about to launch. It would have looked right at home among the Thunderbirds.

Eye of the beholder

Does it encourage contemplation?

 I'm not sure of the artistic merits of this particular bit of random beach art. 

It is a collection of rounded rocks stuffed in among the roots of a large tree that washed ashore during recent storms.

Thumbs up? Thumbs down? You decide...

The colour of fall

A fall tree glows in the sun...

Here on the West Coast we don't get the colourful fall foilage that the rest of the country back east does. We have to make do with the odd tree here and there... mostly everything here is just shades of brown and dull yellow.

Wayback Mexico: Huatulco Dreams (2017)

Laid back Huatulco...

After the Barcelo, Huatulco remains our second favourite Mexican vacation. It's located very far south in Mexico and hasn't yet been tainted by the heavily commercialization seen in places like Puerto Vallarta or Cancun/ Playa del Carmen.

The resort itself faced a picturesque bay. I spent a lot of time out on the water SUP paddling. Separately, we had fun puttering around on scooters and surfing some local beaches.

View of the main harbour