Mid-September Vancouver Island Vacation

THE FERRY RIDE:

The time on the ferry is always one of my favorite parts of any trip around the Puget Sound area!!  It's hard to capture the beauty and openness of the scene, but this gives just a small idea of what it's like.

BUTCHART GARDENS:

Two of the most beautiful faces (by far!) that I saw in the garden that day.  :-)

The play of light and shadow always captures my attention...

Lovely lilies lay lazily in a languid lake...  (how's that for alliteration?!?)

The "languid lake" from the other side.  Everything was reflecting so beautifully!!

We had times of both sunshine and shadow on this day.  I caught Jo up on a large rock in the lower gardens, peeking down at me, while the sun was shining merrily upon us.

Smiles all around!!!

This flitting lil' fellow kept daring me to take his picture...

So much beauty!!!

Another critter just begging to have his photo taken.  This guy was making quite a mess all over the deep red petals with the yellow pollen he got onto his fuzzy little self!!

There were not only various living creatures, but all kinds of statues scattered throughout the garden as well.

Such whimsical fun looking at our reflections in the glass ball!!!  It was mounted on a pedestal in the middle of the rose garden and provided such quirky photo ops.

I love her cap!!!

The light through these green leaves was luminescent...

Shhh...  Artist at work!!  :-)

Dusk was beginning to fall, but then the lights began to come on, providing their own beauty.

BACK TO VICTORIA:

The harbor at twilight...

The Empress Hotel:  site of our taking of afternoon tea (see Jo's blog for fun pics)!!)

Dad and Jo playing in the frontier town at the Royal British Columbia Museum.

Another view of the town in the museum.

                               SABBATH HIKE AT EAST SOOKE PARK:

We went for a stroll at a beautiful wild park south of Victoria.  They had a neat petroglyph on a rock there...

Here it is!!!

Does this look familiar, guys?!?  :-)

Ready for anything!!!

 We were able to watch about four or five of these guys playing in the ocean.  It wasn't long, though, before they were busy watching the watchers!!!  After a short time they headed off into the sound.