Weekend Shots

Boats in Osborne Bay Marina, Crofton

A quick trip to the island to pick up my new house keys (and take a load of "basic necessities" so I can stay at the house on future trips between now and moving day) was somewhat too busy for much picture taking. Marking papers on the ferry over, giving instructions for the fence to be built, locating stores and discussing options for an alternate heat source (the house has electric heat - I will be adding a pellet stove) and other services, marking exams on the return ferry....the weekend flew by.

My friend Ann came with me, and we did find time to go for a walk around the town and along the seawall, which netted a few pictures. I can see I am going to have to learn how to identify and photograph ducks and gulls and other ocean birds:

Seagull - this one I know!

Oystercatchers - they look like crows with long skinny orange beaks

Mallards going for a swim

A United Nations of birds on the beach

Seagull on a rock

Ann and I and my friend Else (who lives there) celebrated the receipt of the key with a glass (okay, a few glasses) of bubbly:

Cheers!

I met the neighbours on one side, and was relieved to discover they are a retired couple. They had just come back from picking up a dachshund from a rescue organization, to add to their family which consists of another dachschund and a cat and the many birds they attract to their back yard with dozens of birdhouses. They spent the last five summers as campground hosts for a remote campsite where they enjoyed just being outdoors and fishing on the lake. We certainly have interests in common!

Ellen took wonderful care of the critters here and even Allie didn't have too many complaints about the whippet boyz, Kinley and Cisco, who always accompany Ellen. Thanks Ellen and whippet boyz!

Although I will miss my good friends here, I am increasingly impatient to move and to start this new chapter of my life. The next couple of months, heavy with tasks at work and move-related, will no doubt fly by. The next time I take a weekend trip to the island, I hope to at least take a couple of the dogs with me so they can begin to become familiar with their new home.

Birds in flight