Taylor Beach is a lovely, easily accessible stretch of beach in the Metchosin/Sooke area east of Victoria on Vancouver Island. There are only a few parking spots, but midweek that is all that is needed. It is quiet and refreshing - a long, straight strip of pebble beach (and sand when the tide recedes) perfect for walking. And dogs are allowed off leash there all year round.
This week, I visited Taylor Beach with my friends Pat and Lisa, and their dogs Cosmo, Lexi and Luke. It was a perfect late winter's day - blue sky, sunshine, and a blustery, chilly wind. The day was so clear we could see Mount Baker to the south east, and the mountains of the Olympic Peninsula across the ocean.
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| Hey mom, you gotz sunbursts on you! |
The dogs were eager to head out despite the chilly wind, so after a couple of trips back to the car for forgotten items, we were off. I took a moment to capture this photo of a three or four year old girl sitting on a log gazing out at the water while her playmates and parents amused themselves nearby. I imagine this child finding serenity on the beach in 10, 20, 60 years from now. How often I have sat just like that, finding peace in a hectic and crazy world:
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| Child on a beach |
But dogs wait for no one, let alone a one-armed photographer fussing with her camera, so off we went.
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| Hurry up, Auntie Jean! |
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| Oooh! That's a lotta water! |
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| Luke ran and ran and ran! |
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| And I watched the waves roll in, casting their foamy skirts upon the sand. |
Luke is a social butterfly, making friends with every dog he meets. This day, he met a chocolate lab who shared Luke's passion for sticks. They spent a few minutes chasing sticks together and trading them back and forth, and then the lab's owner tossed a big stick into the ocean for the water loving lab. Luke decided he'd let his new friend retrieve that one!
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| I'll just wait here while you get that! |
But as soon as the lab was back on shore, the game resumed:
They reminded me of a caption I saw recently on a similar photo:
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| Branch manager Choc Lab, with assistant branch manager Luke! |
After saying goodbye to his lab friend, Luke continued down the beach with us and soon met up with a friendly German Shepherd - and off they went like old school chums from way back:
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| Luke and friend run off into the sunlight |
By now, Lexi was tired of walking and wanted to go home. Cosmo was quite happy to keep walking, especially given the lovely (ahem!) snack of horse poops he found.
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| What? Horse poops are da bomb! |
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He's disgusting! I'm beautiful!
Boy dogs drool, girl dogs rule! |
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| I CAN'T H E A R YOU! |
I took a few more shots of the ocean and the dogs:
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| Gorgeous Luke in sunshine |
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Hey mom, ya make a better door than a window!
Move - yer blockin' mah view! |
And then it was time to go. What a great day we'd had!
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That was fun, mom.
Can we meet up with these friends again soon? |
2 comments:
Wish there was a HUGE like button as this post made me feel like I was there too! I could practically feel the wind and the warm sunshine. Love how Luke makes friends with every dog he met. Such fun
Looks like you had fun Jean, hope your arm is getting better.I wish Princess Molly was a social butterfly instead of being an anti-social hag. Oh well it's a shame she doesn't realise that's why other dogs don't want to play with her.
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