Days and Nights at Saratoga Beach

[This is the second blog post of my recent vacation at Saratoga Beach on Vancouver Island.  The first focused on sunrises and morning walks;  this one focuses mainly on daytime images and sunsets.]

While sunrise is always my favourite time of the day, and sunrise walks on the beach my favourite activity, a vacation at Breakers Resort on Saratoga Beach isn't just about sunrise.  Even those who prefer to sleep until noon get to witness some beautiful sights.  Of course, they may also miss some marvellous sights, like this seal swimming in a pink and blue sea:

Or the light mist rising as the breaking sun emerges after a stormy night:

But once the sun has risen, one can still see interesting wildlife  - a heron, perhaps, or even some crows fighting over a washed-ashore fish head:

The weather was variable during our week at Saratoga Beach - some sunshine, some rain, some storms.  The glassy-flat water of the first morning and evening gave way to choppy waves  and pounding surf by day three.  While it's nothing like the surf on the west coast of the island, the rhythmic swoosh and splash of waves, Mother Nature's metronome, soothes my spirit like few other sounds.

When the day is calm, Maggie and I enjoy watching boats in the bay, or walking through greenery along the shore a little further afield, or checking out a nearby nature park, or walking the edge of the channel used by boats emerging from the small marina at a nearby RV park:

Maggie, of course, would be happy to spend all day wading in the water or posing on the sand - her favourite sensation is water or sand underfoot, and she has become quite the pro at posing for the camera:

Is this my best side, Mom?

Occasionally, my eye will be drawn away from the water to the beauty of some natural object, like the striated colours in a lovely old stump, or the blush and shine inside an empty shell:

The days at the beach contain their own measure of magic, for sure.  But come evening, the beauty of the morning returns again as the setting sun reflects across the bay and sets the distance clouds afire:

The water calms once again, and paddleboarders and boaters head out for an evening's cruise, sliding silently through the sunset's reflection on the water:

I watch until the light is no more, and then continue to watch as the moon rises above the trees and casts its light upon the water too:

And then I go to bed, lulled to sleep by the sounds of the waves and the scent of the sea air, to dream of another sunrise, another amazing day at Saratoga Beach.

G'night, from Maggie and me.

If herons had dreams

I was sorting through some photos from the past couple of months to pull together a blog post about fall, when I came across this series of images I captured while on vacation on the Sunshine Coast in September.  The story it tells (with a little imagination) deserves its own post. 

We were staying in a cottage right on Welcome Beach, Halfmoon Bay, where the view is restful and the sunsets phenomenal.  Each evening, Maggie and I took a stroll along the beach just as the sun was slipping behind Thormanby Island, painting the sky and the bay golden yellow.

Just down the way lived a member of the BC Coast Guard, and a small inflatable boat was always at the ready, insignia visible, securely anchored near the shore.  One evening, I spied a heron on the boat:

He stared with great concentration at the line connecting boat to buoy.  I'm not sure if he was debating the merits of stealing the craft, or pondering what life would be like if he didn't have to flap his wings to move from location to location.   I'm hoping it was the latter and that the Sunshine Coast doesn't have a gang of boat-thieving herons in its midst.

Hmmm.....bowline, I think.  
Rabbit comes up the hole, round the tree, down the hole and back up again.
Yes, it's a bowline. 

After giving his attention to the anchor line, he strutted from the bow to the stern, to have a look at the motor and determine how to start it.

Looks like I need to pull that cord right there.....

I'm quite sure he envisioned his life as a sailor, proud captain of his ship, the ocean breezes ruffling his feathers as he loudly sings his favourite sea shanties:

♫ Oh blow the man down, bullies, blow the man down,
To me way-eye, blow the man down... ♫

Of course, in time he would run out of fuel.  Before long, he would himself be the object of an air-and sea search, needing rescue from a heartless sea.

Hey!  Ahoy there!  Mayday! Mayday!

Down here!  Haaalp!  

I'm pretty sure he might rethink his dreams and be content to travel with his own wingpower, sheltering where he wishes, flying when he wants. 

But even a heron can dream.

Oh Canada!

As has been my tradition for the past several years, I pay tribute to Canada on this her 148th birthday, with some of my favourite images  from the past twelve months. Copyright to all photos is held by the author of this blog;  do not copy images without permission.  Sharing the link via facebook or other social media is permitted. Enjoy!

Oh Canada!

(c) 2015 Jean Ballard

Oh Canada, my Canada,

You awaken us with citrus sunrises

upon our lakes and oceans

And even on the rainy days,
your beauty still astounds us.

Your wildflowers....

wherever we look...

grace our lives

with endless colour.

Oh Canada, my Canada,

where the prickly thistle
creates soft down

and an old rotten stump
gives life to more beauty.

Where each new season
brings us joy

And even storms soon pass.

Canada, my Canada,

Where old cabins upon your shores

And ships from near and far

all have their stories to tell.

Oh Canada, my Canada,

From your cities, with their skyscrapers

and busy, hurried lives

to secluded marinas in glassy bays

And old homesteads on estuaries, 

Or ponds in forests deep, 

Your beauty is everywhere.

 Oh Canada, my Canada

You draw us to your endless forests

and hidden lakes

and rivers

where often,  when we choose to see,

Our pleasure can be doubled.

Oh Canada, my Canada,

Where we can hike a lonely trail

Or wander on a hillside

or hike a mountain 

for the views, 

Or kayak on your waters

Or simply sit and rest a spell.

Oh Canada, my Canada,

though we are far from perfect

and have a ways to go
to truly protect your land and air and water

As long as we are ever mindful, 

Of how our actions

 affect our country

You will always nurture us. 

So whether we are big

or small, 

powerful

or quite fragile, 

Just starting out

or taking flight,

We stand on guard

We stand on guard 

We stand on guard for thee.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CANADA
We are so lucky to live here.