Through the looking glass

Art frames children playing at Willows Beach in Oak Bay...

Haiku: Mailboxes

battered and worn

they stand silently waiting

some paint would be nice

Suds

A faceful of froth...

I recently spent a few days in the Long Beach area of Vancouver Island to do some paddle surfing.

One of the facts of surfing is that you encounter suds on the way out and on the way in.

Riding down the wave line...

Mystery of the new shoe

Straight off the assembly line...

On a recent trip to Tofino up island, I stopped to take some photos of a scenic river. I discovered this shoe lodged under a rock.

It looked brand out-of-the-box new. The sole, the fabric, the laces, the interior... all of it look sweatshop factory fresh.

I couldn't find a mate. I also couldn't imagine the circumstances under which a brand new shoe would be abandoned by the side of a river.

I have to admit when I first came upon it, I was a little reluctant to pick it up in case there was a foot still in it.

Ghost in the wall

"I always feel like

somebody's watching me..."

Poke around the nearby Uptown Centre in Saanich and you'll see these mysterious faces peering out from the stonework...

Curious curios

"How much for the mutant monkey head?"

Stroll into a pawn shop sometime -- like this one in Nanaimo -- and you can find the weirdest things. 

Les Vitamines

Making physical funny look easy...

My wife and I make a point to get to each summer's busker festival in Victoria whenever we can. Les Vitamines is probably our favourite act... combining acrobatics and comedy, they have appeared here frequently.

The smaller of the talented pair is Cbastien. He's the clown to his partner's straight man. The past few times we have seen them, Cbastien has appeared with a new partner than when we first saw them.

This year is the first year that I have noticed grey in his hair. It reminded me of just how long we have been coming to see these guys.

Call of the wild

An eagle cries out for company...

This gal/guy(?) was perched on a far away tree at the limits of my pocket camera. I waited patiently to try to get it mid-screech. S/he seemed to be calling to another nearby eagle wheeling overhead.

In fact, it was more of a screech than a call, so I'm gonna assume it was female.

😉

It is later than you think...

-- Paul Bowles

"The Sheltering Sky"

Note: If you can't read the text above, click to see the full size image.

The quote above was said to be Brandon Lee's -- son of Bruce Lee -- favourite quote and is inscribed on his tombstone. Bruce Lee died at the young age of 32 so it's possible that the early death of his father left the younger Lee with a unique understanding of how short our time on earth can be and the importance of not wasting it.

Sadly, much as his father died on the cusp of achieving worldwide stardom, Brandon Lee also died at the too-young age of 28 while filming the movie The Crow. His final performance was well-received by critics who felt that he showed promise as an up-and-coming charismatic actor.

Sunny blue

We count only blue cars 

Skip the cracks in the street 

And ask many questions 

Like children often do
--Dishwalla

Order from chaos

What is the meaning of these mysterious piles of beach stone?

What do these primitive stone totem poles indicate. A need to create order out of nature? A need to create art to contemplate? Signposts that simply say: "I was here."?

Who knows?

These cairns line the logs and shoreline of Parksville's main beach.

The end of the Century

Ghost signs exposed by a now missing wall after the fire...

Recently, Victoria's historic Century Inn -- later the Victoria Plaza Hotel -- burned down in a dramatic fire that was notable for its ferocity in the heart of the city.

A bit of my history went up with it. Back in my 20s, it was home to many of the night clubs where I spent numerous Friday and Saturday nights. Julie's -- as the dance club was known then -- was the first (and only) club where I was punched in the face by a female, a former room mate of mine who had a notable malicious streak.

After investigation, the fire has been deemed as suspicious. The police are looking for the on-site custodian who hasn't been seen since the fire took place.

Remains of the day...

Kinetic

Abstract art on the move...

This collection of wind-driven sculptures can be found in the town of Ganges' main square on Salt Spring Island...