May 26, 2014

Men's Walking Group

Perfect weather for walking again today  -  Good company  -  No big hills.  How much better can it get??   A few photo ops - will have to leave a couple out.   -   DeNNis.


Google Earth version of our walk.  Starting top left corner and going clockwise around airport.  Ignore blue line through center - it was the "as the crow flies" result of driving around to Mary's Bleue Moon Cafe after our walk.
These signs were up in many places along the trail - showing our location and info on various subjects about the airport.

Gate posts at hospital hill - nice picnic spot - but not much shade anywhere around the airport.


What on earth are these???  Maybe they are not for earth - nose cones for space shuttles???  There are over a dozen of them - huge cone shapes propped up on wooden supports  -  no intelligent guesses from our group.

Beacon Ave., Sydney just over the highway.

Not much of a floral showing  -  a few poppies

- and daisies along the fence line.

This was interesting though - saw a couple of these.  Mother Nature can grow trees in fence posts.


The Spitfire Cafe  -  used to be very popular.  Maybe it still is, haven't been there for a long time.

Quoting from the Saturday, May 24th Times Colonist  -  "It's a massive place that could swallow the equivalent of a dozen ice-rinks like the one at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre.  The 215,280-square-foot home of 443 Maritime Helicopter Squadron opens in mid June at Victoria International Airport.  Eventually the $104-million structure will house nine Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone Helicopters. 

At last  -  Lunch time.

"Hurry up and get the picture - we are hungry."  Lots of great food - including the "barley sandwiches."

Men's walking group

Well another great walk today and the food was also great. Thanks Larry for setting this up for us. Next week we will plan on hiking up by burn't bridge to the big tree's, Okay see you then. Don't forget those in the Shawnigan walk be at the Shawnigan community center at 7:30. Tks

May 19, 2014

Men's walking group

Hi Gang sorry I couldn't join you in the walk this morning. It sounds like you had a good walk. But 10 k I'm not sure I can believe that. ha ha. Anyway next week is our planned walk around the Vic airport and having lunch at Mary's, that means we get to the Legion by 2pm.Okay.so we will see you all at 8:30 on the 26th May. Tks

May 12, 2014

Men's walking group

12 of us had a good walk through the Garnet's property. It didn't seem like 9k to me. But when I look at Dennis's maps it was kinda crocked in the trees the trails we took. Thanks for the pictures DeNNis. Next week we can do Kingburn unless some one comes up with their favorite walk. The following Monday the 26th May we plan on doing the Victoria Airport and having lunch at Marys restaurant getting back to the Legion by 2 pm. Tks

Men's Walking Group

Stone Bridge from downstream (east side).

A couple of confusing parts on this map - GPS follows us everywhere we go.  Started at the red block marked Cars behind Tim Hortons - took the trail across the Stone Bridge over to Shawnigan-Mill Bay Rd - behind Kerry Pk Arena past the tennis courts - checked out the Skate Board park and the Ant Hill - then down through Kerry Village and into the woods.  Fortunately the winding paths took us back to Tim Hortons.

My photos from todays jaunt through the woods between Tim Hortons and Kerry Village.  As usual - good company and PERFECT weather.  -  DeNNis.

Stone Bridge from upstream (west side).

Almost the whole gang.


Tennis Courts in use.  How do you like then blue and green tennis balls?

Skip this  -  we could get hurt!!

The BIG Ant Hill.

Population????????????????????????????????????????
The BIG ANTS!!


The culvert which was washed out in a storm.

Nature regenerating - trees growing out of old growth stump.



Natures greens - looks like a great crop of Skunk Cabbage coming up.

"Cross over the Bridge"!!

  

May 7, 2014

Men's walking group

Hi Gang I did not realize it was a long week end [Victoria Day] when we moved our walk to the 19th. I don't want to spoil any ones long week end so we now will plan our Victoria airport walk on the 26th of May .Sorry about the confusion I won't change it again. Okay? Thank you very much

May 6, 2014

Mens walking group

Hi Gang I'm sorry I missed the walk, sounds like it was good up on the mountain side, Thanks Ed. I.ve had a request from 2 peple that can't make next week to the planned airport walk so we will forgo it next week for a local walk and plan the airport walk for 19th May.We can decide next Monday morning on our local walk.Okay? Tks

Men's Walking Group

We had another great Monday morning walk. No rain with mostly cloudy skies. We were however only 7 walkers with very legitimate reasons for the absentees. I think we should ask the missing members to walk 2 loops next week(just kidding). We covered between 5 to 6 km. and the drivers were Ken and Harry(Thanks). The walk started at the West Shawnigan Park entrance, up the mountain and along a very delightful forested glade. And of course coffee later. This time at Shawnigan House. We needed Dennis however to track our walk by GPS and also to provide pictures.
Here are 2 that I took with my cell phone.

A strange and woolly beast in the depth of the forest!
And some more strange life forms.

May 3, 2014

Computer/Photography group


Hello All,
Here is a short note about our meeting on May 6, 2014 at 10:30 am.
We will talk about computer concerns, specifically Windows XP OS and the latest concerns about it’s vulnerability to hackers and malware. The latest attack to IE has been fixed and Microsoft states they are including a patch to fix the problem including XP. This is an exception to what they have said earlier. The advise given by the “experts” is to dump Windows Security Essentials and go to some other antivirus program like AVAST. There are many other choices.
Bring your concerns and computer problems to the group and maybe we can help you.
 
Last week we had a slim turnout for our Photography field trip to St. Peters Qualicum church to take advantage of all the wildflowers around this church and in the cemetery. We still had a great outing and great opportunities to get good close ups of  flowers. The coffee and Brioches at the Drumroaster were great.
 

We also had more then just flowers to photograph, see below.
Don't know what it is, but very pretty close up.

There were lots of Blue Bells.



And of course many Easter Lillies.

There were many Chocolate Lillies. A challenge to photograph.
This fellow flew over us carrying his lunch. I think it may be a black squirrel.

The old gnarly tree provides a great perch.
There are about 4 or 5 feet showing.

Is this a grve for a little squirrel?