April 30, 2018

Men's Walking Group

Lucked out again on the weather.  Good day for 9 of us to take a 8Km walk up to Rat Lake.  Map and photos below.  --  DeNNis.


Down Shawnigan-Mill Bay Rd to Deloume, then Gibb Pl to Fern Ridge Rd.  Took the trail past the water tower to the Bamberton Haul Rd, around Rat Lake and back to the cars.  Coffee at Shawnigan Coffee House. 

Down the Bamberton Haul Rd.

Reflections on Rat Lake.



Canada Geese nesting on this little rock islet in the lake.

Plants growing out of this
rotten stump.

A great place for a quiet walk.

Viewing platform at end of lake.

Looking up the lake from the platform.

Fiddlehead ferns starting.

Nature made walk-under arch.



View from the other side of the lake.

Memorial viewing bench.

Another tree growing from
an old stump.

Trying to catch a shot of Eds hand through a hole running
the length of the stump.



Looking up the hillside from the gravel road behind the lake.

Prolific crop of skunk cabbage.

Where Handysen Creek comes out of Rat Lake.

Little bridge over Handysen Creek.

Trees along the trail looking for
the sunshine.



Snail crossing Bamberton Haul Road at a breakneck pace.




Fern Ridge water tower.


April 25, 2018

Folk Art

Folk Art

YSAGS Folk Art activity (sometimes called Fun Art)  Every Thursday 9:00 to 11:00 am  Contact Dianne Casavant 250-743-3001

Technique, not talent is our motto and painted straight lines are shunned.  Yes, using acrylic (water based) paints means easy cleanup.  The group has painted on wood, metal, glass, stone, plastic, tile, rocks, canvas and fabric.  Nothing is safe from our brushes and imagination.  Group projects mean we all paint the same design but believe it or not they all turn out different while using colors and added details.  Many bring their own projects.  We are fortunate to have a male in the group which means he will build anything we need.  The Vancouver Island Mill Bay Library has displayed our projects twice in one year.  Yes, they did ask us back the second time.  Too many items to list but mainly Halloween, Christmas, and Circus themes plus canvas work, birdhouses, and feeders.
  • April saw many stepping stones (bought or homemade) painted for the yard.  Also one of the group taught us how to paint flowers with toilet paper tubes.  Go figure.  Now we are finishing projects for sale at the Malahat Legion Indoor/Outdoor Fleamarket for June 9th.  Come on over and see what we do.  Our summer break is May through August.  Weeds are calling us gardeners.  Starting up again in September.  Plenty of room for newcomers.  Many pattern books available for choosing designs, group paints available plus some supplies.

April 23, 2018

Men"s Walking Group

Beautiful, warm, sunny day today.   The plan is to check out the work of some beaver activity down behind the Legion which we spotted a couple weeks ago.  No change there, but still a pleasant 7Km walk down Bamberton-Haul Rd.  Map and photos below.  --  DeNNis.



Walked from the Legion down to the Bamberton-Haul Rd and back part way in both directions through the bush.  The photos show the rest of the story.

A few of these along the way.

Still pretty damp in places.





Old mountain bike platforms slowly deteriorating. 





Reflections - in the rainfall remains.

Looking back from whence we came and will return.

Old bridge footings where Bamberton-Haul Rd crossed
Shawnigan Creek.  This is where we turn to go back.

Another nature garden.


A good year for Skunk Cabbage.

Looking up from under the hydro tower.

The horse always appreciates some nice
green grass.

So why is there a gate??

The old rickety bridge.

As good a place as any to hang out.

April 21, 2018

Quilt Group


YSAGS QUILT GROUP

The quilters meet every Thursday from 1-4 pm.

Over the last ten years, the group has done many projects including Attic
Windows, Cathedral Windows, Flying Geese, Log Cabin (log cabin picture is the quilt to be raffled at the YSAGS SPRING TEA). 

Last season the group made thirty charity quilts which were donated to
Somonas Transition House in Duncan and Jeneece's Place in Victoria. Children
that stay at Jeneece's Place with their  families while undergoing treatment
at the hospital next door are given a quilt.


Line Dancing


LINE DANCING

 Country and Western line dancing classes are one of the initial activities introduced when Y.S.A.G. was formed in 1988 and are held at the Legion every Wed. morning from 0930 to 1130 AM.
The first fifty minutes of our class are devoted to the less experienced (BEGINNER) dancers
with dances that have easier dance steps and in most cases slower music.For the remaining time, we move up to the INTERMEDIATE level where the dances have a greater number of steps and are more complicated and danced to faster music.

Line Dance Instructor is Kate Pattenden

The different types of dances we do are basic country & western, cha cha, mambo and waltz
Line Dancing is taught and performed all over the world and has been included as a Y.S.A.G. activity because of the following proven benefits.

  1. It is age-friendly done by people 9 yrs. to 90 yrs. young;

  1. It is a fun and very social activity;

  1. It is an activity that provides mind and body enhancement and demands that ones mind and body communicate and work together;

  1. It has been proven that Line Dancing aids in weight loss, reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, cholesterol and sugar levels, strengthens muscles & bones improves posture and balance and instills confidence.


For more information on Line Dance classes please contact Ray Bootland at (250) 743-1274

April 17, 2018

Photography Group

I went out to the backyard and checked out the signs of Spring and the promise of warmer weather.
Enjoy the pictures.
Ed





April 16, 2018

Men's Walking Group

A little drizzly today but not enough to deter us.  Eight of us decided to take a 7Km hike up around Briarwood.  Returning back to Tim Hortons for coffee. --  DeNNis.


Parked on Deloume Rd above Tim Hortons (top right), walked up aways before taking a path through the bush up to Briarwood Drive. 

Protected from the rain under the trees.








And so are the umbrellas.


Skunk Cabbage is out.


Lots of it!

Rain also helps trees grow out of stumps.



Heading around Briarwood Crescent.

Some unique artwork.




We are being watched.


Hockey memorials still standing.

Shot up -- but still standing and no blood.

Must be a "Spiderman" model.

Strange ducks.

They need protection, too.

Spring is definitely in the air.