July 2-5 July 6 July 7 July 8 July 9 July 10 July 11 July 12 July 13 July 14 July 15 July 16 July 17 July 18-21	Wednesday, July 15 I set the alarm for 7, but got up at 6:30. Breakfast was in the room for me. I met the others downstairs at 8. . We drove back out to Butchart Gardens for another morning of shooting. Once again, we were among the first to enter the gardens for the day. The dahlia on the right was part of a bed near the bus entrance to the gardens, an area of the main entrance area we hadn't explored before. Once again, I got stopped by a lovely bed of begonias. Three of them are shown above. . . I was surprised by this interesting bed of pink geraniums and little purple flowers just outside the ladies restroom. This place is full of surprises! . . The three photos above show the one side of the main entrance area. The photo on the left shows one of the main sidewalks passing in front of a set of trellises that screen the private portion of the gardens. The center photo looks into the private gardens and was taken through the archway shown in the photo on the left. The photo on the right shows the far side of the private garden, looking through the corresponding gate on the opposite side to the lush lawn that is sometimes used for weddings. According to a posted sign, the staff keeps a portion of the garden house which adjoins the private gardens looking as if Mrs. Butchart had just stepped away from it. The three photos above were taken through the windows of the garden house. The photo on the left shows a tea table set with a tea cup and a gardening hat. The other two photos show some of her garden tools resting on window sills, awaiting her return. The photo to the left provides a vew into the garden house across the private garden. This garden is closed to public access, yet this view can be obtained from the entrance to the dining room, the formal restaurant at Butchart Gardens. Towards the end of our time there, I went into the gift shop and picked up a couple of things, half of which will be birthday presents for Kelly... Then we drove over to Hatley Castle. Lunch was at the college next door (Royal Roads University, which is primarily an online campus requiring only three weeks physically on campus for their degrees). I pigged out on raspberries - raspberry yogurt, fresh raspberries and blackberries mixed, a raspberry tart thing, and a cheese scone. Yum! The three photos above show three different views of Hatley Castle. The photo on the left is the view from the parking lot, which sits between the castle and the waters of the Straits of Juan de Fuca. The center photo shows a Canadian flag flying high over the castle. The photo on the right shows the view of the castle from its Italian Gardens. The three photos above were taken on the grounds of Hatley Castle. The left and center photos show a fountain with a lion's head and the waterlilies growing in its pond. The photo on the right shows some of the buildings of Royal Roads University, which adjoins Hatley Castle. This sidewalk connects the two. We wandered the gardens here for a while. It’s getting warm again... . The photo on the left shows one of the paths through the Italian Gardens at Hatley Castle and one of the many statues placed throughout this garden. The photo on the right is the view of Hatley Castle from the lower portion of the Italian Gardens. . . The photo on the left shows a double fuchsia that was displayed in a pot in an arcade of the Italian Gardens. The star lily (right) was in another pot a little further along the arcade. The three photos above show some white poppies. Then we drove back to the hotel to rest a while and download images. We met for dinner at Milestones, a restaurant on the waterfront. I had some delicious butternut ravioli. Then we walked back to the hotel to grab the camera gear and we headed back for the waterfront for some twilight shooting. On the way back to the hotel, I snapped these photos of the painted bird that was erected outside of our hotel. The photo on the left shows the top of the bird and the photo on the right shows the other side. There were several of these birds scattered around Victoria, but this is the only one I got a photo of. Above are three views of The Empress Hotel, one of the oldest and most prestigious hotels in Victoria. It dominates the inner harbor. The photo on the left shows one of the many lampposts in Victoria that come adorned with lavish flower baskets with The Empress in the background. The center photo shows some very unusual trees decorating the front entrance to The Empress. The photo on the right shows the setting sun glinting off a window of The Empress and the hotel's reflection in the harbor. As we walked along the waterfront, we noticed a barge floating near the dock which was covered with hanging baskets of flowers. The barge is the location for the Underwater Gardens, an attraction we didn't have time for. They were closing for the day, but we took pictures of the exterior anyway. The three photos above show different views of the British Columbia Parliament Building. The photo on the left includes a totem pole. The photo on the right includes the fountain that is located in front of it. The center and right photo also show the lights coming on. . Two more views of the British Columbia Parliment Building at night. The photo on the left shows all the lights on. The photo on the right was taken from across the harbor and has the building reflecting in the waters of the inner harbor. The photo to the left shows The Empress Hotel reflected in the waters of the inner harbor. We got back to the hotel late. I downloaded images and went to bed. Next...