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	Thursday, July 16 We got to sleep in today, as we thought the location for our morning shooting didn't open until around 9. Turns out, the grounds open at sunrise. I ate breakfast in the room, then joined the others at 9 to drive to Government House to shoot around their gardens. Government House is the home for the provincial lieutenant governor. Before British Columbia became a province of Canada, this location was the home of the British governor for the colony. There were lots of volunteers working the gardens today. They were interesting to talk with, but difficult to shoot around. They maintain the gardens on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The three photos above were taken at Government House. The photo on the left shows the path leading to the gardens on the front of the building. The center photo shows a totem sundial which dominates the Herb Garden. The photo on the right shows the Victoria skyline from an overlook in the Terraces portion of the gardens, on the back side of the building. The photo on the left above shows the back of Government House from the lower portion of the Terraces Garden. The center photo shows another view of the back of Government House from another section of the Terraces Garden. The photo on the right shows some montbretia (the red flowers - the hummingbirds love this one) with a freighter traversing the Straits of Juan de Fuca with the Olympic Mountains of Washington state in the background. The three photos above were taken in the Terraces section of the grounds of Government House. The photo on the left shows the view of Victoria and the Olympic Mountains from a bench in the Terraces. The center photo shows one of the many quiet benches scattered around this garden. The photo on the right shows an open area of the Terraces. Back to the front side of Government House... The photo on the left above shows a pond with a small fountain and its resident ducks. The center photo shows a napping duck. The photo on the right shows the more formal Rose Garden. The photo on the left above shows some of the patterns of the Herb Garden. The remaining two photos show some sedum in bloom in the Terraces Garden. I left a monitor cover - a piece of plastic that protects the lcd screen on my camera - on a bench and had to run back for it, literally... We then drove back to the hotel, where we just grabbed our cameras and hopped on the little harbor ferries for a ride to Fisherman’s Wharf for some shooting and lunch - fish and chips at Barb’s, the oldest establishment on the place. And the best fish and chips I had this trip. The photo on the left above shows one of the harbor ferries approaching the inner harbor dock. The center photo shows some kayakers near a hotel. The photo on the right shows a sidewheeler that was tied up at Fisherman's Wharf, a collection of small shops and houseboats at a small boat marina. The three photos above were taken from the ferry landing at Fisherman's Wharf. The photo on the left shows some colorful kayaks on the back of one houseboat and a bicycle parked on its neighbor. The center photo shows the houseboat with the bicycle and its reflection in the harbor waters. The photo on the right shows the colorful reflections these kayaks made. The photo on the left above shows the windows of a houseboat with its hanging baskets. The center photo shows some sweetpeas growing on the back deck of a houseboat and their reflection. The photo on the right shows a bicycle and kayak stored at another houseboat. The houseboats and their decorations were so colorful, it was hard to stop shooting! The photo on the left above shows the windows and flowerboxes of a blue houseboat. The center photo closes in on a basket of lobelia and a heart on the same houseboat. The photo on the right shows some nasturtiums and lobelia. The photo on the left above shows some cosmos and lobelia on the deck of a houseboat. The center photo shows just the cosmos. The photo on the right shows some of the other houseboats and their reflections. The photo on the left shows a centerpiece of cameras that graced our lunch table (g). Julie is picking up hers. The street musicians performing at Fisherman's Wharf were dreadful. The young man and young woman were enthusiastic, but couldn't sing worth a hoot. Terry mentioned that, in the hour or so we sat there eating lunch and talking, that no one had stopped to drop any money into their guitar case and postulated that the money that was there was the "seed money" from the musicians themselves. The only applause they got was when they said they were leaving... The photos on the left and right above show some reflections of a houseboat. The center photo shows a seagull looking for a handout. We watched some harbor seals for a while. Two seals had staked a claim to a portion of the docks near a fish sellers. Julie bought a small fish to feed to them then had to deal with the fishy smell for the next hour or so. These are my three photos of the harbor seals. The one on the left is just poking his nose above water to see what's going on. The center photo shows one relaxing on his back. The photo on the right shows one swimming through a reflection. The three photos above show what we looked like to the rest of the world as we took photos of the harbor seals... The photo on the left above is one final flower shot of some marigolds in a blue pot. Then we rode the ferries back to the main harbor. The other two photos above were taken on the ride back to the inner harbor. The center photo shows the British Columbia Parliament Building towering over some boats in the harbor. The photo on the right shows a boat full of whale watchers passing our ferry. As we neared the ferry dock, we spotted the Coho arriving with another load of vehicles and passengers for Victoria. This is the view of the Coho from water level... You can see the open door on its side. This is where we stood a couple of days ago to watch this event from the other side! The three photos above were taken from the ferry dock. The photo on the left shows one of Victoria's many flower laden lampposts in front of The Empress Hotel. The center photo zooms in on two more flower laden lampposts. The photo on the right is The Empress again. The three photos above were taken from the ferry dock, also. The photo on the left shows a crowd watching a street performer. The remaining two photos show The Empress with more of the flower laden lampposts. . From the ferry dock, we walked back to the hotel for a short session and to share photos. On the walk back, we spotted another of the flower laden lampposts with a good background (left). Then we drove back to Butchart Gardens for a quick dinner at the coffee shop, followed by a final evening of shooting. . . The four photos above were taken through the windows of the Garden House. The staff keeps this area looking as if it's still in use by Mrs. Butchart. The table has a cup of tea and her garden hat. The windowsills contain some of her gardening tools. The three photos above provide three different views of the Private Gardens at Butchart Gardens. The photo on the left above shows some of the flowerbeds and lights separating the formal lawn area from the Italian Gardens. The center photo is another peek into the Garden House through the lattice surrounding the private gardens. The photo on the right shows the edge of the formal lawn as it leads into the Rose Garden and its long tunnel of rose arbors. The photo on the left above shows another view of the long tunnel of rose arbor that runs through the Rose Garden. The other two photos above show two of the paths along the edge of the Rose Garden. There was dancing tonight in the concert area (the three photos above). Butchart Gardens has a summer music program which involves different kinds of live music in the bandstand each night. The first night we were here, they had a bluegrass trio. The second was a group of folk singers. We missed Wednesday's New Orleans jazz combo. Just about every Thursday night, they had a small band playing dance music from the back of the bandstand and audience members came up on stage to dance. During some of the slow dances, there were even people dancing on the grass of the concert lawn. Towards the end of the evening the gardens suddenly got very crowded. Six buses of people from a cruise ship had arrived! We still stayed late and just about closed the place again. We drove back to the hotel and I got semi-organized for the return to the States tomorrow before hitting the sack. Next...