Diane Nick and Vincent

Yesterday I got up and had breakfast with Nick and Diane. As we ate she shared interesting stories of the history of the Victoria area. I love it when people have memories that can pull up details and dates. I was having almost too much fun to leave but I had a date with Victoria so I headed to the car. We had fun taking pictures with Vincent and then off I went. I thought I might stop along the way at a boat museum that the totem guide had mentioned but he hadn’t been very specific about where it was and at the time I didn’t think to ask so, I didn’t find it along the road.

Marty had said that my drive would be about 3/4’s of an hour but that was not reckoning on my detour at the top of the Malahat Mountain on the way in. I knew that Vincent was climbing a LONG hill and suddenly I caught a flash of what looked like the whole world laid out. There was a lookout point with at least a dozen cars parked there. It was set up for the north bound lane to pull over but Vincent and I did some fancy wheel work and found ourselves looking out over a panoramic view that seemed to take in most of the southern part of the island and into the USA. It was staggering. We were so high it seemed that surely I could see Ontario. On pulling in I had a momentary flash of, “how the heck will we ever get out of here,” which in the end had been quite justified. It took me a long time to make my way out into traffic at the odd angle I was working with. On the other hand, even looking back, it was worth it. Although we were the only Ontario plates up there, we were in good company with Manitoba, California, Minnesota, Washington and of course BC plates too.

View from the Malahat lookout

On the way into Victoria we arrived at a stop light that was not working and was being used as a 4 way stop. I have heard of this being done, usually when they are explaining traffic snarls on the news in the morning but I have never actually been involved. With 4 lanes of traffic, left and right turn lanes I wondered how I would manage. Well, Victoria drivers seem very courteous and everyone took their turns. As I drove through after waiting my turn long enough to really watch it working, I thought that this was the way traffic planners had envisioned it happening. As each direction took their respective turns I thought that from above it would have looked like a well choreographed dance. Wow! I wondered if Toronto drivers could have pulled that off.

Arriving at Marty’s house was like coming home. Tea, a tour through the garden, talking about old friends and old times. We spend a wonderful afternoon. At times Larry would show up and add to the conversation and then he would be off but we sat and caught up, laughing and just being. After lunch Marty showed me an art project she has been working on. It is called needle felting. She handed me some wool (wool that has been carded and combed but not spun…I want to call it raw wool but don’t know if that is the term so hesitate to use it) We sat with needles that reminded me a bit of the big ones that we used to use to hold macrame projects in place except that these had barbed ends and we poked the needles through the wool over and over until it started go hold its form. Marty is making small birds and animals. She got me started on a little white mouse however, just playing and not particularly following directions, I got a somewhat cat shaped critter. What a relaxing past time. Easy enough to do that you can occupy your mind with other things like a great conversation, but engrossing enough to be totally relaxing. Some of the creations that come off of the end of Marty’s needle are spectacular. Go to her website to see some of them.

Critters mine in the front

After dinner we went to a grocery store and saw something I had never seen before. The  store has conveyor belts to take you and your shopping cart from the lower level parking to the store and back again. I felt like I was in an airport but with a slant. Isn’t technology amazing? The west coast builders seem masterful at fitting big parking lots and stores into small spaces.

Marty heading down to the parking lot

One of the things I love about this house is the art. It is like being in a gallery of Noah’s work. Every where you turn there is some other treasure. Noah is a realist painter (again, not sure if the word is right) but some of the pieces on the walls look so real that you can actually smell the fruit and want to speak to the figures. It is inspiring. check out his website) With Josh playing his harp in the background last night our conversations seemed to be elevated to new levels, although we went to bed far too late so it may just have been too little sleep. Before we headed to bed we watched an episode of “Father Knows Best.” I don’t know if that show was ever meant to be funny in the way it is now…but what a  laugh. If you can rent the cd from the library I would recommend it. What a window on the values of the past. I am chuckling even now.

Today I am planning on going into the downtown area of Victoria to see what I can see. I have been here a couple of times before but remember it fondly. It looks like another beautiful day so I am looking forward to it. Talk soon.