Summer is slowly heating up on this most southern tip of the island. Back in Saskatchewan, spring has been bypassed once again, and it's bone dry, windy, and +30C. But out here, the temperatures slowly creep up one degree at a time. Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, then a heat wave and it's +22C. The flowers love it but my veggies need some heat!
Cindy and I had another lovely weekend, although we stuck to the city both days. We had plans for a big bike ride, but then stayed up reading well past midnight both evenings and didn't have the gumption. So we walked.
On Saturday, it was a trip out to Fernwood for an outdoor market. I thought it was the big FernFest, but actually it was more of a fashion market put on by a trendy clothing store. No matter. It was a gorgeous day and we meandered around the side streets of North Park and Fernwood and saw some lovely front gardens. Poppies seem to be dominating the view this week and that's OK by me.
On Sunday we walked along a route we had intended to bike, across the blue bridge to Vic West, then along the docks to the Gorge and the wooden trestle. It was remarkably hot on the dock side, but once we got to the trestle we caught the strong wind coming from the south, along the water, and cooled right down. The condos on the east side of the trestle, back on the 'Victoria' side, sure seemed nice and peaceful, as long as your view was to the east and the rowing club, rather than to the south and the auto wreckers, or east toward Rock Bay and the unhoused folks. It's a transitional area, for sure.
I joined the lawn bowling club on Sunday night, so was on the green first thing Monday for my first game. I'm loving it. I know that hanging out on a manicured lawn isn't exactly nature, isn't nature at all really, but the rose gardens and other flowers that border the green are beautiful and I really enjoy moving my body around. I was back there on Tuesday morning for a practice session too and honestly, that was even more fun.
Wednesday was the hottest day of the year so far, and I was out to Cedar Hill early. The one thing I noticed was a side veggie garden that had the healthiest pea plants I've seen, all tall and bushy nad full of flowers. I don't have a single flower on mine yet, although just like last year, half the plants have shot up toward the top of the trellis, but all leggy like, more like a beanstalk to climb than something that will flower and bear fruit. Ah well. We've been eating lettuce like crazy, my carrots are just poking through, and the flowers are bushy and blooming, so I won't complain any more.
It was croquet day at the club so I took my book and walked over to Beacon Hill instead. It's changed over yet again in a week. Azaleas in full bloom, alliums for days, and peonies as big as your head. And I think the herons are beginning to hatch, because the nests are full of activity. I saw two full sized herons standing on the turtle log but alas, I left my phone at home so couldn't get a photo. We went back to the park for a picnic supper and I quietly hoped to show them to Cindy, but as expected they had moved on. Oh well, you'll have to take my word for it.