I had an appointment in the morning so we didn't get out for a walk until the afternoon. It was another lovely summer day, hot in the sun and cool and lovely in the shade. The trees and slight breeze kept us cool but we could jump across the street as needed to warm up.
We went along Belleville, among the tourists and past the ferry station, to Laurel Point. Huge transition from the lush, green, manicured lawns and plantings of the tourist area to the brown, dry grass of the point, which is left to nature for its water. I enjoy both. Showed Cindy the gumweed that Kirby pointed out last week, and we spied two jellyfish blobbing along in the water.
The highlight was at the far western side of the point, where a sea otter was feeding right near shore. He was finding small fish and I could see fish tails wriggling as he got them chewed up and swallowed. We watched the otter dive a few times before it finally took off for good. It's a wonder that a few otters can find food in the harbour that is so beautiful but also so full of boats and seaplanes. We watched two huge yachts and the Coho ferry sail into harbour, tugboats and water taxis flitting about around the larger boats and kayaks filling in the gaps. Hardly space for an otter family in all that.
From Fisherman's Wharf we hit Simcoe Street and headed back towards the grocery store, checking out the front gardens in James Bay. Day lilies are having their time. We saw an especially beautiful yellow lily, a fine red flower that I can't identify and a gorgeous blue flower that I think is a hydrangea. I'll get better at the flower names with practice.
Cin and I agreed that we are extremely lucky to live in a place where a walk to the grocery store can be so beautiful.
![a blurry, zoomed in photo of an otter eating a fish](/img/OxbrbAhAjf-400.jpeg)
Mr. Otter chewing on something
![blue hydrangeas](/img/PgfVd_o7f6-400.jpeg)
Hydrangeas? I think so.
![a cluster of bright yellow daylilies](/img/Yg3vh-T5fi-400.jpeg)
Yellow day lilies
![a lily type bush with delicate red flowers](/img/Rh5EF3hXW4-400.jpeg)
I don't know what these are but I like them!