Last Monday morning, I wrote the last blog post then we headed to an area of town we'd never seen before. We wanted to find a letterbox on Christmas Hill. The hill is part of the Swan Lake conservation area in Saanich and protects a meadow of endangered Garry Oaks. The first Europeans to the Island thought these were natural areas but really the Coast Salish natives cultivated the meadows as the oaks protected a wildflower they used for food.The hill is 109 meters above sea level and you basically climb that to reach the summit. Rock stairs make the ascent easy and when you reach the top, the views are incredible. My camera could not capture the panoramic vista. I tried to enhance this photo so you can imagine how we saw Mt. Baker from Christmas Hill but the 360º view can only be seen to be believed.
Tuesday, we were back golfing at Mt Douglas and played a round with Darryl and his nephew Dan who was two weeks away from being married. They were nice people and I wished I could emulate Darryl's easy swing. Turns out he lives in a condo two block from us so we may see him again when we are out and about.
Wednesday, we shopped. We walked to Hillside Mall to hit the Sears for their sale of summer shirts for Glen. They are renovating the mall and it will eventually house a Target store. It always felt like the mall was dying but now there is new energy and despite the dust and noise, the food court was packed.
Thursday, we decided to shake the monkey off my back and play Cedar Hill again. I was not looking forward to it but had rigged Glen's old Ikea umbrella so it would cover me as I walked the fairways. I called it my 'walking shade' and it made my round enjoyable (and improved my score). So much so that on Friday, we drove out to Langford to buy a special UV golf umbrella that Glen refers to as 'the tent'. It is wider than I am tall so it should also keep me well shaded.
Saturday, we were up at 5:00 am to pick up Diane and Tony and catch the ferry to Salt Spring Island to do their famous market. We came prepared with a cooler full of ice packs as we usually get cheese and fish as well as broad beans (Glen's favourite). We've found a special parking area in Ganges and by being at the ferry dock an hour before sailing, we could snag it because we were one of the first off the boat. After wandering the market full of everything from veggies, berries, and cheese to pottery, weaving, and sheep skins, we headed to our usual coffee shop. While Foursquaring it (a game I play on my phone where I log into places I've been), I noticed there was a special for newbies at the Salt Spring Island Coffee shop, a few steps away. No Scot says no to free coffee so we went inside and I enjoyed a very spicy Chai latté.
We then wandered up the hill to Harbour House where we had reservations for lunch. Despite the crowds thronging the market and nearby restaurants, this place was deserted. Its patio overlooks Ganges Harbour but has enough shade so we could enjoy being outside without roasting. The food was excellent and not expensive. We all had their lamb burger except Tony who had a portobello mushroom burger with smoked tofu. Local beer and wine washed the food down.
We stopped at The Fishery on the way back to the car and bought a slab of halibut. Then it was off to Garry Oaks Winery to buy our annual case of wine. We ended up doing a tasting as they had two varieties we'd never had before. In the end, though, we bought our usual Pinot Gris and Zeta. Sometimes the tried and true are the best.
We planned catching the 3:50 pm ferry but as we arrived in Fulford Harbour, the 2:00 pm ferry had just docked. We squeezed into the wait area (one of the last in line) and boarded not 5 minutes later. That's when I discovered I had lost my custom-fitted clip-on sunglasses. I've often misplaced them in the past so I guess it was just a matter of time before I'd forget them somewhere. Once you are on a ferry, there is no turning back. The menfolk napped during the crossing while Diane and I chatted.
Sunday we decided to play another round at the Ridge. We arrived to find our friends, Robert and Yonnie, who we've met through golf, enjoying a coffee on the patio. Sunday is their biking day but I think they really wanted to golf. We ended up playing behind two sets of boys around 12 so the round was long (2 hours). The young men who followed us were from Calgary and they joined us for the last four holes. Simon's father lives in High River so he told us all about the clean-up efforts that resulted from the devastation of the June flood.
This morning the fog rolled in and chilled the air instantly. It is the first day without sunshine since we arrived so I guess we can't complain.
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