very special visitors

March 23, 2025

With Lauren and Kieran here with me for the week, every thing was very different. We had a rental car that radically changed choices, timing , places and comfort. During the week we went to downtown Victoria to the inner harbor, a lovely park with a petting zoo for kids, Fish chips , The very famous Butchant gardens, trampolining , beach walks , brunch with Wendy, Miniature World at the Empress Hotel, The BC museum and the Elite Game store. For Kieran the highlight of the entire visit , and perhaps his whole year was the Elite 4 store. This was the outcome of Covid and during his 2 visits to the store Kieran was consumed by the value and significance of Pokémon cards. He has been collecting cards for some time and has organised with great precision in a binder with precise reasoning that only he might understand.

This store trades/sells the cards along side light engineering equipment. There are many stories like this I think but during covid kids online were taught how to create and set up a business . Trading Pokémon cards was one such project. After doing all the teaching and learning it was decided it could be more than an exercise but actually become a reality so the pokemeon trading cards shop share the same premises as the small parts engineering . Kieran was in heaven and after many hours of choosing and and thinking and meeting the brains behind the business he left the store with a very expensive pokemon card that in reality is no less precious to the holder than a bank note or a Banksy. That plastic encased card did not leave Kieran's side after it left the store. Next I was given lessons in how to use these cards and i have no clue at all about what these things are for.

We enjoyed the petting farm where the peacocks held my attention and maybe every bird was in heat but those fantail feathers were a hot mess all over the place. A walk through the park took us to a lovely small neighbourhood that was a delight ; the coffee shop was a central meeting place for everyone; the bookstore was so well presented snd organised and interesting , everything felt like it belonged in your hand and the local greengrocer and grocery store were a delight. i could live in Fairfield Victoria !! just for these few stores and the park.

Another major highlight of the week was The Butchart Gardens, a must - do visit for everyone but most especially photographers, plant and garden lovers . What an amazing place !! I cant describe its special and unique character beyond saying that, despite its expensive membership fee, i joined so that i will visit twice again before i leave Canada.

The final day of this family time that was all too short included a lovely meal back at the same restaurant i had visited 4 days previously, waiting to Lauren to arrive . i don't know quite how we managed it , but the rainbow of the other evening gave a repeat performance in all its splendor I recalled a waitress saying it is a nightly event but I thought she was joking until we saw it again at almost the same time .

Back to the airport and another long wait for the flight that was not until 11pm . The flights to Florida took several hours with a long layover followed by long sleeps for them both once that got home .

peacock under my feet

rear view of peacock

hellebores in bloom with all leaves cut back!

The Japanese Garden at The Buchart Gardens

as above

this is how to make a low fence in a japanese garden

Sequoia tree

high tea at The Buchart Gardens

two of the most special people in my life

this detail of an oil painting in the coffee shop at Buchart was too difficult to decipher. I was not trompe'doeil , it was too 3 D and almost felt like AI generated .