Just about 80 Kilometers, 50 miles from Victoria BC is the town of Chemainus, population approximately 5000.  Chemainus is a seaside town founded in 1858 as a logging community.  This small town is famous for 39 outdoor murals painted on their buildings.

During a visit by my son to Victoria, we decided to take a trip and check out the murals.  To get there we crossed the Malahat mountain past Goldstream Provincial Park which houses some 600 year old Douglas fir trees, western red cedars  and arbutus trees.  The arbutus is Canada’s only broad leaf evergreen tree which is found in Canada only on Vancouver Island and the southwest coast of Canada.

Hey this is one sexy tree folks.  It is naked.  The bark of this tree peels off and reveals a very soft smooth surface that feels good to touch.  If you are touchy-feely you cannot resist this. This also reminds me of my friend, standing naked.

Just looked outside and there is a little “Bambi” in my yard looking kind of lost.  I see them all the time around here. I hope “Momma” is nearby and safe.

Ok, back to the trip.  On top of the Malahat is an awesome view.  Then comes the town of Duncan that has the world’s largest hockey stick and puck, 205 feet and 61,000 pounds stuck, or should I say slapped on the side of the Cowichan Community Centre. I do have a picture of that as well.

Driving into Chemainus, you can tour the town quite quickly in a vehicle but it is much better to get out and walk around to view the murals on the buildings.  Some are quite stunning.  Here is a collage of some of them, check out the palm tree in the center of the collage.  Yes we do have them here on the Island, some would not believe that, palm trees in the Great “White” North!

There is an interesting story about The Hermit:

Walking around the downtown streets is a good way to experience and see lots of small interesting establishments. Lots of character there, also some good hand made chocolates which were delicious.

One more picture that I like, and there are others I like as well, this one is quite simple and who does not like an old steam train!

I have quite a few more to remind me of the trip to Chemainus. It was well worth the trip.  There are so many places to see and explore on this island.

Cheers,

Eugene

…..

Well this was a somewhat painful experience that turned into pleasure, later on. Don’t worry if you do not like the black and red stuff I have a poem about some knickers later on to share with you.

Those blackberry thorns attacked me quite good I reckon.  Nasty and very thorny and eager to attach themselves to your skin and watch you try to pull back and they go deeper into your skin.  So multiple scratches abound and that had some cleaning up to do.  Did I say RED? The blackberry season is a bit late this year so many are still not ripe. When you pick them green, they stay green.  Only way to pick them is very black and ripe.  The blackberry plants are all over this island so picking is free.

The later on came after I made low sugar uncooked freezer blackberry jam, the taste and flavor is tailor made to die for, of course.  I substitute a bit of honey for sugar and then it only takes 1 cup of sugar plus half a cup of honey to go with 4 cups of berries.  Much healthier than regular jam which has a high content of sugar of at least 4 or 5 cups of sugar.  Keeps up to a year in the freezer.

Goes great with my buttermilk, oatmeal, spelt pancakes and topped with fresh blueberries and perhaps a little bit of organic maple syrup.  Oops I forgot to take a picture of them.  They are all gone.

I do have a picture or two of the blackberry bushes and thorns.  The picture is a bit of an illusion.  The thorns come first. The best comes last and well worth the wait and pain.  No pain no gain, as they say. Whoever they may be!  Did I mention that I like blackberries?

Ok, so moving on to another realm entirely.   I did a few poems recently, yes there are lots already posted here, you just have to search near the top of this blog for the link to them and follow near the bottom of those pages for the subpages to discover more poems.  Don’t worry I will post the links here for the new ones.

So without further ado here are the most recent poems.

Mommy Dearest

The Shadows of Your Mind

Jump Up Now

What, if anything, do they have with blackberries? Well mostly nothing I suppose.  I do not have a blackberry but I do have blackberries, do you? Just do not spill these blackberries on a white article of clothes.  It will stain it right good I reckon.

Now as I recall it took me a long time to go and get those blackberries about 45 minutes there and back on foot.  In the morning it was cool and cloudy but by the time I went it was very hot.  So I had to wear shorts so that is one reason for the massive attack on my person.

Anyway, on the way back I had to stop in at Starbucks for a cool one. I waited a long time in line.  The guy in front of me kept letting in “his people”, two in front of him then another couple, then a lady who was totally engrossed into ordering a whack of stuff.  So I am so parched by then I can hardly stand up any longer.

I had been thinking on the way there that on July 31st I had gone to Starbucks to pick up a free drink they were giving away card holders, a viviano strawberry banana smoothie.  As I recall I was quite parched that day also. When I get in line they say they cannot make it because they are out of bananas and I should go to a different store near where I had just been before coming there. I was not going to walk back.

So to continue on the blackberry story at the other Starbucks,  the guy ahead of me could see me drooping and feeling a bit guilty now, asked me what I wanted and then he bought me a vende mocha frappuccino. Wow, instant manifestation.   This also reminded me also of the post on manifestation by Lydia on her new blog Serenity Chat.  She asked “Can manifestations really be helpful?”  Damn right I reckon!  Without a doubt maestro.

Anyway my viviano turned into a frappuccino.  So that is close enough for me!

Enjoy your day or night wherever you may be.

Eugene