At the end of May I went looking for something and could not find what I was looking for.  Actually I was a day late but did not realize it until later.  But do not tell anyone!  Shhhhhhhhhhhhh.   Hey, it happens.

So instead of heading back home I decided to explore a bit and came across the Galloping Goose Trail and I started to walk north up island way away from downtown.  I later reversed that direction and proceeded to go downtown to the Blue Bridge area.

Well as I walked north I came across an interesting over/under pass. The underpass was part of the trail that passed under The Gorge.  I noticed something from a distance that I did not know was there.

I could see that something looked like it was painted on the underpass wall and ceiling.  I approached to get a closer look and hey, I was walking that way anyway.  People walk and cycle the Galloping Goose Trail for many miles or kilometers as we use the metric system for the official measurement.

I went under the underpass and discovered an amazing sight.  It was completely painted from one side to the other and across the top.

Of course I could not capture it all in one shot nor three or four shots so I just took several pictures and this one shows the artist.

Quite a surprise and I was delighted to have discovered this on this day I was looking for something else entirely.  Goes to show that sometimes there is a reason for things to happen even if we do not know what that reason is.

So off I went towards downtown and this trail lead me to the Blue Bridge which is being replaced soon.  Many are upset as they really like the old blue bridge which was originally designed in 1920 but has gone through changes over the years.

So all in all it turned out to be a great day in Victoria, BC, which is usually does, BTW.  I am all for appreciating what what mother earth, this island, Vancouver Island and the land provides us.  It truly is a land treasure and with all the water around, a sea treasure as well.

Cheers,

Gene

Sure there may be monsters lurking up the pathways of life and perhaps even Mt Doug as we have seen.  Fakers will be exposed so be careful where you tread.  I managed to tread carefully as best as could be and travel on and not retreat, although this makes for a nice retreat.  I am glad I did.

The essence of life and spirit is everywhere. This is a great way to meditate, sit awhile or a walking meditation. Ha, even Lydia could meditate up here!

So along the pathways I kept wandering and meandering up and over and around and I did discover more treasures not all of the wooden kind.  Scenic treasure of lush green and colorful abundance.

Trees around here some of which are many hundreds of years old.  Here is an old tree giving life to a new one.  The new tree is growing and feeding on the old decaying moss covered tree remains.

This stuff growing on the trees is called someone’s beard or something.  Old man’s beard I suppose.  When it dries it is really neat and you can make it into craft material and such.  It goes grey or white when dry.

There are some humungous trees around here and a real northern rain forest type of environment.  So it is very nice to view.  Look up way up!

Springtime is special with all the new growth coming through and the regeneration.  Old gives way to youth eventually and so are reborn and renewed.

Ok, so those are a few more of the delights I found in the forest to balance the monsters and to provide contrast, nourishment for the soul.  I do like to discover and rediscover the hidden treasures of the wooden and earthy kind.  Mother Earth you are so wonderful.

Cheers,

genes creative waves

My trip to the sea was very interesting. So peaceful, calm, spiritual and so serene.  Yet lurking beneath, as there is in most things including people, a whole other world emerges waiting to be discovered and uncovered. Yes you must pull back the covers sometimes to see what is hiding under them. Or you can close your eyes, take a deep breath, then jump in and take your chances!

On the flip side, the sea and surrounding terrain can hold some interesting and sometimes disgusting matter.  Or is it anti-matter.

For instance, we have some of this, which is fairly normal and almost camouflaged with the coloration displayed by Miss Crabby as she attempts to become one with the sand.

Further along this becomes a bit murkier as other life forms appear such as these.

Ok, that is likely enough slime for one day/night.  I have much more inside my cave of treasure. I am getting ready to unleash more upon you soon.  There is indeed, plenty of protein in the sea and surrounding waters and sand.

Anyone hungry yet?  As I always say, love me, love my crab.  Well I don’t really say that.

Cheers,

genes creative waves

PS. Hi Honey, Din Din is almost ready to be served!

Before I get into the Cordova Bay scene, I want to say sorry to Lydia as I missed her reference to the 4:20 post I made.  I went back and checked my links and of course I incorrectly linked it to Michelle Obama’s organic garden. Hmm. Not sure what that is all about.  I am sure she is not growing the “weed” in it.  Still you never know.   Should be clear now what 4:20 is.

In any case I visited Codova Bay which we loosely say is in Victoria, BC as we do with many things in this area.  It is actually in Saanich, BC.  No matter, so am I some of the time.  Hey my spell check does not recognize Saanich and wants to change it to satanic.  Hey it is not that baaaaaaaaaad around here.  It is quite pleasant actually.

I took a bus trip close to there and walked a few kilometers or so to the beach and took my Fuji point and click camera.  It does all the work for me so I tend to not take the credit (or debit) for it.  Looking at it on the map it is about 8.1KM from me, as the car flies,  so I must have walked nearly twice that far as I went up Mt. Doug (Mount Douglas) after traversing the beach at fairly low tide.  It has plenty of interesting, and some disgusting things around.  Mt Doug is a real hike, I went up the back way and will have a few pics from there to post later.  You can see the sea all around from every direction except up island to the north.  Fantastic view.

One of the interesting spectacles was a tree that appears to be leaning out to sea almost as if it is beckoning to go there or perhaps to become the bow of a ship headed out to sea.  In any case here it is, so you be the judge.

I will post another shot.  How this tree manages to say up, is anyone’s guess.  What do you think?

I think maybe the “ancients” were visiting here at one time, well I am sure they were, and planted these rocks in this pattern for some reason.

Well, to me, these are all spiritual things and have good energy, calm, peaceful, serene.   It looks and smells great near the ocean.  Even before I got to the ocean I could smell it.  Just feel the energy in these pictures if you will.  Can you?

Ok, enough already.  Perhaps I will make a pictorial video out of the excursion, perhaps not.

Got to get something done today.

Enjoy your day or night wherever you may be.

genes creative waves

I was pondering discussing personal relationships but will perhaps save that for another lifetime.  Perhaps that is where the golden age will be.  I tend to be somewhat naive, sometimes putting too much faith or trust in someone,  or I am unaware at the best of times.  Perhaps just being plain stupid when it comes to matters of the heart.  Or so it seems.  I cannot decide which.  Ok, now that clears up the confusion. I am indecisive.  Yes. I am firmly convinced of that.  Well, hmmmm.   Maybe.

Now I would like you all to sing along with Justin Rutledge posted in a previous post.  I thought there was 1.75 readers, well, I know of only one.  Don’t know if Rod can sing!  Perhaps.  Maybe.  No indecision.  Just a general lack of awareness.  Sing along, record it and send me a copy, preferably on the computer so I can play it back.

Ok, what am I really going to post about today.  Well I did have something I wanted to say.   I will get to that in a minute.  I will post another photo from the hike up Mt Tolmie the other day.  It is a view taken from the top and looking across Juan de Fuca Straight with the Olympic mountains in background and the ocean in between.

Victoria, BC, View of the ocean and Olympic mountains, Washington State

I was watching a TV program called The Hour, on the CBC network with George Stroumboulopoulos.  Ok I had to look that up. I could did not know how to spell George!  Sorry George.  As if he cares! Ah I see there is an email address to email George.  Well maybe I will do that one day.  Maybe not.

Anyway he had on a guest named Malcolm Gladwell who wrote a book entitled Outliers. The interview was interesting and semi-informative, as these things tend to be when the media is involved, perhaps this is why PyraBang has taken off as an alternative source of information. PyraBang is starting to garner some interest out there. There is more about that posted on the Easy Ways blog.

In any case Gladwell has studied successful and lucky individuals and has an interesting perspective on this as to why some of us are more successful and some not so successful.  It is also interesting how some people are luckier than others, and Bill Gates, Microsoft, was mentioned as one of them.  From what I understand, Gladwell is a successful author so perhaps it is worth a read.  Since I don’t read I mentioned it to a friend who is now my designated reader/researcher and has promised to get back to me and let me know more about it.

Speaking of Bill Gates, some say he has found “religion”, well they have become philanthropists, and is now dishing out some serious cash of his own and Warren Buffett’s. Well that is a good thing as they are helping folks out now.  Nothing, absolutely nothing, wrong with that.  Is there?  I will answer that.  No there is nothing wrong with that.

Ok, I was going to also mention Soap Nuts and how I came to use them.  But I will leave the soapnuts to another day.

I wish you much success, today and everyday. Sending some love, positive and creative waves your way.  Enjoy your day!

genes creative waves.

Thanks

I did a short hike up Mt. Tolmie this morning and took along my fujifilm camera to see what I could see and photograph from the top.

It is taken on a beautiful sunny day in Victoria, BC. Yes, that is a snow covered mountain to the east and the view from up there is awesome. We had our snow back in Dec and this is just fine to look at it away over there in the scenic background.

I spent many winters in other parts of the country and this is just an ideal setting for me. It is breathtaking and lifts the spirit to be around here and such marvelous sites.

There is no doubt that Mother Earth still is a magnificent wonder to be enjoyed, appreciated and deserves to be treated with respect. This despite the harsh treatment she receives at times from the inhabitants of the planet of the human kind. Enjoy the view.

I most certainly did.

Best wishes and find your own gems wherever you may be.

Namaste.

genes creative waves

I have always had an interest in photography, of sorts.  Yet I had not taken up the hobby.  I recall in high school there was a fellow student who went around taking all kinds of pictures and even had a dark room at home to process the photographs.  His parents moved around a great deal so he was getting to see the world and play with his hobby and no doubt made it into a profession.  I did manage to get to see the dark room with photographs hanging all over the place but that is as far as it got.

Later on in my adult life at times I thought about taking some courses in photography but being a busy father with 3 children and having a demanding career, taking business courses and doing other things on the side, I never got around to doing anything about this interest that I had.

As for my interest, I suppose being male and as some would label me to have a tendency to be somewhat visual, but certainly not exclusively so, this may make some sense.  I certainly did not have a great appreciation for artistic things, although some paintings do appeal to me and also some things of a feminine nature would catch my eye at times! For sure, that I cannot deny.

In any case, late last year in 2008,  I bought a point and shoot, Fujifilm digital camera .  Not that model.  Hey maybe I will upgrade one day.

It turned out to be a real point and shoot experience.  I took a trip to downtown Victoria, BC , Canada, where I currently reside.  Victoria is situated on an island, Vancouver Island, quite close to Vancouver, BC.  The reason I say a real point and shoot experience is that it was a bright sunny October day and I could not see anything in the camera viewfinder.  So I was really just sort of aiming at what I wanted to take a picture of and pointing and shooting in that direction.

This seemed a bit strange, having not used the camera before and never a digital camera at that.  I was a bit exasperated at first, then became resigned to the fact that this was just the way it was. I just accepted the situation.  Like reading the book, Practicing The Power Of Now – Eckhart Tolle, as seen on Oprah, as Eckhart Tolle would likely suggest doing.  So I proceeded to take the pictures with the belief that they would, somehow, turn out fine.  And if they did not, so be it.  I certainly did not know how to use the various shooting modes and I still don’t.

I showed some of the photos to a few folks and got some positive feedback. I attribute it to the camera, the guy in the sky or whatever else may be lurking behind the camera lenses and helping me shoot.  I can see more now as I found a way to adjust the light inside for the viewfinder.

So that is where I am now, just dabbling a bit, taking some photos and enjoying doing so.  I have put together a pictorial video of some photos I took in downtown Victoria near the inner harbour, the Empress Hotel and the seawall.

****I have removed the video, please use the link below to view it instead.****

I will likely keep doing this for awhile.

Cheers,

genes creative waves

PS. I have also posted the video at  4Shared for a full screen version,  and may take the above one off if it keeps loading slowly or I just may choose to do so.