A beautiful October mid-day storm sky. Looking towards the Olympic Peninsula.
Another view…
GJ has a Zissou moment.
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Our dear friend Dame Mailarta has organized another wonderful show for the International Mail Art Exhibition: Mailmania 5. This year’s exhibit took place at the Slide Room Gallery at the Vancouver Island School of Art in September. Art was mailed to Studio J from all around the world. Check out the Mailarta blog here, and send some art along!
The Dame in cardboard with a wall of art stamps.
We were moved to see this peice by our beloved Rachel Berman who passed away this last spring. Rachel sent a lot of art through the post to so many people; we are honoured to have known her.
This floor-to-ceiling piece came from the UK.
Our new cat, Miss Bunny Drummond, loves cat grass. I caught her sleeping with her head on the wire cage over the pot where it sometimes grows. We had to incorporate the little wire cage so the grass could grow a bit before she munched it down.
Today, with a light fog rolling through the city, I walked through Beacon Hill Park. I love foggy mornings best. The leaves are changing rapidly now and the shiny brown horse chestnuts are mostly down.
The mornings are cooler now which is delightful. Yesterday I went straight to the waterfront on Dallas Drive at the bottom of Government Street. A single crow watched me carefully in case I was carrying a muffin. Sadly for us both, I was not.
I’ve been walking for about an hour a few mornings each week. I love the light and the cool, and the way the air smells. Here are a couple snaps from yesterday.
We were gifted a bag of quince which we helped pick from a small tree in friends’ back yard. I found this recipe, bought some lids to go with our assortment of jars, and embarked on my first canning! The jelly went fine, ending up with 5 1/2 small jars. The paste is more like the consistency of apple sauce, so I’ve been mixing in with my morning oats (yum!) and might use the rest in some baking. I love the delicate rosy flavour of the quince; I’m quite addicted.
Fuzzy and flavourful: my new favourite fruit!
Weird that a yellow-fleshed fruit can make such red jelly! No colour added!
As part of our friend Annie’s birthday celebrations, she and I went to the beautiful Abkhazi Garden Teahouse last friday. The weather was exactly as I had hoped – the rain held off until we were cozy at our table beside the window, then poured down and cleared away again for our walk downtown. Somehow rain outside the window makes nice hot tea even more delicious. An account of the history of the Peggy and Nicholas Abkhazi, their life together and the home and garden they built can be found here. Such appreciation for The Land Conservancy who recognized the importance of this place and made it into something the whole world could share.
Built by and with love, Abkhazi Garden in the Fairfield neighbourhood of Victoria BC.
A river of green lawn and the path which leads to the summer house, the first building constructed on the property in 1946. In the spring and summer months, this view would be exploding with every colour of flower.
This lovely mossy rock dominates the upper garden around the house with the rest of the garden seemingly cascading from it creating a pool of green all around.
Tiny autumn cyclamen were in abundance.
This plant, Billardiera, was so spectacular.
From beside the house, looking out over Fairfield.
Delicate little fuchsias in the most pretty pink.
Afternoon Tea for two: tea sandwiches – cucumber plus egg salad – tiny quiches, smoked salmon profiteroles, ham and cheese croissants, savoury cheese scones, currant scones with clotted cream and jam, eccles cakes, lavender shortbread cookies, lemon tarts and Philosopher’s Blend tea-infused crème brulées. We chose Royal Abkahzi Black Tea, blended especially for the Teahouse by Silk Road Tea.
The rain comes down, all cool and refreshing, as we sip our tea and take our time over the wonderful delectables.
The lovely Annie as we both take photos of our towering treats.
For today, just a pretty photo taken at Fisherman’s Wharf, James Bay, Victoria BC, Canada.
The 4th Annual Victoria Tweed Ride was held last sunday, and what a lovely day it was! The ride itself was quite long this year, beginning at the St Ann’s Academy grounds downtown and finishing at a perfect picnic spot at Esquimalt Gorge Park. More than 200 riders enjoyed an ideal day out.
Waiting to take off! GJ built an amazing wind-powered flying machine for the front of his Raleigh. It worked so well, spinning propellers and flapping wings! Video coming soon.
One of my favourite bicycles: a vintage Sparta tandem ridden by a lovely couple.
My picnic: tea sandwiches, cream scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream, lemon cake and plums.
This bicycles and trailer are a mobile library! Well done!
Our friend Francis took this pic of me and the picnic I prepared. Thank you Francis!
David’s Tea, one of many sponsors, provided the tea service this year.
So many beautiful bicycles!
Many large trees provided welcome shade to the picnickers.
GJ on the left, looking so divine, handing out one of the prizes from Fairfield Bike Shop, where he works, to the always dapper, always a gentleman, Simon. Simon was one of the organizers of the first three Tweed Rides and gave much support this year to the new team.
The lovely Marion always creating. I wish I had gotten a better shot of her dress which she sewed herself from vintage fabric.
Our friend Riley having a post-picnic snooze. His fabulous mustache won him a prize again this year!
Such a beautiful spot, right on the Gorge Waterway, and a perfect sunny day.
One of my favourite bikes.
One of the especially nice picnics, gramophone and tweedy teddy included.
Beautiful bicycles, picnic hampers and trailers.
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