Tango By the Sea Festival on Vancouver Island

Once a year, the Vancouver Island Tango community puts on a gala event.

Three days of workshops conducted by Buenos Aires professionals Cynty and Toto, covering everything from beginner instruction to dancing in time with musical phrasing. An event made for driving to different venues all over the southern end of Vancouver Island.

Highlighting a gala dinner at the Union Club (a venerable elegant historic building downtown Victoria adjacent to the famous Empress Hotel), the Argentinean visitors performed Show Tango and - surprise - Chacarera. The Club's Chef had thoughtfully combined a surprising selection of Argentine dishes, fluffy empanadas not being the least of the scrumptious choices.

Toto, apart from dancing and teaching Tango, is also qualified as a Circus Artist. He had just finished a stint in Las Vegas where he was part of a daring high wire act at magical Cirque de Soleil.
Opening dance was reserved for a special dancer, a beautiful First Nations woman hailing originally from Gitxaala, a small native village in BC. She was dressed in earth coloured silky clothing, adorned with Salish Nation motifs, her dress embellished with long eagle feathers. The lovely dancer descends from the Eagle tribe. Her dance partner, albeit, was a full blooded Scotsman - sans Kilt and Sporran tonight. 

 Another proof, why Tango was declared a UNESCO Heritage dance - it is definitely multicultural and multinational and danced to the same music all over the globe...
Four days of dancing in various venues provided definitely a great means to practise one's ochos, giros and sacadas. However, the one and only Chacarera lesson (popular Argentinean folk dance) put an end to swinging my booty. The obligatory 'zapateos', stamping of feet, met with a serious revolt of my lower limbs.

Festive dining room at the Union Club downtown Victoria



Transported into another realm...



Dancing at the Union Club

Crofton Community Hall wind up Milonga

Souvenirs of Buenos Aires....elegant high heeled shoes and tango pants

 

Summer...sort of

Saint John's Wort in bloom in my garden, and fuzzy headed young bucks are putting on muscle eating everything in sight.

A little side trip to Cowichan Lake on a rainy day, with the odd glimpse of sunshine lighting up surrounding hills.

Eight hundred Years old...or maybe older, this old fir still stands proud a few steps away from a deserted country road.

Hidden clear mountain lakes await the onslaught of summer vacationers. In the meantime, silence reigns.

Wavering between sunshine and rain, forest plants, covered with rain drops, glitter in the sun.

Gordon River leading from Carmanagh Mountains into the Bay of Port Renfrew.

The bay at Port Renfrew, its long beach is strewn with giant logs, which have floated here on the swells of the open Pacific.

On the dock...a Baldheaded Eagle lunching on a fish.

French Beach, where millions of rounded pebbles roll with the surge of oceans swells.

 

22 June 2013 - Noah's Arcs Alberta Style

Photos - with gratitude to published images from the Internet...

More rain in the forecast - more rivers to rise.

Albertans are coping as best as possible. Thousands of people are awaiting word to be allowed back to their more or less destroyed homes. Office towers in downtown Calgary have been without power/water since days, and are expected to have to do without for a while. Highways, streets and bridges have collapsed, cell phone coverage is spotty, a state of emergency is the order of the day, and days and weeks to come.

Animals, used to the safety of fields, burrows, doggie beds and cozy cat corners have been forced from their havens of safety by the rising waters as well. But, being part of the family, they are certainly not left behind to fend for themselves, but wide spread pet rescue efforts try to ensure, that our four legged friends are taken to safety.

Another day at the office

Wet, but safe...Eagle Terrace Road

Their burrows flooded, gophers take to the streets...

Refugee Camp

Kevan Yaets swimming after his cat Momo, fighting strong currents. His half ton truck has just sunk. Both, man and cat were saved.

Kratos being carried to safety

Urban Canoe Man, rescuing two senior ladies and their pooch.

The only dry spot on the top of the truck cab. Pets in crates being transferred to a canoe. I question the wisdom of confining pets to crates, being stuck in a crate they would surely drown if their container is dropped or lost - no way to swim out of their little prison.

Calgary, the new Venice of the North

 One hopes, that beleaguered Albertans, human or animal, will soon be given relief from these devastating floods.

21 June 2013 - Midsummernight-Stream

Shakespeare never dreamt of this when he penned his famous play Midsummer Night's Dream.

Albertans never dreamt of spending their solstice day and night, not only never catching a glimpse of the sun on the longest day, but seeing nothing but devastating floods inundating them within minutes after record breaking heavy rainfalls.

Thousands of people evacuated, property damage in the millions, highways and bridges washed away, and most unfortunately three fatal victims resulting from the catastrophic floods.
Albertan's are pulling together in times of need, sandbagging, lending assistance during evacuations, housing suddenly homeless neighbours in their won homes, feeding and rescuing afflicted pets, and waiting for the waters to go down. Latest weather forecasts promise more of the same...

Urban Fish venturing into strange waters...

Parking for Residents Only

Wading along the picket fence

Cougar Creek, a burbling Alpine brook, turned into a raging torrent. Homes lining its banks are slowly sacrificing balconies and patios to the boiling stream

After the Deluge...walking the dog

Main Street High River, Alberta

Images from the Flood

Mountain cottage turned island in a sea of mud

Rescuing Fluffy

Trans Canada Highway near Canmore - a Highway no more

Transporters moored on remnants of Trans Canada Highway near Canmore, Alberta

 All above photos are courtesy of published media on the Internet...thanks to all the photographers who have braved the elements to capture these telling images.

May relief come soon to the beleagered residents of the flooded areas.

Marine Vista

Instead of comissioning a boat, weighing anchor and summering on the water, one contemplates small miracles in the garden...

Peony and dew drop

Fragrant hedge attracting hundreds of bees

Nostalgic view from my balcony...sailing on Satellite Channel with Mount Baker in the far background...

Only planted last year, and already producing half a dozen blooms

In Search of Fanny Bay Oysters

Frenchman's Creek fishing wharf and Fresh Seafood store

Deep Bay at low tide does not look very deep at all

Deep Bay moorage, seems nothing more than a fortunate deep area amidst intertidal flats

Fresh from the sea, Fanny Bay's pearls of the Ocean, small, sweet, delicious.
One can find them shucked or in the shell in various establishments, as one oyster farm after the other lines the shore. But, try to find a place, where one could actually eat a few...

The fertile plains - ocean side. In this narrow channel between Denman Island, Hornby Island and Vancouver Island - this seems the area most beneficial to farming oysters.

Oyster farm environment

Kingfisher Resort, between Fanny Bay and Courtenay, right on the shore with a vast view of Georgia Strait and the Coastal Mountains. Recliners ready for travellers - however, still deserted today, when temperatures did not favour beach side lounging.
But, inside, a sea view restaurant/bistro, where local oysters had made it on the eclectic menu.
My friend indulged in Champagne (I was driving) and I indulged in oysters: fresh, their half shells perched on smooth pebbles from the beach, accompanied by freshly grated horse radish, and a champagne dip. Scrumptious.

Goose Spit off Comox. A different kind of BBQ pit, maintained and supplied with firewood by your friendly Park Steward.
As the wind whipped up the Strait today, no beach side revellers around, ergo picnic benches (trunks provided by frequent storms) and fire pits remained empty. However, white plastic buckets filled with water to douse any flames, stood beside each fire pit, (again provided by your friendly park staff) just in case an anyone would actually dream of lighting a camp fire.

With so many floating logs abounding, why not use them to construct an attractive wind break along the entire spit?

With the chilly breeze on the sea side of the windbreak rendering a contemplative rest somewhat uncomfortable, here are some more protected logs, where the sun was strong enough to provide a cozy retreat.

Sand - Sea - Sky - Mountains
Vancouver Island treasures

Behind Goose Spit, a protected but treacherously shallow bay at low tide, paradise for para surfers.

Mountains across the Strait, and here, mountains ashore on Vancouver Island.

Comox Marina, several tidal grids provide public access to boaters wishing to perform 'underwater' work during a short time span between high tides.

Comox Marina

Somewhere up there in the brooding clouds hides Comox Glacier

Comox Fishing Harbour

Harbour Side Fish and Chips

After a teaser taste of succulent oysters in San Diego, California, and inquiring about the source of those delightful shellfish, it just seemed natural to look it up. Right here, on Vancouver Island, a couple of hours drive north from where I live, they hailed from oyster farms around Fanny Bay. Another example of how to be made aware of great attractions in your own backyard.

My friends have recently moved to Qualicum Bay, a beach side community, blessed with grand vistas across the Strait to Mainland of British Columbia and its towering snow capped mountains. Resorts line the shore, the road passes through fishing villages, farmer's fields and meadows grow famous Island produce and feed famous dairy cows and cattle, who are the source of Comox cheeses and German style home butchered meats and sausages.

I had the good fortune to be welcome for a visit to my friends, so exploring up-island was doubly pleasant when shared with good company.

Bucolic meadows for free range cows...

Driving along long stretches of shore exposed during low tide.