The Summer Look

Posing for the camera while doing
a bit of clean up on the back deck.

Sunday afternoon pictures of Victoria

Don't see many of these boats around Victoria

Whale Watching tours

Selkirk development, mix of business and residential on an old sawmill site.

Friendship Bear

Transport Canada Patrol

These guys were fast

Songhee's

Johnson Street Bridge "Blue Bridge"

Empress Hotel

Parliament Buildings in the background

Selkirk Trestle

Gorge Waterway

Another Patrol boat

Gorge Waterway

Truly a working harbour

33.4 degrees

Well, that was a record for Victoria for Friday July 21st. I am loving it, but the rest of the family would not be sad if it were a few degrees cooler. Debra and I played cards with our friends Dennis and Ally on their back deck till 9:40 pm on Friday night. Aren't summer nights great?

Not too sure of how hot it was today, but I know that it was at least 31. I biked downtown and met up with my cousin Colin for coffee at 8 am this morning at a little cafe called Bean Around the World.

After a dentist appointment for Clayton, it was getting time for a swim, so off to Thetis Lake and a very refreshing dip. (on a sad note, a 24 year old UVIC student from Taiwan drowned at the lake yesterday afternoon after slipping off a ledge)

Debra spent the morning as she does EVERY Saturday morning.......going to Garage Sales. She is amazing in what she finds for very little money, and only comes home with things that we need or she may be able to resell. (when I go along, I hit the free boxes and bring things back that invariably find their way to the donation box at the thrift store)

My hair is a bit shorter (and cooler) now as Debra gave me the summer buzzcut. (just a little longer than Steve Nash's new look)

That is all for now, as we look forward to at least a few more 30+ days.

PS thanks for the phone calls on or around my birthday (19th). I was spoiled by my famiy. BTW, the 19th is not my age, but how many of you know how old I am???

Boerenkool Kitten

A true Dutch kitty.

C'mon, teach me how to use it

Karma helps Clayton with the dishes

Red Sky at Night

Night sky from our house. The weatherman says that the recent cool weather will be a thing of the past by the weekend and into next week we may be seeing 30 degree weather.

Recap of a busy week

Well, the World Cup is over. Italy were worthy winners scoring on all five of their penalties.
All I can say is what was Zidane thinking when he headbutted the Italian and was subsequently given a red card.
The German took third place on Saturday with a well deserved victory over Portugal. What a team of divers the Portugese showed themselves to be. It will surely be the subplot of the World Cup.
Thanks to our friends Andy &Karen and Dennis & Ally who opened up their livingrooms for us to watch these great matches.
Other news on the family front had Trista getting a job at Linen 'n Things which she starts this week. She is starting part time about 28 hours a week.
There are loads of places looking for help, and this job is very close to home (about a 10 minute walk from our house). Way to go Trista!
We went to see Pirates of the Caribbean on Friday night. For those of you who enjoyed the first Pirates movie, this one is a must see. Great special effects.
The weather in Victoria this spring/summer has been awesome. The temperature has been very warm and we have had sunshine almost non-stop. It is hard on the plants though, so we have had to put a lot of water into the ground to keep them happy. (might be a scary water bill)
We do not have any vacation plans set yet, but with Rueben and Trista both new in their jobs, getting away as a family will not be in the cards. (well, maybe for a weekend, but we will have to see)
That's it for now.

Grad '06

We are very proud of you Trista.

Holland v Portugal

A picture is worth a thousand words.
(as a Netherlands fan, probably none of them nice)