Pacific Northweswt Maple Trees
This fall has been particularily impressive for photographing the local Big Leaf Maples. I’ve put up a new gallery with images of these magnificient trees as well as a number of images of Japanese Maples that are on my property in the Cowichan Valley. A very colourful gallery. Pacific Northwest Maples photos Share on Facebook
Mushrooms and other fungi
If you get down low and look really close the forest floor has amazing plants and animals to view. Having just bought a new Sigma 150mm Macro lens I decided that it was time to explore this small area of the world again. What a joy!It’s that time of year up here in the Pacific [...]
Cowichan Valley Wine and Culinary Festival
The 2007 Cowichan Valley Wine and Culinary Festival took place last weekend under the usual weather for this year; a gloomy and wet weekend. Still, good times were had by all and the wine tasting was superb. Wine and food is likely the largest tourism draw for this area although one can’t discount the recreational [...]
Duncan, Vancouver Island
Duncan really does get a bad rap. While driving up Vancouver Island from Victoria all you see of Duncan is an ugly strip mall although over the past few years this area has improved significantly. What you don’t see from the highway is the charming town centre and the beautiful countryside that surrounds the town. [...]
Cowichan Valley Scenery
I decided that I was accumulating too many images that really didn’t have a proper gallery to exist in. Cowichan Valley Scenery will solve that problem at least temporarily. Mostly scenery, a few other images and….. Cowichan Valley Scenery gallery Share on Facebook
Mount Prevost
I’ve been looking at Mount Prevost from my Duncan house for the past 2 years. I’ve watched paragliders jump from the flanks, storm clouds rolling in and lovely sunset and sunrise light bringing Mount Prevost to life or closing the mountain down for the night. Until this past weekend I never had ventured to where [...]
Cowichan Exhibition – People having fun.
The Cowichan Exhibition, what a hoot! From the tractor pulls to buggy racing; cheap beer and lousy food, and did I mention the stunning people both male and female (disclaimer: I photographed more female subjects as usual). I should add as well that it was one of the nicest weekends in what has been a [...]
Cowichan Bay
I spent last Friday in Cowichan Bay photographing the early morning light and also the late evening sunset. Cowichan Bay is a funky town that really does have character. For boat lovers there are hundreds of gorgeous power and sailboats to drool over as well as an interesting maritime museum. For food lovers there are [...]
Chemainus, land of murals
Chemainus has gone from a boom town of mining, fishing and forestry practices to a town without a future until it was decided that murals could help turn the town around. In 1982, the first five murals were painted and today there are close to 40 plus 12 sculptures. This vibrant town now attracts over [...]
Victoria Street Performers
While attending the Victoria Classic Boat Festival I got distracted by many of the street performers and some blues musicians that were performing at the Blues Bash. What an interesting lot these are from jugglers playing with fire and the audience to artists painting with spray paint and creating out of this world images. I [...]
Victoria Classic Boat Festival 2007
Once again I managed to spend a day drooling over stunning examples of wooden boats, this time at the Classic Boat Festival in Victoria. The Victoria Classic Boat Festival is a Labour Day maritime celebration open to well-maintained vessels of traditional plank-on-frame or riveted steel construction built to a pre-1956 design. The gallery of boats [...]
Ladysmith Can-Am Strongman Challenge
Every time I look at these images I get tired. These guys are amazing in what they can do with items that most of us would shy away from even with help from our friends. They also seem to love what they’re doing and tend to have a great sense of humour. Look at this [...]
98th Annual Cobble Hill Fall Fair
I spent Saturday at the 98th annual Cobble Hill Fall Fair. As usual for this summer the Cowichan Valley weather was a mixed bag with small amounts of rain followed by beautiful sunshine. The Cobble Hill Fall Fair heavily emphasizes livestock and horses which makes sense for the location. One thing I noticed is how [...]
The Old Farm Market, Duncan
The Old Farm Market just south of Duncan must be one of the best fruit and vegetable markets on Vancouver Island or perhaps anywhere. All this plus the character that years of collecting and painting signs have added. Look for the giant red rooster on the Trans Canada Highway. Share on Facebook
Santa Cruz River Band
Ted RamÃrez, Michael Ronstadt and Gilbert Brown form this trio from Tucson, Arizona. They perform in English, Spanish and Native American Indian languages. This music is authentic and original with its roots in the traditional music styles of the United States and Mexico. An excellent performance. Santa Cruz River Band photographs Share on Facebook
Alan and Eli Gerber at the Islands Folk Festival
Alan Gerber has been performinmg for many years with ordinary folks like Lou Reed, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrex and John Lee Hooker. He’s still at it, producing rootsy music that will stir your soul. Who’s this in the photo? It kind of reminds me of when I was in high school many years ago and [...]
Dinah D at the Islands Folk Festival
Dinah D makes me wish you could still hang out at a bar and smoke cigars or cigarettes while listening to cool jazz. A little bit of bluegrass, a little swing, you get the idea. Dinah D is from Gabriola Island so hopefully I’ll have a chance to see her again soon. Dinah D photographs [...]
Sara and Kamila at the Islands Folk Festival, Duncam, BC
Sara and Kamila are sisters from Nova Scotia whose beautiful songwriting and harmonies are backed up by sultry sax, rhythmic bass and worldbeat percussion. Sara & Kamila’s second release entitled Chasing Fireflies was recorded in Newfoundland and was nominated for 4 MIANL awards. Wonderful vocals and great songwriting from these two. Sara and Kamila photographs [...]
Lubo Alexandrov and Kaba Horo
These guys are hot. I wasn’t sure whether I would like the mix of Bulgarian, Bosnian and Montreal fusion but it sure has energy. Lubo Alexandrov and Kaba Horo know how to deliver and get the audience in a frenzy. The name Kaba Horo is from the Turkish word “kaba” (low, rough) and the Bulgarian [...]
Kinsol Trestle
The most spectacular wooden rail trestle in Canada (or maybe the world) is the Kinsol trestle in the Cowichan Valley just south of Duncan on Vancouver Island. It was built in 1921 and is one of the largest and highest in the world. The Kinsol Trestle crosses the Koksilah River. At present a large debate [...]
Duncan – The City of Totems
Duncan, located in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island is called “The City of Totems” – The distinctive hand-carved cedar totem poles from local native artisans are on public display on downtown Duncan streets and in the local parks. There are somewhere in the neighborhood of 80 poles in the area, well worth the effort [...]
Tzinquaw Dancers – Duncan, British Columbia
The Tzinquaw Dancers bring the sights and sounds of traditional dance to the Cowichan Valley. The Cowichan Tzinquaw Dancers perform traditional songs and dances passed down from many generations. Performances are held at the The Quw’utsun’ Cultural and Conference Centre in Duncan. The Islands Folk Festival performance started the weekend on a good note. Tzinquaw [...]
Diamond Joe White, Islands Folk Festival, Providence Farm.
I have always enjoyed listening to Diamond Joe White perform, having seen him for the first time in the early 80′s. Once again he performed well at the Islands Folk Festival at Providence Farm. He brought his daughter Jolene with him (who is an excellent performer on her own) as well as a great granddaughter. [...]
Sabir Sisters at the Islands Folk Festival, Duncan, BC.
The Sabir Sisters are from Abbotsford, just outside Vancouver, British Columbia. You wouldn’t know this unless they revert to playing some classical pieces from their music background. These sisters really sound as though they have grown up in the maritimes and they put on a lively East Coast sort of performance. Sabir Sisters Gallery If [...]
