John Harvey Photo

September 2013

Go to Slide Show Smaller Images A Trip to Victoria for Labour Day & Autumn Festival Events


 

Walking to McMinn Park

The kids fell asleep in the car after the ferry ride but before we got Grandma's.  I did carry them to bed (who doesn't have great memories of being carried to bed) but they didn't sleep long.  A quick meal and it was time to go out for a walk.  Turns out going out for a walk was another meal - Blackberries were in season!
 
Claira Eating BlackberriesClaira Eating Blackberries Out Of My HandClaira Breaking Into Container

Claira doesn't really like sweet things (as a baby, she turned her nose up at yams, peaches, strawberries and anything else mildly sweet), but Claira really liked blackberries.  We were picking some for the kids now and putting some in a recycled clamshell container for "later" but once we got moving, Claira broke into the clamshell like a raccoon breaking into a garbage can.  She had dark blackberry juice all over her face.

Nara On Climbing Pole

Claira Digging In The Sand
The next morning we went to Cordova Bay.  The tide wasn't super low so there wasn't a huge ammount of sand, but it was warm out.  We started by doing some digging on the beach, but quickly Nara wanted to get her boots wet, then she figured out the water doesn't get deep.  It didn't take long before her boots were flooded and then taken off.  Of courses Claira wanted in as well so very quickly were were all out for a walk in the very shallow ocean.  I think everyone had a good time.

Nara Jumping In Shallow Water  Claira Standing In The OceanGrandma And Nara Walking Into Ocean

After the trip to the beach and nice lunch, everyone crashed.  It sure is nice when both kids nap for the same length of time at roughly the same time. 

Claira In The Pond
I've had some good times at Outerbridge park (it's right around the corner from my parents house) so after dinner we decided to walk over and see what was going on.  The kids do enjoy a good stroller ride and they got to see a rabbit!  Not so much with the birds - I didn't see any woodpeckers, humming birds or other notable birds.  Maybe next time.

Claira Giving Grandpa High FiveIvy Leaved Cyclamen

 

Monday Morning - Back to the Beach


Nara And Claira At The Beach In The Rain
The next morning was a bit dim but the kids wanted to go back to the beach.  The tide wasn't particularly low so there wasn't a lot of sand, but there was lots of fun had anyways.  We had a brief rainshower but since we were already waterproof, it wasn't much of an issue.



  Claira And Nara Packing SandClaira With Waterproof OverbootiesNara Without BootsClaira With Sailboat Behind
 
  Claira On Ride On Toy
Caitlin, who is just getting back to school, came over for lunch.  The kids had lots of toys to play with (they really liked the back deck and the ride on toys) so they were pretty happy on their own.  Eventually it was time to catch the ferry and go home to see Mommy.  Thanks parents!


Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival

Parade Past Still CreekThis is my first time to the Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival.  I used to bike by the Refrew Ravine on my way to EA so I knew about the park and my workplace is flooded by Still Creek from time to time so I'm famiar with the creek, but the festival is a completly new.  This time of the year the sun sets early (It's pretty dim by 7:30) so the kids had a chance to see the night time activity, unlike the Festival at Trout lake where the kids fell asleep before it got dark.  

Their were plenty of lanterns hanging so there was lots of things for the kids to see.  The park isn't very large (compared to the walk around Trout Lake) so when the large crowd did show up, it got difficult to move.  That said, most of the lanterns were setup behind the fences so there were lots of photo opportunities.


Dragon Suspended In A TreeSalmon Over StreamString Of Balloon Lanterns

Jennie And Nara With Swinging LanternsNara Standing By FenceNaralooking Into Lantern

 
Woman With AMoving WhaleSome people brought their own lanterns which were very impressive.  I though this articulated whale lantern was particularly impressive - the woman holding it could make it look like the whale was actually swimming.  Overall, we had a good time and still got home in time to give the kids a bath.  We only got to see one side of the ravine, but that was plenty for our first visit.
 

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden

Gate With Lanterns
Hands down, the most difficult time I've ever had driving to the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Gardens.  There was a protest walk on this particular Sunday morning that went down the viaduct, through downtown and then ended up in a chinatown.  Trying to drive around it and then find a parking space anywhere near the garden was nearly impossible.  On the plus side for us, the garden was almost empty because no one else could get there either.

Rain Falling In Courtyard

 

Nara Holding Up Her Lantern
The garden had a number of stations set up for crafts that kids could do.  It was raining pretty hard so doing thing indoors was a nice alternative.  Nara made a lantern and then got to try out chinese calegraphy.  Claira was also interested in the brush, but more to eat it than to draw with it.

Nara Practicing Chinese CharactersClaira And Jennie Drawing Characters

Nara Playing String Cups Game
Outside they had a number of activity stations showing traditional activities like a yoyo, foot sac (but with a birdy like badminton) and bean bag toss. 


Helen Nara And Claira With Koy Hg
Around 11:45 they had fed the Koy.  The normally slow moving koy suddenly became quite active and swam rapidly to where the feeding station was setup.  Surprisingly little food was put in the water and the fish were well behaved.  After feeding, they stayed in the area making nice collections for photos.
Koy Under Lily PadsKoy Long Exposure Blur

A good time had by all and our car didn't get broken into!



Naralooking Into Lantern
Jennie And Nara With Swinging Lanterns
Person: Jennie, Nara
Tags: Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival
Nara Standing By Fence
Tags: fence, lantern, Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival
Rain Falling In Courtyard
Location: Go To...
Tags: Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, rain
Claira In The Pond
Person: Claira
Tags: Outerbridge Park, pond
Gate With Lanterns
Altitude: 5m (16 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden
Dragon Suspended In A Tree
Tags: dragon, lantern, Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival
Nara Playing String Cups Game
Location: Go To...
Claira Giving Grandpa High Five
Person: Claira, Lloyd
Tags: wagon
Salmon Over Stream
Tags: fish, lantern, Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival
Ivy Leaved Cyclamen
Species: Cyclamen hederifolium ()
Tags: flower, invasive, Outerbridge Park
Claira Standing In The Ocean
Person: Claira
Altitude: 4m (13 feet)
Location: Go To...
Parade Past Still Creek
Tags: motion blur, Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival
Claira Digging In The Sand
Altitude: 13m (42 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: beach, bucket, Cordova Bay
Nara Practicing Chinese Characters
Person: Nara
Altitude: 15m (49 feet)
Location: Go To...
Grandma And Nara Walking Into Ocean
Altitude: 13m (42 feet)
Location: Go To...
Claira With Sailboat Behind
Person: Claira
Tags: beach, Cordova Bay, reflection, sailboat
Claira With Waterproof Overbooties
Person: Claira
Altitude: 1m (3 feet)
Location: Go To...
String Of Balloon Lanterns
Tags: balloon, lantern, Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival
Claira And Jennie Drawing Characters
Person: Claira, Jennie
Altitude: 16m (52 feet)
Location: Go To...
Claira On Ride On Toy
Person: Claira
Woman With AMoving Whale
Tags: lantern, portrait, Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival, street photography
Nara And Claira At The Beach In The Rain
Altitude: 1m (3 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: beach, Cordova Bay, rain
Claira Eating Blackberries
Person: Claira
Tags: blackberries, wagon
Nara Without Boots
Person: Nara
Nara Holding Up Her Lantern
Person: Claira, Jennie, Nara
Altitude: 14m (45 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: lantern
Koy Long Exposure Blur
Altitude: 13m (42 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, Koy, long exposure
Koy Under Lily Pads
Altitude: 13m (42 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, Koy, pond, rain
Claira Eating Blackberries Out Of My Hand
Person: Claira
Tags: blackberries
Nara Jumping In Shallow Water
Location: Go To...
Helen Nara And Claira With Koy Hg
Person: Claira, Helen, Nara
Altitude: 13m (42 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, Koy, rain
Claira And Nara Packing Sand
Claira Breaking Into Container
Person: Claira, Nara
Tags: blackberries, McMinn Park, wagon
Nara On Climbing Pole
Person: Nara
Tags: McMinn Park, playground
Tags: Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival(7), lantern(6), Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden(5), rain(4), wagon(3), Cordova Bay(3)
People: Claira(12), Nara(7), Jennie(3), Lloyd(1), Helen(1)
From: John Harvey Photo > Blogs for 2024 to 2005 > September 2013

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