Sunday, August 10, 2025

Bigass Weekend Wrap-Up in North Saanich: Mosi-ing in Sea-Themed Tulle; A Hike at John Dean Park in Neon

Welcome back, my friends! I hope your weekend has been marvelous and that you're ready to join me for a look at the adventures L and I had. 

First up, we skipped our usual brunch at John's Place on Saturday morning, in favour of a drive to Saanich to have lunch and ice cream at a spot L had discovered with pal Casey a while back. Something different? Let's go! 

I had fun getting ready while L was running around at Ulti, playing in my closet with this and that, until I hit my happy spot.
I had this cow/cloud-printed mesh bodysuit out, paired with my pink tulle skirt - the rest of the outfit was unexpected. 

  • Bodysuit - Nylon Apparel, consignment; last worn here in March with a bell skirt
  • Tulle skirt - Papillon; last seen here (2nd outfit) in April for a Shop With Sheila
  • Leather shoes - Chloe Quincy, consignment; last worn here in June with yellow and orange

I opted for thin layers for sun coverage. 
That thing tied around me is my ginormous silk Valentino ship/merfolk scarf. 

I wrapped it over the chest, crossed it in the back and tied it at the front. 
I had to adjust it over the day, as it wanted to slide sideways, but it worked rather well otherwise. 

The yellow on the top is the sails of the ship in the centre of the scarf. 
I used that as my cue to do gold jewelry, and cream shoes and purse.

Accoutrements:
I enjoyed leaning into the sea-side theme. 

The purse reminds me of pearls, and I added a pink tassel (from a gift bag) and my gold-tone seaweed brooch. Extra fancy! 
 I recall I bought this purse for...$40? at a vintage fair years ago (pre-pandemic).

  • Metal mesh/Bakelite purse - Whiting & Davis, vintage 30s, vintage fair
  • Tassel - just lying around
  • Brooch - thrifted
  • Silk merfolk/ship scarf - Valentino, vintage, consignment

The stuff: 
I tried a bunch of different shoes, but liked how the gold and cream of these loafers worked with the outfit. I wore them with the heels down (they can be worn either way). 

Note my piece of red gauze - I used this to back the silk scarf so that it wouldn't tear or pull from the weight of the seashell brooch. It worked beautifully. 

Gold bling: 
I pinned the seashell through the necklace like a pendant, then connected it to the "bustier" scarf. I felt very clever and creative! 

  • Bracelet w/pink stones - D'Orlan, vintage 70s, vintage mall, gift from L
  • Gold leaves bracelet - thrifted, Sidney
  • Olivine/coral ring - Hawaii, c. 1975, Mom's
  • Gold/amethyst ring - Frances Jewelers, c. 1965, Dad's
  • Pearl ring - The Pearl Factory, Hawaii, c. 1985
  • Necklace - Givenchy, vintage 80s, vintage fair
  • Shell brooch - JJ, consignment, Powell River
  • Earrings - vintage fair

I took a few pictures of our adventure.
Ready to go in Vlad the Jag (the convertible). Rock on, L! His shirt has hibiscus flowers with pretty ladies in them. 

Our destination was Mosi Bakery Café and Gelateria.
Even in the mid-afternoon, the place was hopping, with constant line-ups. We sat in the shade where the person on the left is, grabbing that spot as soon as they left.

We placed our order for our sandwiches, while we enjoyed the view of the gas station.
Turkey vultures swooped on the thermals. This is out past the Horticultural Centre of the Pacific.

We got a roast beef sandwich and a pollo (chicken) one, and split them half and half. (menu here, link 'cause I love!). 
I loved them both - the roast beef had some hot horseradish on it! We also got drinks (a limonata for L and a blackberry kombucha for me), then I lined up again to get us each a cup of sorbetto, which is homemade from local ingredients. L had lemon and I had chocolate, and we picked up two gluten-free brownies to eat later that night. Delicious food! Worth the trip.

Time to head back to town. 
I always like this view of the Olympic Mountains in Washington as we zoom down the highway. We picked up groceries on the way home and hung out playing boardgames all night. 

We were up early for another drive to North Saanich to visit 30-year-plus pals Steve and Bev, who just moved out there. Group shot! 
L, me, Steve and Bev. Love you guys! 

I took a bunch of pictures, as we went to a New To The Blog spot, John Dean Park, a place I used to go with my family when I was a kid. Here's what I wore, for a walk in the woods on a VERY hot day.
I couldn't remember John Dean Park very well, so I thought I'd better play it safe and wear jeans and sneakers! 

  • T-shirt - Ice Cube merch 2024, not tracked
  • Jeans - Mac Jeans; last worn here in January to help Mom with some tech support
  • Sneakers - Ryka, consignment; last seen here (2nd outfit)  in July with a big dress
  • Nylon jacket - Adidas X Stella McCartney, consignment, Vancouver; last worn here in June over big sleeves

A t-shirt with my neon jeans, to be precise. 
Visions of being lost in the forest. 

Better wear neon! 
It was so hot, I ended up with my jacket around my waist most of the time. 

I sunblocked my arms up, and I even wore a hat! 
Time to jump in the car for another drive far north of town. 

Jacket on.
Let's go!

I do love this nylon daisy jacket.
My first ever piece of Weird Adidas.

The stuff: 
I was glad I wore both the hat and the sneakers. We hiked on dirt and gravel roads.

  • Hat - Adidas men's, thrifted

Minimal bling: 
Purse for carrying things. 

  • Leather purse - Rebecca Minkoff, consignment
  • Belt - vintage 90s, consignment
  • Leather/metal cuff - Rimanchik, thrifted
  • Studded leather wrist-wrap - Kipling Leather, thrifted
  • Anneke & Lars silver ring - vintage mall
  • Silver chain ring - Mexican, consignment
  • Silver Celtic S pendant - c. 1995? gift from Mom & Dad
  • White gold hoops - Frances Jewelers, 2007, anniversary gift from L

And now, some pictures! We drove out, passing loads of farmland. 
The Saanich Peninsula has many, many farms. You can stop and get all kinds of fruit and veggies at roadside stands, and there are a few ciderworks as well. 

A big open barn, and a cow!
On the drive home, there was a big huddle of cows in this pasture. 

L and Steve looking at Steve's dad's car, a vintage MG convertible.
It's not quite ready for the road, so we drove to the park entrance in Steve/Bev's car. 

We're headed up this gravel access road (I remembered this as soon as I saw it, although it's been over 30 years since I was here). About the park here.
We were grateful for all the shade that these massive Douglas firs gave us (affectionately known as "Dougies").

They're rather tall. 
Steve and L for scale. 

We took this little path up to Pickles' Peak. 
Up...then down...

We're on the side of Mt. Newton, not exactly a flat area! 
All the stairs made me glad I do the stairs to my office! My cardio was good, although I was dripping with sweat by the time we got to the top. 

Ooh, I see land through the trees! 
That's the peninsula. 

There are some sections where stairs/railings have been installed. 
Bev, L and Steve.

There were surprisingly few birds - I heard very little birdsong. 
A few juncos and chickadees, that was it. 

Oh, there we go.
The guys found the lookout spot.

Amazing. 
That's the peninsula down there, with Gulf Islands in the distance. The far mountains are on the mainland. 

I see Mt. Baker in the centre! 
We were 303 meters above sea level. Very high! 

Looking towards town, which is that little dip in the middle distance.
It's about a 30 minute drive to get out here. 

Looking back to the east. 
Incredible views! 

Slightly to the north of that.
Vancouver is way over that way. 

Looking back at everyone. 
"I'm taking your picture!"  "No, I'm taking YOURS!"

After duly enjoying the view, we came back to the antenna tower. 
Steve and L noticing the raptors circling on the hot air. 

Those look like turkey vultures to me. 
There were about 4 of them doing slow loops.

Yup, that's a turkey vulture, all right. 
I can tell by its red head. 

Let's go look at this view. 
It was the same as the other view. Been there, done that, now I'm starving. 

Take me back to your home and feed me, Steve and Bev! 
We hung out in their backyard, sipping strawberry smoothies and orange juice, and nibbling charcuterie for a couple of hours, just catching up. Such a good time! Thank you for hosting us, dear friends! 

A great pic of L and I at the peak.
What a fun weekend had with you, my love! Thank you! 

And thank you, my friends, for being here! Time for me to sign off...

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