Mom-Day Adventure: Japanese Tea Gardens, Victoria Wildlife and the Old House

Hello, my friends! This is a big Mom-Day Adventure post, so grab a drink and get settled. 

We'll kick it off with what I wore for such a grand day, then some surprise pictures that I found on the camera (hint: wildlife is involved), a gaggle of pictures from our walk, and lastly, a glimpse of the past (and pics of very young me). 

As we dive into the last four weeks of summer, I'll be making an effort to wear all of the "backwards hangers" in my closet, aka the as-yet-unworn items. This gorgeous dress is one of them. 

I am a sucker for a black and white or black/cream mix in a dress - this one also has gold. 

• Dress - Chetta B, thrifted; last worn here (3rd outfit) in February 2020 for a funky Friday
• Shoes - Pegabo, thrifted; last seen here in April with velvet and a haori
• Jacket (below) - Smoking Lily; last worn here in June with my orange jumpsuit

This fabric is woven, not printed - it's just gorgeous in person. 

"Psst...Woman..."

What is it, Vizzini? 

"I see something suspicious."

I love the big gold zipper down the back. 

Showing my underlovelies. 

Bare legs so I can show off all my Ulti bruises. I got donked in the shin on Saturday and it's a doozy.

Masked up. Our province has restored its mask mandate due to increased Delta variant infections - we have to wear masks while indoors again. 

We're hoping to avoid the "Fourth Wave" - over 75% of our population is full-jabbed.

• Mask - by Mom

The temps here are back down to the low 20s, which is our usual summer climate. 

"Fine, take your pictures. I'm not going to tell you about the things in the tree."

I was glad I'd pulled out a jacket.

This is a stretchy cotton brushed with silver to make it look like Space Fabric. 

This is how most people saw me. 

You know, your typical park outfit. 

All the shiny! 

• Purse - Banana Republic, consignment

The stuff: 

I knew we wouldn't be doing any strenuous walking, but I still needed shoes for duration - we walked for close to two hours. 

Bold bling: 

First wearing of Mom's black earrings. 

• Bracelet - thrifted, Sidney
• Amber ring - c. 1996
• Silver/onyx ring - Toccara, vintage fair
• Cat pin - Charmaine's

I wore the cat pin on the jacket. 

So...I discovered these pictures on the camera when I was on my way home. We've been visited! 

L took these pictures with his "distance" glasses on before he left for work in the early morning, so he hoped for the best. 

We have racoons in the maple tree! 

There's one sleeping in the crook of the branches, and one on the side of the trunk. 

Another angle - the maple tree is in our condo's yard, beside the neighbouring apartment's driveway.

The awake racoon climbed up a smaller fork. 

Uh-oh, I think he spotted L! 

He's really close here - within 10 feet of our dining room window. 

Well, hello there. 

Trash bandit! 

Ooh, I think that made him mad. 

He looks like when Vizzini is scratching the bejeezus out of his post. 

Now, I definitely know he sees L. 

He looks super-pissed. 

Yikes, back away! 

This guy didn't move at all. 

Ah, I see the tips of the maple leaves are starting to turn golden. 

Speaking of trees...Mom picked me up in the morning and we drove to the Esquimalt Gorge Park. 

Mom is wearing a lovely blue top, a necklace from New Zealand, and this blue jacket (a thrifted gift from me), and a faux pearl brooch. Her sunglasses even matched. 

The Gorge waterway is an arm off Victoria's Inner Harbour and connects to Portage Inlet. It was a very popular holidaying destination for the early colonial settlers here. 

The official park website (here, all links 'cause I love) doesn't really tell you too much. Mom's mother came out here by tram (check out the BC Archives pic here and all the Archives' pics of the Gorge here), Mom also visited here and swam in the Gorge as a child...and so did I! We used to pack up the family VW van and bring our canoe to this park. 

It's a busy waterway, and because it's connected to the ocean it has tides. 

It was low tide when we arrived. We parked on the Esquimalt (that's pronounced "ess-KWAI-malt" side of the Gorge waterway and walked over the bridge. There were a lot of Canada geese (poop machines) all over. 

When I was a kid in the 1970s, this was a little loop of water that went right, under the bridge, forming a swimming hole. However, it was out of the tidal surges so the water got stagnant and icky. I remember that the bottom was quite slimy, but the water itself was always warm and the saltiness made you very buoyant.  

This field is where the swimming hole was - there is still sand on the left bank from the beach on the edge of it. 

This stream creation was a modern project to restore this area to its natural condition. 

It's worked, as we saw a ton of growth in the trees and bushes. 

I spotted a heron at the far bend. 

Crossing the bridge, we arrived at the walkway and playground. The walkway (the looped white chains) goes along both sides of the Gorge. 

I have not been to this park since at least the 90s, when I last came out here with Mom. 

I do remember this building - in the 70s, they sold chips and pop from it. It's the concession! 

It was open when we came back, and we made a donation and walked around - it's now a Nature House with a "touch tank" of water critters and fun things for kids to do. 

But our goal was to stroll to the Japanese Tea Gardens. 

Giant willows overhang the walkway. 

Looking north. There are houses along the left shore, some with docks. 

On the other side is Gorge Road, and a dense residential area, mostly built up between the early 1900s-1950s. 

See the paddleboarders? It's a popular sport. 

I checked the tide - it was going out (towards the harbour). 

The sea grasses are flat as the water rushes over them, and we saw one school of small silvery fish. 

Looking north again - big fluffy clouds! 

The mountains in the distance are up-Island (*waves vaguely*). 

We passed this half-built building/complex. 

They are building a new pavilion with amenities. 

I bet they will have a lot of wedding receptions here. 

The blue arrow is where we came in; the red arrow is where we're heading. The racket of the hammering sifted through the trees as we walked around the gardens, but it wasn't too intrusive. 

We know we're in the Japanese Tea Garden section - the lampposts changed to red. 

Following the shoreline path. 

We saw a lot of walkers along here. 

Tillicum Bridge is up ahead. 

Beautiful big Douglas Firs. 

This one's being smothered by the lace of ivy climbing up it. 

I love Japanese maples - the red leaves are so beautiful. 

We were so lucky to have such a glorious day. 

Here's Tillicum (TILL-uh-come) Bridge. I remember fishing for bullheads under this bridge when I was a kid (enjoy a pic of me around 9 years old, looking highly squeamish here). 

You can see the tidal surge under the bridge. This is known as "Tillicum Narrows" or the "Canal of Camosack" - it's one of the only reversing falls in Canada (interesting link about it here, including some pictures). 

I spied another heron amongst the hordes of Canada geese. 

Looking for lunch! 

I looked back, and couldn't resist taking a shot of Mom. 

Yes, that big smile expresses it perfectly. What a day!

From there, we walked up a very steep hill to the top of the gardens and worked our way down the meandering paths. 

Much like Finnerty Gardens (here, another Mom-Day Adventure), there are little side-paths and benches scattered throughout. 

The Japanese Tea Gardens were full restored in the early 2000s, and reopened in 2009. 

This is the entryway. 

A memorial to the creators of the garden. 

A good article here about how the gardens were created by Joe Kishida and Harry Takata; it doesn't skip the shamefulness of the Canadian internment of Japanese citizens during WWII. 

Another stone is a dedication to Jim Barlup. 

A link to the Jim Barlup Legacy Garden here (many pics of rhodos!). They were everywhere, many towering over our heads.

Mom took a picture of me. 

I left her shadow in. Hee. 

Looking back. 

The gardens were green and lush. 

This white rhododendron is going for a second bloom. 

But signs of impending fall were everywhere. 

This bench was tempting. 

Most of the path is compacted gravel, but there are also slab stone paths. 

Little ponds.

And little shrines everywhere. 

Towering trees. 

The bamboo was being kept in check. 

Mom admiring this giant tree. 

You had to just stop and look around. 

I see a red lamppost. 

The path curved downwards, following the stream running to the sea. 

A little waterfall. 

Algae along the edges of the ponds. 

Looking out over the slope.

I can see a bit of the construction through the trees. 

I liked this tiny house for guiding the water's path. 

The trickling sound of water wove in and out with the rustle of the bamboo. 

Victoria is proud of its gardens, but most people who live here haven't heard of this one. 

It was so worth a trip. 

Look at the colours! 

The foliage is just beautiful. 

Another small waterfall along the stream. 

That stream tumbled down to a larger pond. 

Another shrine (a birdhouse? I see a hole), and lily pads on the water. 

The lilies are just about to bloom.

I spy Mom on the far bridge. 

I took a path with stairs, but she stayed on the flatter sections. 

Isn't it picturesque?

You can't help but let your cares fall away. 

Ah, a lily that's bursting open. 

Dragonflies zoomed around. 

Looking back at the pond (this is where Mom had been standing). 

Mom has brought her art group here in the past to do "en plein aire" painting. 

Mom's painted in this park tons of times. 

We only saw a few people in this section, though. 

I liked this massive spiderweb. 

It was bigger than my hand. 

As we rested on a stone bench, a little rock lizard (invasive species) darted into the shadow of a leaf. 

Time to go...

Look at all that low-tide beach. 

This was such a lovely time. 

Aw, selfie with Mom! 

Before we headed to Montana's for lunch, Mom asked if I wanted to swing by our "old house" - it was on a street on the other side of the Gorge. This is the part of town that I lived in when I was a wee baby. Of course, I want to see it!  

This is the house Mom and Dad bought after they got married in 1965. I was born in 1967 and lived here until 1974. It's changed a bit, but the bones are still there. 

None of the bushes and trees were there when we lived there, according to Mom. It was quite open in the front yard and side area then. 

But I do remember this archway well. And that was my bedroom on the right, which I shared with my brother Dave when he was born in 1970.  

I think it was stranger for Mom to see the old house again, since I was only four when we left here. I still recall the layout, my bedroom wallpaper, baking with my mom in the kitchen (getting to stir the fruitcake), playing in the backyard. Just bits here and there. 

I dug up a couple of actual photograph pictures of me posing in that archway - it looks like the current owners are still using that mailbox on the wall above my head - I see a bit of it in the above pic. I think I'm two years old here, so 1969/70.

Note my hair barrette, cute dress, and socks and t-strap shoes. My poses still look like this!  

And this is probably a year later, when I'm 3, so 1970-71ish. 

Again, my hair is done, and I'm wearing a super-cute plaid dress (you know me and plaid!), and another sock-and-shoe combo. So stylish!

When I got home, I checked to see if the racoons were still there. 

Just the snoozy one. 

Vizzini, I'm sorry I didn't listen to you this morning! 

"Whatever. Let me sleep."

My own wildlife is hungry now, to time to go feed him. I hope you enjoyed our Mom-Day Adventure!